Thursday morning, Saturday’s departure is looming. We were low on water, so I headed to the market to grab some, along with bread for breakfast. But there is none! All the large water jugs are gone, except for the giant 7 litre ones with a tap, I don’t know if we need anything that big? I snap a picture and send it off to Joe, in the hopes that he’ll see it and let me know what he wants me to grab. Of course, his phone is not glued to his hand like mine is, so I end up having to call him.
I got a small bottle, grabbed some croissants, and elevator it back up to the apartment. Breakfast is quick and easy and scrambled eggs, Joe’s almost finished his coffee stash, and I’ve plowed through the huge thing of black teabags that Joe purchased in Thailand, so it’s all coming together!
I can’t sit inside and dread my dentist appointment all day, even though I want to, so as soon as the girls are done their science class for the morning, we head to the beach! We only have today and tomorrow left to play in the sea and the sand, as on Saturday we’ll be packing and heading to the train station. We enjoy the waves for a looooong time, and then play in the sand.
By 2pm, I’m all showered and almost ready to head out to the dentist, but Joe hasn’t returned with our lunch yet! He finally gets home, bringing fresh summer rolls and a sandwich for himself. The girls have their leftovers from spaghetti and fried rice still, so lunch is quick and easy, and before we know it, I’m out the door and on my way to the dentist.
The dental office is a crowded spot, check out all the motorcycles blocking the sidewalk:
My appointment is at 3pm. At 3.15pm, one of the many receptionists (but unfortunately not the only one who speaks English) comes to tell me (by telling me, I mean showing me her phone’s translation app): The dentist is currently helping a patient, please wait a moment.
At 4.10pm I ask how much longer I will have to wait. The receptionist asks, and comes back with an approximate 10 minute wait. True enough, at 4.20pm I am brought in to a dentist office with only one chair and a giant mahogany desk. The upstairs office holds three dentists’ chairs in the same space, so I’m obviously now in the important office.
20 minutes later, I’m back out on the street. Too many cooks in the kitchen? Too many dentists at this office, that’s for sure! I was here last Wednesday, to be told in the morning that I needed a rush root canal, only to be told in the evening that no root canal was needed, here, take these antibiotics and monitor the symptoms. I was back on Tuesday, a different dentist said the only way to fix the current pain is with a new root canal. When I asked for a root canal appointment on Wednesday morning, they said “there’s no time” but then two hours later, they made me today’s appointment. Now I don’t need one again? What a rollercoaster!
I’m frustrated, but also relieved. I’m in pain, but manageable? We’ll see. I hope not to see another dentist for a while. I book a car to go home to Joe and the girls. While I’m waiting for the car, I watch as motorcycle after motorcycle comes out of the tiny alley by the dentist and turns left into oncoming traffic. Traffic rules in Vietnam sure is something else completely! Just honk so that you’re seen, and you’ll be fine?
Back at home, the preparations are really coming together for tomorrow’s event! I’ve translated the Russian poster in the elevator, and they invite everyone in the complex to an event to build stronger bonds and celebrate together. But only if you can read Russian?
When I get home, Joe has cooked congee for us, anticipating my sore teeth. It is delicious, but of course I didn’t realize I could have taken a picture of that as well.
After dinner, we go for yet another beach walk to try to find coconut ice cream lady. This is most likely our last chance, so our hopes are high, but just like previously, her cart is there, but she is not. This time her cart is parked by a different vendor, but nobody is dishing out coconuts with ice cream, chocolate sauce and peanuts today.
Because there was no coconut ice cream to be had, we stopped by the market downstairs to pick up this evening’s sweet treats:
We put on a Marvel movie and had a family movie night, before ending up going to bed way too late, again. Wonder what time we’ll wake up tomorrow?