I don't have to be at the dentist until 3.45 so I decide to walk into town and maybe visit the Ben Thanh market on the way. The pavements here are so rough and uneven its like trekking through a wilderness. Roots of trees grow across the footpath and blocks of concrete probably dating back to French times stick up at crazy angles. I get within distance of the market and make a couple of monumental street crossings and enter the portals of hell. It's hot sweaty and crowded. "T shirt sir, t shirt sir, shorts sir we have your size and so on for the first 50 metres. By this time I'm thinking food, but that's fairly usual for me. I remembered Anthony Bourdain here, I think, or was that in Hoi An, anyway I sit down at a family run food store and order blindly from the card Bun Thap Cam (http://www.flickr.com/photos/a-culinary-photo-journal/5292504407/). Best dish I've had in Vietnam. 
I leave and stagger on, looking for a bookshop actually, I decide to sit and have a drink of water and this cyclo driver approaches . Ah your from Uc, I have a brother Michael in Melbourne he says, Melbourne number 1 place. I ask him about the bookshop and he knows it (in fact I had walked right past it 100 yards back as I later find out). Only 5 to take you there he says. What? Only 5? Thats too cheap I say, no no only 5 he says. I look around at the Vietnamese sitting around there, one winks and one grimaces. Ok, I know what I'm getting into now, thank you street people. So I get in the cyclo and this guy is raving on about Michael from Melbourne and then out of the blue he starts shouting Oggi Oggi Oggi oi oi oi, we are sitting at traffic lights Oggi Oggi Oggi oi oi oi. Another 50 yards and I see the bookshop I had missed, we get out and he says that'll be 500,000 thanks. That's like $25. I say you're joking mate and pull out my wallet and hand him 20,000. He shoves it back at me. So I say zero then. He starts raving about Michael from Melbourne and the motorcycle mafia so I walk into the bookshop. While I'm in there I see him hovering outside and when I come out he starts again 500,000 500,000 so I hand him 40,000 and he shoves it back at me again . By this time lots of people are interested and a small crowd gathers to see how the Uc will stand up. I see another bookshop almost next door so I walk off and go in. The didn't have my book "Hell in a very small place" which is strange as it deals with an important part of Viet history. Anyway when I come out he's gone. Victory to the Uc!.I hope Michael and the motorcycle mafia don't come after me.

I decide to go to the dentist early and walk around so I get another taxi. This driver drives around aimlessly then decides he doesn't know where I am going so he stops and I transfer to another taxi who takes me there. I sit at Gloria Jeans sweating and wondering what I can do for 3 hours, yes I'm that early, so I decide to go home and freshen up. Another taxi ride and I'm home.
Then another taxi later back to the dentist where I get a crown on one tooth. Its a wonder of the world, I feel like putting it on display its so nice. Next appointment Monday so I have 3 days to kill.

Going back home in yet another cab I see 5 workmen in the middle of a busy intersection with a manhole cover open and reams of wires lying on the road. No signs, no safety barriers no nothing. Cars, buses scooters just weave their way round them blithely as they squat in that Vietnamese way as they work.
At 5 Oysters again I order Bun Thap Cam as Thanh had said they served it there. The waiter looked at me blankly like he'd never heard of it so I settled for fried squid in green chili sauce.
The weed salesman came in again but didn't bother me. I turned to a couple of Aussies behind me and remarked that he sold weed as well. They were right up with it and already knew. Maybe I'm the last to find out.