This Time for Real

Even though we have been travelling for over 4 months now that we are out of Australia wiith no specific intention of return for a couple of years it feels like we are officially and formally on our way.

We have planned for a long time to start out with a month or so in Vietnam. The country is one of the last in SE Asia that we have missed out on to date and we have been keen to get here, provided we could fit it in. We have a visa for a month so will be out again before 18 February but, at this stage, have no specific plan about how we will do that. Perhaps that would be better expressed as, no specific - and agreed - plan on how we will get out. A nice plane from Hanoi to KL may simply be too easy.

We came in to Singapore on an Etihad flight. First time we have been with Etihad and we would fly with them again. Had a little issue with the check in person who was unhappy that we didn't have a ticket out of Vietnam. Not too sure why. They were only flying us to Singapore. We came to Ho Chi Minh City on Tiger. They had no issues with return tickets, or much else as it turned out. There was a lot of carry on about the weight of bags with a restriction of 15kg for bags going into the hold with an additional 7kg for cabin baggage. This caused considerable consternation in the camp. The dilemma hinged primarily on which of the lotions and potions could be left behind as against the cost of excess baggage. By judicious packing and re-packing, and re-packing we made one bag precisely 15kg - guessed it didn't I and it was spot on. The other backpack was over by a couple of kilos - turned out to be about 2.5. The 2 day packs plus the travel guitar made up pretty close to the 14kg allowed for carry on between them. We measured all of this on the scales provided and resigned ourselves to paying the additional cost at $15 US a kilo. But there was no drama whatsoever. Hardly glanced at the product of all of out weighing and figuring, didn't even glance at the carry on - or the guitar - and we were on.

Singapore was much the same as it normally is but this time just a little different for us. I don't think I have ever seen the red light district before. This time we stayed in one. It wasn't as up-market as the Osaka red light district which we also booked without too much information but it was alright. There was plenty of activity about, plenty of bars and places to eat and plenty of girls. The hotel wasn't bad. It was clean enough, the air conditioning worked and it was relatively quiet. The noise from the street was pretty constant but not too annoying, with a group of girls plying their trade from dusk to dawn on the opposite corner.

HCMC seems to still be known as Saigon by the locals. I have nothing against Uncle Ho but I like the name Saigon. The traffic is pretty special. Road rules operate but seem largely advisory. There are traffic lights and pedestrian crossings and you feel safer if you cross at one. That doesn't mean that the traffic actually stops at a pedestrian crossing, it just makes you feel a little better. The first night here there was almost a complete refusal to cross any road but bravery or desperation kicked in next day on the way to the Ben Thanh Markets. You simply couldn't get there without crossing at one of the toughest intersections in the city. After a while we operated on the basis that the motor scooters are pretty good at avoiding things and can probably be trusted to avoid us. They don't go that fast - normally - and they probably wont kill you if they hit you. Cars and buses can be taken on but you need to give them time, trucks you let go.

We had booked the Ngoc Thao Guest House through Hostelworld and it was excellent. The family that runs it is very friendly, our room was clean, well set up and reasonably spacious. It even had a window although there was nothing outside but a wall. Breakfast was fine. It was also located very well in the backpacker ghetto but down a little alley off the main drag so it was nice and quiet. Can recommend the place.

To the consternation of the cyclo drivers and motor bike hirers we walked everywhere. Most of the key things to see or visit are in walking distance and, once you get used to crossing the street, it is not hard to get aruound. The Reunification Palace is the old Presidential Palace. It is used both as a tourist attraction and place for hosting special events. A flash place but not so ornate that it makes you cringe. It wouldn't really rate alongside Catherine's little home outside St Petersburg for instance. It still has a Huey on the roof which seemed to me a nice touch but most of the other evidence of late April 1975 is gradually being refurbished away. The basement still has war rooms, though, and a shooting gallery. I guess that successive presidents felt a need to have a level of ability for personal protection.

