Vlog by Nate Buchanan (with Kara) documenting their last day in Asia in Da Nang/Hoi An: shopping for knockoff goods (a North Face jacket, watches), bargaining at a market, traveling by public bus, returning to a welcome hotel, sampling local food, getting an eye exam and glasses, enjoying hair/washing services, and ending the day at an amusement park featuring the Sun Wheel (described as the world’s fourth largest Ferris wheel). The tone is light, personal, and humorous; recurring themes are bargain-hunting, local hospitality, and enjoying rides before departure.
Chapters
You.
I had to eat breakfast by myself this morning. It's the first time I've had breakfast by myself this entire trip. Kara's still not feeling well, so I let her sleep in. And now I'm on my way to the ancient city to run an errand. Jordan, one of my best friends, and his wife are meeting us in New Zealand. He was gonna buy, like, a really nice jacket because it's supposed to be cold. And I was like, don't buy, like, a 300 dol. Nice jacket at home. Let me get you, like, basically the same jacket here in Hoi an for only $50. So I'm gonna go try to find him a knockoff North Face jacket. And then since it's our last day in Asia, my brother has requested a knockoff Rolex before I leave. So hopefully we'll be able to grab both of those.
She's gone to find the jacket. Look at feeling. This negotiation is going to get heated. I'm not going to pay more than a million, and I'm going to try this on for you, Jordan. But I just want you to know that this is a huge sacrifice because it is about a million degrees outside, and the last thing I want to do is put on a huge North Face coat. How much for this one?
Two million two hundred.
Whoa.
How much you like?
You said one. No, last time. Yeah.
That wasn't the same jacket she showed me last time. Yeah. Will you take one million?
One. Two million.
One million.
Two million.
One million.
No. Two million. No, two million.
Well, I can only pay one. Yeah, it is. It is nice. I am sure.
Very good. I am sure. 4.
1, 2. That is my last. That is my last.
No, I can't. No more. I can't. That is my. That is my Max.
No, one, four. That is it.
One, four, five. Okay, thank you.
Where are you going today?
Back to Danae. No, thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, though. Thank you.
I got very intense very quickly. She talked me up to 1, 4, 5. I realized that it's not authentic, but that jacket back in the US probably cost $400, and I got it for, like, 62 or something like that. You're welcome, Jord.
Thank you.
Leaving the old city after a successful day of shopping. Also, I was only supposed to buy a watch for my brother and a jacket for my friend. May or may not have bought an antique Rolex for myself.
If you need a hotel to stay at while you're in Hoi An, I highly recommend this place that I can't pronounce so it begins another long, sweaty walk to a public bus station. Kara, how you feeling this morning?
Feel a little better. Yeah, I slept for a really long time last night.
Long as she slept on the whole trip. I'm glad you're feeling better.
Yeah, me too. Hopefully, I won't be as lame today.
This walk was longer than expected. It's about 10 million degrees out here. Oh, that shade feels so good. Look how much I'm sweating.
Yeah, it looks like us.
This isn't good. The driver appears to be leaving the bus.
Or we're just lighting incense for Buddha. One or the other.
Nope, he's leaving.
Why did the driver just get off the bus?
Last public bus ride in Asia.
He's back. And hopefully we're leaving. Let's stay on the bus from now on.
That's where we needed to be, right there.
Oh, we made it. They told us it was gonna take two hours, and it took less than one. Sweet.
The hotel that we stayed at last time welcomed us back. They had a room. And now we're going to get some noodles.
Look how much happier she is today.
Yeah, and I'm hungry.
I'm so glad you're feeling better, favorite noodle man.
Come on.
Thank you. Omg, we're missing this one.
Did you see how long she videoed me eating that time? Like, maybe two seconds.
She's feeling better.
I'm back.
Lunch was really good. Although I'm pretty sure he charged us, like, double what he charged us last time.
Don't understand.
Oh, well, so now we are gonna go get an eye exam. Yay.
Not we.
Here. You can get a free eye exam. And they get glasses for, like, 10 or $20, so.
Never seen somebody so excited about. Night, Sam.
You're nailing it. Now you just gotta tell them what you see in Vietnamese.
