Entry to Vietnam & celebrating Tet

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My trip to Vietnam was interesting. It started off well with a mini-bus to the border but some other travellers were shocked when there was 1 less seat than passengers. However there was the seat up front between the driver & the passenger. Compared to other journeys I have been on where there have been 28 people for a 15 seater mini-van, it wasn't packed. The border crossing was surprisingly smooth as I had my visa already but once I had crossed the border I found that the bus had disappeared with my luggage leaving me & the other passengers in the midday heat.

It turned out that it was taking the earlier group of passengers to the nearby town so they could get their connections & was coming back to get us but didn't think that we needed to know this beforehand. It was good to be find my bag in the travel agents in Ha Tien. From there I had to wait 1 1/2 hour for my connection & after being told that I would arrive at my destination at 6.30pm I asked whether the bus would take about 4 hours (so that I would arrive ontime), at which I was promptly laughed at. On further inspection in the travel bible that is the lonely planet guide, I found that I had a 10 hour drive ahead of me.

After a further bus change & a few stops it turned out to be only a 9 hour trip so we got into Ho Chi Min City at 11.30pm. After a taxi ride into the tourist area I found my hostel down a side alley & had to wake up the receptionist to let me in. I was so glad to get to my room, which has air-con & a hot shower, which are luxuries to me.

I have arrived in Vietnam in time for the festival of Tet, which means that people go home to their families & celebrate the new year. Last night I joined all the crowds of people left in HCMC & walked down the streets that had been decorated with beautiful flowers. At midnight I was by the river to watch the fireworks, which were amazing. It was nice to be out & about with everyone, tourists & locals, before walking back to my hostel.

I am enjoying the Vietnamese food including spring rolls & street food. It is strange to be working with the local currency, Vietnamese Dong, where 1 pound is about 30,000 Dong, making me a millionnaire, but it doesn't seem to last long as you pay for everything in cash. It is a public holiday for a week now because of Tet so that makes travelling interesting but luckily most of the tourist attractions are still open so I can still get around.

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