Scooter flop

I've posted recently how impressed (and baffled) I am over being able to miraculously make it to my destinations driving myself through the city. Seriously... it's been pretty awesome.

I love the feeling of cruising on my scooter - I'm not sure what words to use to best describe it... it feels... retro, romantic, and cooooool, haha.

Last night I was leaving District 1 to head home... it should have been about a 15 minute drive and I've made the trip on the back of a xe om numerous times. Well... I made it to the Opera House... past the Notre Dame Cathedral... doing well...

...Then it felt like I was past where I should have been. I'm not sure if I missed a turn or took a wrong road but... I knew I was past my neighborhood somehow. Well... maybe not... because then I would go by something that seemed familiar and maybe I was on the right path still. I kept driving, looking for a street name that I recognized - hoping to just run into Phan Xich Long, the major road in my district.

No such luck... I ended up at the airport. Hahaha... it's so far out. It's pretty ridiculous that I drove that far, really. I hadn't checked my map because it was under the seat of the scooter... and I wanted to figure it out on my own. Once I reached the airport, however, I pulled over and took the map out.

Heading back in what I hoped to be the right direction, I stopped at a traffic light and turned to the guy on a scooter next to me and said, "Phan Xich Long??". ...But then the light changed to green and we all started going. The guy drove up alongside me about 20 seconds later or so, pointed to himself and said, "Phan Xich Long!"... well, alright! I started following him and he turned down streets like he knew just where he was going.

After at least 20 minutes of circles, figure eights, side roads with huge, muddy potholes, and no sign of anything looking or feeling familiar, I was a bit worried that he was as lost as I was. I didn't feel in danger at all - I figured I was on my scooter and could simply drive away. BUT it was late and I was tired and ready to just be in bed.

My favorite part, though, is that the man kept beeping is horn whenever we'd drive past someone (often)... as if to tell them... Out of my way; coming through - I'm helping a foreigner!

A few times the guy even turned back towards me and pointed up ahead with a nod, as if to tell me Phan Xich Long was just up ahead and he knew just where he was going.

By this point, I was sooo turned around and lost that I decided to just keep following him and see where we ended up.

Another 10 minutes or so later, we turn onto a road and I knew it! I put my hand on my heart and looked at the guy... "Phan Xich Long!!" I said. Amazing.

Even though I knew my way from there, he insisted on driving with me to my street (all in Vietnamese of course but I'm pretty sure this is what was going on). He even pulled a pen out and had me write on my hand the name of the street to turn on so he could lead me there. (I really think I should have been leading at this point... but he brought me this far and I was so relieved and thankful to this guy.)

Once we turned onto Hoa Sua (milk flower) we pulled over and he said goodbye. I kept thanking him and tried to pay him but he wouldn't take any money. He pointed to himself and said "Tung". I pointed at myself and said, "Stacia... cam on! Thank you so much! Hen gap lai." (See you again.) I was so thankful to this man that I will probably never see again - yet he went so far out of his way just to help me... some silly foreigner on a scooter who's lost.

I turned onto my street, Hoa Tra (jasmine flower), and into the basement to park my scooter. I said hello to Mr. Nhan and then pulled out my map to show him that I had gotten lost and just how lost I had been! He was laughing at me.  :P

I was laughing at myself as I walked up the stairs to my apartment - this was the first time venturing out that I felt like I could make it to my destination... I figured I knew the general direction, would find a road that I knew, and just figure it out along the path. Not so...

Hopefully no more airport trips until I'm armed with a suitcase.