Day 8—A Little Kayaking Before Our Flight

I awoke to a cloudy but beautiful sunrise. We had been invited to a shared sunrise experience followed by Tai Chi, but the best views of the dawning of a new day occurred as we opened our windows to see outside.

We then began our morning with a little Tai Chi. Kevin is a master instructor, so he took us through lesson one. We all rocked it.

Then, we moved on to a beautiful kayaking expedition. Of course, life wouldn’t be exciting without a bit of drama, right??? Well, as I entered my room, I saw my roommate in a panic—she couldn’t find her passport.

Together we looked through her bags. We unpacked and repacked her bag twice. I even repacked my bag, but no passport could be found. Hoang Lee, our guide, entered our room and began the search. We called the driver and the previous hotel. Still, no passport.

Eventually Hoang Lee and Corell sent me to kayak as I could do nothing else to help. My original plan had been to partner with Blake. He promised to keep our vessel going while I took pictures. However, the cruise director informed me I would be kayaking with him at Hoang Lee’s request. While we worked well as a team, I knew Kevin’s main goal would be to monitor all kayakers. My explorations would be put on pause, and Blake would kayak alone.

Despite these interruptions, the experience felt rejuvenating. I loved the peaceful sound of the paddle making its way through the water. And, the views couldn’t be beat. We headed to a hidden inlet and watched a kite (bird) search for food. We talked about the wildlife, and I even used my binoculars. Life was good.

I had my phone tethered to my body, so I enjoyed taking photos of everyone. I asked first then promised to share photos. Surprisingly, I turned around, and Hoang Lee was in a kayak!!! I asked him if everything was okay, and he let me know Corell’s passport was found. He just wanted Corell to tell me where it was!

You might be curious as well. Turns out Roxana told her to put her passport on the outside of her bag. She had checked her bag again and again, but she finally decided to check the outside pocket of my bag. And, folks, there it was! I hadn’t put anything in that pocket, so I didn’t even look there. Suffice it to say, Corell was relieved and the rest of us razzed her about it. All of it was done in good fun!

Many of the kayakers took advantage of another swim. I knew we would be flying and wasn’t too keen on packing a wet suit, so I went to commiserate with Corell then eat lunch. The Sena Cruise experience lasted one day, but it was a day to remember!

After our cruise boat made it back to shore, we visited the “happy room” then headed to the airport. We were leaving Danang and moving on to Hoi An.

All airports seem to uphold different rules. While many are the same, some allow you to bring full water bottles through security. At least this airport did.

Between the seven of us, everyone was able to access a lounge. Andy and Hoang Lee left us for a bit, but Kirsten, Roxana, Corell, Blake and I visited together. As always, we had some food and beverages within a comfortable lounge area.

When we reconvened to board the plane, it was delayed. As long as it wasn’t cancelled, I didn’t mind. We tried some snacks Hoang Lee purchased and waited. Within the hour we boarded. Hoang Lee and Andy sat in the front of the plane while the rest of us enjoyed the joyful expressions of sad children! Both Kirsten and Blake sat in center seats while Roxana, Corell, and I sat together.

The flight took on the turbulence like a champ, but Corell cringed each time. I watched out the window and happily found a rainbow peeking through the sky.

After our arrival, Hoang Lee took us to a restaurant made famous by Anthony Bourdain. Its specialty included a variety of sandwiches called Bánh Mì. Duck pate makes them great, but I enjoyed chicken instead. The place was crowded!

Once our meal was complete, we took a walk through town! The excitement of the streets would have excited us all, but we were simply exhausted. And, we knew we would return again and again to the city center.