Hoi An again

Monday, February 05, 2018
Hội An, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam
Yes, I know, don't tell me. The silly old bugger has gone to Hoi An again...I'm old and set in my ways, at home I get up have coffee go to coffee shop have more coffee, go home. Here I do much the same with the notable exceptions of being in a tropical climate and dealing with the people here. When I came this time I decided to get a Visa on Arrival, you pay online from home and download forms, fill them in, attach a photo and pay an extra $10 for someone to meet you at the airport to usher you through the process. I did all that and was met by a young lady at Saigon airport who asked me if I had my $25 US to pay for the visa. Well bugger me dead I didnt as I thought there would be ATMs available before I got to the paying stage. But no, the same scenario I met in Brunei, all the Atms are on the OTHER side of the passport control! So she sat me down while I watched all the other VOA people being processed and thinking she had forgotten me when she pops up and talks to the officials doing the visa stuff and one uniformed woman comes out and leads me to the currency exchange booth. Don't try to use a bank or credit card BTW they only accept cash and luckily I had some and luckily again my taxi to the airport my friend Ronald J Ryan the one they didnt hang refused to accept the money I thrust at him for the trip. Thanks Ronny. So, I got my dong and as usual Murphys law applied as I had a pile of dong back home which I had forgotten, you don't need US $ as it turned out.  
So into the country I come and the long walk to Viet Jet at the domestic terminal. I go in one door and the guard says, No down there, so I go to the next door and the guard says, No down there, so I go in the next door to be greeted with a milling crowd of Vietnamese complete with their multitude of cardboard boxes piled high on their trolleys and I join a long snaking queue. When I finally get to the check in after battling leg cramps all the way I have to sign a disclaimer as an "Elderly passenger who requires no assistants" , Hmmm why did they do that I wonder. Well I soon found out as I went to the tail of the queue for security check, I found it to be extended out the first door I tried to get in and about 50 metres towards the International terminal. The queue snaked backwards and forwards and round and round like a rats maze, please legs shut up and don't cramp, and after shuffling up and down I finally made itto nirvana the promised land of Gate 11, only one problem the flight was delayed which gave me the chance to go and eat Bun Bo Hue that dish made popular when the Saint Bourdain and Saint Obama sat down to eat in Hanoi, Basically Pho but not bad for airport food.
Then another hour and 20 to Danang where I was met by the beaming Hai who had a taxi waiting. The taxi was waiting in the car park and we were waiting at the terminal but anyway we finally got on the same wavelength and off to Hoi An.
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Comments

Cath
2018-02-06

Not a great start... But you made it! All uphill from here on in xx

Jay
2018-02-07

I think it similar to other trips Les, you attract airport troubles so yes hopefully all smooth sailing from here.

2025-02-13

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