What does that do?
It got blurry and then it got pink.
Ah.
These are okay.
Yeah, I actually kind of like them. You look so smart.
Yeah. This might be too.
Pointy on the side.
Let me see.
Let's look at you. Okay. Yeah.
I like this.
More than the first two.
No, no. Try that pair on, though. Okay.
I kind of like these.
Those?
Yeah.
They're pretty smart in those.
What's in?
Like, an old typewriter.
Yay.
I can see. My mom's gonna be so proud.
Oh, they look so good.
Yay.
Hong Wong glasses.
Best ever.
Hong Wong.
Wow.
A whole new world.
Should have gotten those a long time ago. So you guys see all these things we traveled to see?
This is so fun. Seriously, Everything is so crisp. This is so fun.
Now what?
Coffee.
Let's do it.
Love it.
Yeah.
Kara went to go get her hair washed with Nancy. Whatever that means.
My hair has never had this much attention.
I feel like a movie star.
So I'm gonna go try to find a post office where I can mail off a couple postcards. I think maybe that's the post office. I'm gonna walk in there with these letters and see if they look at me like I'm crazy. Post office.
That was a post office. And they were very helpful. Much nicer than the postal employees in the U.S. sorry. If you're a postal employee in the U.S. had a couple not so great experiences.
Do you recognize me?
You touch it.
This is the cleanest my hair has ever been. I'm not gonna wash it for like three.
I don't recognize you. Clean hair and new glasses.
And it's so straight. I had two guys working on my hair at the same time. And she washed it and massaged it for 30 minutes.
Whoa. I should have come. Time for dinner.
Time for dinner.
Jeff and Nancy were nice enough to invite us over for dinner again. And we just had our last Asian meal.
It's really sad. We're going to go through a little bit of a depression when we leave Asia now. We are going to do something that many people have wanted us to do for a long time.
Remember that time everybody gave me a really hard time about not letting Cara ride the Ferris wheel in Hong Kong?
We were just saving up for this. The world's fourth largest Ferris wheel.
This park. You pay an entrance fee and then you get to ride everything you want as many times as you want.
And it's only $9.
Nate's kind of place.
And we're getting our money's worth because we're gonna go around and around and around and around and around and around.
Thank you. We're going in.
They're loving Titanic around here. And so is Kara.
This is the third time today it's been playing in a public place.
What is happening here?
I don't know if it's the glasses or just because she's feeling better. This has been happening a lot today. Day.
We're in.
Yay. I can't wait to get to the top. What was that? I don't like this anymore. Why lie? Cause we're moving. We're just dangling it. It's not like a bolt just fell.
It's not like we're high up at all.
Quit moving. You're moving too much. Nay. Don't don't.
This is what you wanted to do. We're doing this for you.
I don't really like it.
Mr. Dragon Bridge.
I was a little scared at the beginning. Surprised me a little bit. I was really tall. The second half, I was coming down.
Looks good. Nobody on the swings, Kara.
Not for long.
You want to do the swings? Yeah, let's do it. No camera.
I hated that so much.
That was awesome.
Up next.
That's a pretty impressive ride.
So much better than the swings. I did that 10 times before I did the swing again.
Oh, there you go.
There we are.
That's a good one.
Think I can handle this one. I'm gonna ride this spotted steed beside you.
We're doing it again because we can.
No.
Thank you.
Thank you.
That was fun.
That was fun.
I would say Asia park. Totally worth $9.
It really was.
And if you have more time, you can ride the Ferris wheel 15 more times.
How long did it take to get around?
It takes like 15 minutes at least 15 minutes. Maybe longer. And if you're into, like, spinny rides that go round and round, you can really get your money's worth. There's a bunch of them jumping in a cab to go home. Ending the vlog here. Tomorrow morning we fly. We wake up early and go to the first class lounge.
You look cute. N. We should have gotten used them.
Are they unisex?
No, I like them. A whole new world.
For $15, I can see. Cause when we're inside here, it's crystal clear.
And we're getting money from.
I think I'm just gonna go ahead and get a million.
Million dollars. A million dong.
She's obviously feeling better today. It's so bright. Do your glasses help at all?
