Time to go. Day -1

After a 13 hour plane ride, I was there. I have a hard time sleeping on planes that hop timezones, so when we arrived at the destination, the combination of culture shock and sleep deprivation made for a very delirious first few hours. About 30 mins total of going through customs and getting my bag, I navigate my way to the arrivals lobby of NoiBai airport. As crowded as it was, I was almost sure there was going to be a long wait before I find the driver. Surprisingly though, I instantly found him. He was the fellow frantically waving and holding up a piece of paper that had my last name “SAIRIN” written on it with a sharpie. After some enthusiastic introductions, he proceeded to load my chrome messenger bag and helmet into the back of his minivan. If I hadn’t been delirious from the flight, I would have thought that a complete stranger in street clothes picking me up from the airport in an unmarked minivan was just about the shadiest thing ever. I sat in the back and just stared out the window without feeling the need to say anything. I was just trying to come to grips with my surroundings.. Trucks, cars, people on motorbikes everywhere... 20 mins of silence and staring out the window go by and we enter the surface streets and I notice how compact the neighborhoods are. The neighborhood we entered was lively with people and tourists. He drops me off in front of my hotel. An payed for the trip, but I insisted a tip for him. Gave him 5 bux..