Day 7 - Da Nang Merry Christmas and Chaos at the Airport

Happy Christmas! Merry Christmas!

Today, after a whole week of travel, it was time to say goodbye to Hoi An – my little lantern city. With a packed suitcase, I waved a wistful "Goodbye" to the city, hopped into a Grab taxi, and made my way to Da Nang. My day started with a mission: to save my flight.

Since my original flight was canceled, I was rebooked on a flight at 10:00 PM, but that would have been far too late for a relaxed check-in at my hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. So, off to my airline's counter to unleash my charming smile and the art of negotiation. It worked! I was rebooked on the flight at 5:20 PM. Everything was peachy – or so I thought...

With my newly acquired morning, I wanted to explore Da Nang. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. Clouds, rain, and a gloomy mood made outdoor activities unattractive. So, I decided to visit the 3D Art Museum in Paradise, where you can insert yourself into the artworks and take spectacular photos.

It was truly impressive – lions, dinosaurs, minions – and of course, Ursula, my unicorn, had to get in on the action everywhere. She really hit it off with the minions. The little yellow ones are probably her new favorite crew. Then, she even found another unicorn colleague and was completely beside herself. For me, though, it was less fun since I constantly had to ask people to take photos of me. Posing alone is quite a thing...

After this adventure, I treated myself to a frappuccino at Starbucks before heading back to the airport. Everything seemed perfect – until the flight drama marathon began.

My flight was supposed to depart at 5:20 PM. But then came the first announcement: Delayed to 5:45 PM. Well, a little delay is still manageable. Then it was pushed to 6:15 PM, and I slowly sensed that this wasn’t going to end well. The departure was finally set for 7:00 PM, and I wondered if I should just spend my life at an airport.

Boarding finally began at 6:40 PM, but we didn’t take off until 7:55 PM. While I waited patiently, Ursula had a movie marathon in my backpack; she was determined to watch the minions. She had no idea how annoying it was for me.

Upon arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, everything suddenly felt like a Christmas fairytale: My suitcase was one of the first to pop up on the baggage carousel! The weather was pleasantly warm. A small miracle on Christmas Eve. My friend Murray, who lives in the city, picked me up and safely accompanied me to my hotel. But the evening wasn’t over yet: We treated ourselves to a comforting bowl of noodle soup – after all, that's the perfect end to a turbulent day.

Back at the hotel, I made a quick call to my family to wish them a Merry Christmas. After that, it was Christmas TV in bed, and finally, Ursula and I fell exhausted onto the pillow. Tomorrow, a new city awaits to be discovered – hopefully with lots of action and less drama!

Merry Christmas and see you tomorrow!