Road trip adventure

So I got those itchy feet again, and I have been checking out the places to go during these 5 days off, sadly, all the tours that I wanna join are either full or too costly, so I ended up going on a road trip, which I planned since January.

To avoid running on fumes, I made sure my gas tank is full. And we departed at around 9:30, Sam – our leader of the day, and also my amazing ‘driver’ decided that we would take the Vo Van Kiet highway. That is what I love about roadtrip, we can choose our own route, and if we make the right choice, it will be a fantastic trip, and I must say, that is how I felt yesterday. It turned out that riding on the back was a lot more fun; I could enjoy the view of newly constructed apartments, feel the breeze, and doze off occasionally ;)

The first destination is Buu Long Pagoda, located at 81 Nguyen Xien, Long Binh Ward, District 9, hidden in a rural area (you can catch bus line 611 to get there). I highly recommend this place for worshipping, sightseeing, photographing or more. The unique golden stupa of Buu Long pagoda recalls Thai architecture (at least to me it does).

It is said that the pagoda has a [Gotama Cetiya – a stupa masterpiece in Saigon - used for worshiping the Buddha and Noble Sangha relics.] - read more

It was such a pity we didn’t get to see the inside of the stupa, since it was almost 11:30 and you have to take off your shoes in order to get in, and it was lunch break, time out! Instead, we wandered around the area, praying, taking photos here and there. My favourite spot is the turquoise pond right in front of the main building. It creates pleasant atmosphere for visitors.

There is also a small restaurant near the parking lot where you can order veggie meals, iced tea is free ;) The price is reasonable, we paid 86,000 VND for 3 bowls of noodles plus 3 drinks, the taste is fine, it's worth the penny.

After a few minutes 'recharging' our energy, we headed to the second target, Nam Thien Nhat Tru, located at 100 Dang Van Bi, Thu Duc district. Unfortunately, it was 12:30 when we arrived, and it was closed for lunch break (again!). Anyway, it was a day off and we were already there, one more hour was not too long (I guess), so we ordered iced tea and coke from the street vendor, chatting to kill time until 1:30pm.

It was a quiet afternoon, the shades from these trees made it better to sit under the sun during noon hours.

the team of the day ;)

When the clock finally ticked 1:30, I was so eager to get inside, yet the door was still shut, the bell was no where to be found, and I didn't think knocking on the pagoda door is something appropriate to do, I almost gave up and ready to go home. So then I tried my best to get at least one shot, through the closed door.

Suddenly, there came a lady with the keys, and she just saved my plan by getting the door open. Looking at the time, it was past 1:30, pretty punctual lol.

 This is the replica of Ha Noi iconic One-Pillar Pagoda, which was originally built in the 11th century and was rebuilt in 1954 after destruction by the French. The structure and decoration is similar to that of from the North.

 One thing interesting about this place is that there are a lot of fishes and turtles in the lake.

After walking around to pray and take some more photos, I called it a day. We got on our bikes and headed home. It was a four - hour journey on the bike, my last day of April was indeed a very enjoyable day! 

The trip was not just about getting to know new places, I did have some really sweet moments with my friends and I am grateful for those tiny little things you did.

Thank you for being great companions. Thanks again :)

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DT