We left Hotel Cambodiana at 6.30 AM, and headed to the Independence
Monument, where the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia received us. The
flag off was not only attended by officials, but also citizens and
children waving happily at us with flags in their hands. This memory
will remain etched in our minds!
We drove towards Vietnam, the Rally’s next country of visit. About a
kilometre before crossing the border, the convoy stopped for lunch at
Hotel Titan Casino. While the lunch was pleasant, what had our complete
attention and admiration is a blow-glass installation in the hotel,
extremely colourful and delicate! We would have loved to stare and
wonder at it for a bit longer, but we had another country to visit!
We soon crossed the border to Vietnam, where we were welcomed warmly by
the people. Or rather, by thousands of people! A great population was
awaiting our entry into their country, waving and smiling at us. It is
experiences like this that drive us from country to country, every mile.
Adding to the awesomeness was the fact that a Vietnamese rally of
super-bikes now led the AICR all the way to Ho Chi Minh and through the
city. Even here, thousands populated the streets just for our welcome.
All of this took our breath away!
Ho Chi Minh is named after the popular first President of Vietnam,
admired and revered even today. We were to honour his statue at the Ho
Chi Minh Square, but the Rally would first officially be welcomed at
Independence Palace. We drove to there, and parked the 31 Mahindra
XUV500s at the venue itself.
As a gesture of welcome, the Vietnamese had organised a brilliant
pop-show for us. We enjoyed the music and the enthusiasm of those around
us, especially those who were familiar with the songs that the singers
entertained us with. The welcome ceremony also included giving each of
the team leaders a token badge on behalf of Vietnam. We were then led to
the Ho Chi Minh Square in official cars, and not the convoy vehicles.
The tall statue of this historical figure stands proudly in the square,
and all those of us present paid our respects to him.
Our hotel is hardly a minute’s distance from this site. As some of the
team-members went to fetch the vehicles, the rest of the teams were led
to their rooms. Now off to dinner, the hospitality has still not ceased
to amaze us!