Today was a relaxed day, so I ended up waking up quite late—so late, in fact, that I missed breakfast. It’s always a little disappointing to have breakfast included and not make it. Nevertheless, I packed my bags, checked out of the hotel, and left my luggage at the reception before heading out to explore Ho Chi Minh City on foot for the first time in daylight.

The day was sunny and humid, making the walk a bit tiring, but I managed to visit some landmarks like the Ho Chi Minh City Hall, Opera House, Post Office, and the Saigon Center Tower. While they were nice to see, nothing particularly stood out. For lunch, I stopped at a restaurant, but the food turned out to be underwhelming and overpriced. After lunch, I visited an Apple Store to check out the new iPhone 16 Pro, hoping to buy one. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the colour and memory specifications I wanted, so I left empty-handed. With that done, I returned to the hotel, collected my luggage, and booked a cab to the airport for my flight to Hanoi.

I reached the airport around 3 PM for a 4:50 PM flight, only to find a notice at the boarding gate. Using Google Translate, I learned that my flight was delayed by over three hours. With nothing else to do, I grabbed a coffee and killed time watching the India vs. New Zealand Test match on my phone. Unfortunately, both the Indian cricket team and the airline managed to disappoint me. Eventually, I boarded the flight and arrived in Hanoi. After landing, I booked a Grab cab, again using the trusty method of sharing a photo of my location to ensure the driver could find me easily.

I had booked accommodation in the Old Quarter of Hanoi via Airbnb, planning to stay for three nights while waiting for my two companions to join me the next day. The cab ride to the Airbnb took about 45 minutes. The check-in process was self-service, with instructions provided through the app. The building itself matched the area’s name—Old Quarter. It was quite old, and the interiors had a spooky vibe. The layout was also unusual; while my room had an attached toilet, the bathroom was oddly located outside, connected to the kitchen. Feeling a bit unsettled by the place and exhausted from the day, I changed and went straight to bed.