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Published: October 22nd 2007
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Vietnamese Child
((c) http://www.sxc.hu/) Brochure Text Day 22 Chau Doc: From Ho Chi Minh City travel through the countyside of Vietnam to the town of Chau Doc. Monday 22nd October For some reason, keep waking up early - 620 this time. Try the eyemask/sheet over head routine, but clearly am awake so decide to go and see the early morning city. Showered and leaving the packing 95%!d(MISSING)one, I take my boots up to the Post Office. The bit I go to opened at 7am so must be just the front part which is 24-7. My boots are customs inspected, packed in a sturdy box (the leaflets are returned as she says is 2kg already?!... So I guess I won't post them then!) - which costs me about 1000 Dong (bargain, that's about 5p!), then I head out to find an ATM for some more Dong to pay for the postage of 300000. 25 minutes later it's all done, so time to wander to the People's Building and the river before breakfast... The river boat is disgorging hundreds of motos which have crossed from the other side - decide will wait until that traffic has cleared before crossing the road, although that
attracts several cyclos who want to help me across the road!
Back to the hotel, breakfast, downstairs to pay 18000 for my pistachio nuts (decided to replace the water instead!), and find the Cu Chi Tunnels leaflet I dropped yesterday still in the driver's bin. Nearly forgot my passport, but Kym has them all! Onto the air con bus - space for a double seat each, and we head out onto the road for an 8- hour journey to Chau Doc, Cassandra and I looking for opportunities from the front seats (but unfortunately also very close to the horn!). Usual long time to make way through the city traffic (Kym always warns look in EVERY direction before crossing the road), and then out onto the open road... Which seems to be having lots of investment, but is still very different from a British motorway... Cyclists and walkers at the edge of the highway, and many options to just stop for food/moto helmets, etc (our guide yesterday said that there is one stretch of road where helmets must be worn - so there's a hire place there... He also said that the speed limit is 70k, with holes punched in
the licence if break them limit - 3 holes and your licence is gone! Was wondering why 900g from Hue cost nearly as much as 1.8kg from Saigon... Kym mentions will be more expensive from the regions as it has to travel further... And size/shape of package may also have made a difference!
2.5 hours later and we finally stop for a toilet break. Probably another squat! Amazingly, not... A western style and completely clean... Which as we think the driver just stopped at the first place he saw after Kym asked him, is amazing... It's just someone's back yard (seems like) but a few people buy things so that's OK! Back onto the road which gets a little bumpy to put it mildly... Although I manage to doze off for part of it, those on the back seats were being thrown into the air and a couple of water bottles decided to leak! 130 we stop for lunch - looks clean enough. Western toilets with 'manual flush' (i.e. Jug of water), and some other random squat style which no one can quite work out! Meantime, those who are having lunch order up and say it's pretty tasty. I've
had my ham and 2 apples and a big breakfast so no need for me. Lots of discussion about the state of the roads as on 28th we have a long journey from Siem Reep to Bangkok on very poor roads and the bus suspension will probably be broken! 3 people have already booked flights instead, and others continue to debate it, but supposed to go through some great scenery?! At the moment I'm still on the bus...
After 1 hour 45, back on the road and shortly afterwards off the bus again for a short ferry ride across (I guess) the Mekong (Delta) and back on - we can't be too far away as Kym says there's an option for a moto ride (with helmets!) to watch the sunset, depending how soon we get there... And the sun's already dipping! Sign up for the moto, check in, take a couple of pics, and head down for the moto ride. In the time it took to go down 3 flights of stairs the monsoon rain has started... The moto riders are hanging around and saying that the sun is still out on the mountains... Not convinced we cancel them
and head out the back to take photos of the rain. Feeling tired, head up to the (mmm, lovely) room (we love border towns) and finish the tractor book and the Lonely Planet Cambodia. Hope the weather is good for the Wats. Also, manage to get my padlock open - the number combination appears to have changed itself by one digit! Cassandra has used the time to find the internet and says it's not too bad! 7, head down to the restaurant which is out over the water - happy the rain has eased off! Bit shocked to find Gecko poo landing on our heads (only 3 lots), but covering our food we eat on. I'd gone for the healthy option of steamed rice chicken/vegetables, but something bitter in it so add some chips... Whilst all this is going on the heavy rains have started again (And Ricky said when he was on the phone to his Mum earlier she thought we were next to a building site... No, it's the rain.. With thunder/lighting... Feeling bit uneasy as last time decided to ignore such atrocious weather my tent blew over my head, and this hotel doesn't feel much more substantial!)...
Not much else to do so we pay up, and I decide to risk the rain as the internet café is only 5 doors away. Bit smoky, but doesn’t seem TOO slow, although Facebook doesn’t really let me do anything! Apparently Cambodia has amazing internet… We have to be back downstairs 7/30ish to get visas sorted, breakfast and on a 5-8 hour boat ride starting 8am - thankfully have a couple of books to read, although I think we’ve swapped nearly all of them round now! Need to remember to do some mozzie protection tonight, they are clearly in the air!
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