I'm too old to travel was my first thought when I landed in Saigon. Eight hours plus in an aluminium tube is way tooa long. I thought I was smart travelling Biz class but Jetstar proved me wrong and the seat I chose in the middle row against the forward bulkhead was a mistake. No windows to look out and with the new window blacking out system its impossible even to get a glimpse of the outside so even though it was daylight it seemed like night and that was very disorienting. The Biz seats in Jetstar are way below the same in Royal Brunei just by the way Paul and Lydia, pity you have to spend time in Brunei when you fly with them.
I have been thinking about this trip for months, ever since one of my travelling companions from last time said some very hurtful and spiteful things about me and my friends here
. I was flabbergasted at first about it but now I am here I feel somewhat better.
The hotel I am staying at the Bong Sen is just around the corner from my last hotel the Bong Sen annexe and is on Dong Khoi street which was one of the classiest streets in town when the French were here when it was Rue Catinat. Just up the street is the Opera House and the beautiful cathedral and down the street is the river. I am facing the intersection of Dong Khoi and Dong Du and near the corner is the Sheraton Hotel where last week two men fell from the upper storey and landed on the footpath. Last night I went to the Bier Garden next door and while chatting I asked the waitress what happened. She clapped her hands together and said "like that". Glad I wasn't walking past at the time.
Feeling exhausted after the flight I did next to nothing today except get a taxi to Circle K which is one of a franchise of tiny supermarkets dotted around town and when I say tiny I mean a three metre frontage. I wanted a simcard for my phone but when I asked the girl said "no more Viettel, they are closed"
. I realised later that it was a Sunday so rest assured you terrorists the Vietnamese army who run Viettel take holidays on Sunday and you have no worries you might be listened to.
I told the cab driver to wait while I went in but he dissapeared with no payment, maybe he got another better paying fare or he just got pissed off that it was such a short distance, anyway I got another cab to Khan Casa and me oh my NO Smoking even on the terrace outside. I went upstairs which has a balcony but it was closed off. So it's come to this as Ned Kelly said, I knew they were cracking down on smoking but I thought they would be lagging behind the rest of the world.
So my first Vietnamese coffee for the trip and the sweetness was overpowering, the Bun Bo Hue which is basically Pho Bo, beef noodle soup and it was OK. Then back home to sleep.
One last note about my trip to the Bier Garden. I was so happy only having to walk a few yards to get there and I was so tired and on another planet that I just guzzled 333 beer like there was no tomorrow, ma qua, too much too quickly and during the night my head pounded and I thought maybe there is no tomorrow.
And another thing. When I was here in February I got a proof of my book Mud Blood and Gold and told the printer to go ahead and print 300 copies. I was umming and aahing about a book launch which I didn't go through with in the end, but all the 300 copies sold and I now have an extra 150 to sell. The Daylesford Newsagency have sold six boxes, about 100 books so I am happy with that, and it's paying for my trip.
Ah the serenity
Sunday, September 04, 2016
Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Other Entries
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1Ah the serenity
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2Shift of scene
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3Tuesday Hue
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4Over the pass
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5Moving day
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6Settling in days
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7Typhoon
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8In search of Hoi An South
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9Nothing doing
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10Same same
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11Cam Kim again
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12Trip to Tam Ky
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13Ox tongues and Ox tails
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14More eating
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15Stop me if you have heard this
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16Visit to Trams family
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17Leaving Friday
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Comments

2025-02-17
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Cath
2016-09-04
It seems like only weeks ago you were there! Enjoy your time there again xx
Jay
2016-09-04
Oh Les, yey your there finally! Sounds like a few adjustments and you'll settle right in nicely soon i hope! Enjoy! Thanks for the blog again, always a great read. XJ
Dave Robertson
2016-09-04
I need a book can you send one enjoy you're blog
John Perrins
2016-09-06
Terrific news about your book. Well done.