Southeast Asia Travel Day Six: Our last morning in Cambodia, breakfast then off to the airport. We were sad to say goodbye to our guide, Jun. He’s a great guy and a terrific guide. One of the best I’ve ever encountered. Jun didn’t just point things out and spout memorized facts. He was genuinely passionate about it. Jun and Peaches from Trails of Indochina really made everything about our three days in Siem Riep perfect.

There was a little drama when we got to the airport. First they were shifting our group from one counter to another and we had to deal with some awfully cranky ticket agents. I think I jinxed us by posting that we had no delays with our previous flights. Our flight from Siem Riep, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam ended up being delayed about two hours.

When it was finally time to board, Michael went through and I got pulled to the side. One of our friends, Mary, was laughing— “What did you do?” Then she and her husband George got pulled too. The laughing stopped. The gate agents moved us from the front of the plane to the back, a row in front of each other.

Once onboard, the woman next to me wanted to switch because her friend was in front of her. It worked out great because then I got to sit with Mary and George. Michael was still at the front of the plane and we were about 30 rows behind. The good news is that we were able to board and exit at the back of the plane and didn’t have to wait for the usual crowded aisles.

When it came time for the safety video, the screen above our heads decided to throw a fit. It kept lowering and raising, opening and closing, over and over. This got Mary and I laughing, though George, who isn’t crazy about flying—was not amused.

The bus ride from the airport was insane. Traffic, amplified by the ridiculous number of motorbikes, made traffic in New York City or Chicago look like driving in a small town. Michael compared it to the swarm that develops when you step on an anthill. It was pretty intense.

Instead of getting to the hotel after 4 PM, we didn’t get in until after 7 PM. We were pretty tired. After checking in, Michael and I just went up to the lounge on the 19^th floor, checked out the view and had a snack. We had a full day tour the next day. I think I fell asleep as soon as I hit the sheets.

Ho Chi Minh City at night.