The War Remnants Museum - also known as the War Crimes Museum - might be just a bit confronting for some. It takes the approach of setting out the facts about the war - reasons for the war as explained by both Vietnamese and American supporters, some analysis - again from both sides - and then runs through troop numbers and time lines. There is a simply terrible exhibition of photos of some of the victims of the Agent Orange spraying and plenty of old planes, tanks and guns. It was interesting to see the story of the war through the eyes of the victors but, even though it was through their eyes, I saw nothing that was not the truth.

Another musuem had the famous (for older people like us) photo of the monk who self immolated in Saigon in 1963. It might not be that significant for others and they didn't make much of it in the museum, but it still rates for me as one of the most horrific and compelling images that I have seen. It was probably a key reason for me starting to question the line of the Australian government at the time that support for the South was really about stopping communist aggression.

We were a little concerned about coming here during Tet. Figured it would be busy with people heading home for the holiday, settling debts etc. I still have memories of being unceremoniously turfed out of a hotel in Hong Kong many years ago because it was the Lunar New Year. It certainly is busy. We had planned to take a train up to the north after a run down to the Mekong Delta. Bookings are pretty tight for most places though. The railway is totally booked out anywhere from Saigon until a few days after Tet, which happens on 26 January. We decided to bus up to Dalat, notionally a six hour ride, but took us 9, spend a few days, and then jump on a sleeper bus for about 16 hours up to Hoi An. We will spend about 4 days in Hoi An. This is the place where they have tailors and such.

One of the nice things about Tet is that everyone is getting organised. In the park more or less across the road in Saigon there was a massive flower and garden sale which was spectacular. Brass cleaning businesses have sprung up within the last few days along the streets to cater for all of the people who need to get their brass and silver cleaned up. People are buying special trees - one that flowers at Tet and at no other time and a species of small mandarin that is carefully grown to be fruiting now. All types of flowers, indeed any type of flowers are for sale in impromptu flower markets and nurseries everywhere. Places are being painted, scrubbed, swept and washed.

Wandering around the streets of Saigon we came across a couple from Humpty Doo. Their daughter used to go to Taminmin and was probably in the same class as one of our kids. There are a lot of Australians here. Seem to be everywhere. Some can be an embarrassment but then I guess we don't always notice the ones who aren't unless, as the Swans did, they want to know who let us out of Australia.

The trip up to DaLat on a bus was OK as far as bus travel goes but it was longer than we had expected. DaLat is a scenic sort of place up in the mountains. It was apparently set up during the French times as place of relief from the heat of Saigon. It is certainly cooler.

We have circumnavigated a nice lake that sits in the middle of town - a little like Canberra. The main business part of the city along with the markets are up one end of the lake. The market is pretty much like a lot of Asian markets. Perhaps a little less whiffy with the cooler temperatures not making the meat smell quite as much as some. Also did a pretty fair circumnavigation of much of the town while a dispute ran on about which direction we should turn. I was right but there is a bit of re-writing of history being attempted as I prepare this.

We have walked a lot, eaten and slept, with occasional bouts of drinking. We are also trying to keep up with those things we plan to keep up with while on the road, including this blog, learning Arabic, practising the guitar etc.

So far the pick of the places we have eaten are:

The SaSa in Saigon off Pham Nga Lao near the Sinh Cafe was the pick of that city during our 3 day stay. Better than average Vietnamese food, cheap beer and a frienly, relaxed atmosphere.

The V Cafe in DaLat across the road from the Truc Cang Hotel is a flash French place. Looks like it is expensive and it was, in relative terms. Cost us a grand total of $23.00 (Aus) for a flash meal and drinks. Very nice dishes and, at that time, the pick of the tucker we had hit.

The Da Quy in DaLat near-ish the markets, aka the Wild Sunflower. Again a strong French influence. We had fish in a caramelised sauce cooked in a clay pot. Without doubt the nicest Vietnamese food I have tasted to date, here or earlier. If anyone from a Mary River trip is reading this can I tell you that the fish used was cat fish! To think what we wasted.

One good thing about DaLat is that there is a lot of free wifi, although some of it is a bit slow. I will, therefore, try to upload this blog tonight.

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