We got into our hotel way past our bedtime and fell into bed so we're interested to see where we had ended up. Right outside the main railway station where the road is up....seems to be the norm wherever we go. We managed to grab the last breakfast and we were delighted to find fresh fruit which has been sadly lacking since we left Sri Lanka.
Looking at our sightseeing itinerary we noticed that high on the must see list on the net and not on our schedule was the Jim Thomson house . He was an American soldier posted to Thailand as the war ended,fell in love with the country and singlehandedly rejuvenated the silk industry. He recycled 6 old houses into one dwelling and filled it with local antiques and works of art. A peaceful haven to spend an afternoon with a glass of beer in the shade (it's 38*) watching the carp in the pond. To get there we took a taxi but as always tuktuk drivers approach you wanting twice the fare and drag you off to some shop or other on the way. We are wise to their ways.
It was now time to meet our tour party,7 of us in total for the first part of our trip as others will join us in Vietnam. Our tour guide told us that there are over 150 guides for GA adventures in Indo China,all fully occupied with 3 tours leaving tomorrow and two left yesterday.In fact another group of 20 was eating dinner in the same street restaurant as us and their tour of Thailand is a daily departure. For some reason we leave this tour party in Saigon and take the final part back to Bangkok the day after with another group. It really has become a popular destination.