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Published: January 22nd 2010
I arrived in Ho Chi Minh around 1:30 after my last bus ride in Vietnam. I had had enough of buses at this point. Toilets in Vietnam were actually pretty good - mostly western, mostly clean and stocked with toilet paper and soap - nothing like China where the smell alone will make your pee retreat until you reach the safety of your own bathroom at home. The toilets at these bus stops were pretty bad though.
When I arrived, I got a motorbike ride to an area near the Ben Thanh Market and walked around a bit until I stumbled upon the Boss Hotel. I had stayed at one in Bangkok, and this one was even nicer and only 20USD a night! When I checked in, the gal at the desk said that for 25USD a night, I could have a window, but for 20USD there was no window. At this point, I was so excited to NOT have a window! That meant peace and quiet and no motorbikes! I arranged a wake up call for 5:30 AM and went out in search of coffee. Past experience had taught me that wake up calls were NOT a priority in Vietnam, and I was a little nervous because I had a plane to catch in the morning, but I decided there wasn't much I could do about it since I had no phone and no watch myself. I would have to trust them.
I ended up at Highlands Coffee and had a fantastic latte and a good sandwich. I met a young guy who was also on holiday from his teaching job in Beijing, and we talked quite a long time. Our conversation was unremarkable except for one very strange thing. I was telling him a story about something that happened to me on a bus in Kuwait, and at one point in the story I lightly touched his forearm. Now, I don't make a habit of touching strangers, but I did it without thinking just to make a point. So I went on telling my story, and the next thing I know he rubs the spot I touched on his arm with a tissue. I thought, "That's weird." So I ignored it and kept talking. The next thing I know, while he's talking, he takes the little bit of water left in his glass and pours it over the spot I touched on his arm and wipes it with a tissue. "Even weirder," I thought. We continued to talk for another half hour and in that time he must have wiped that spot on his arm at least 10 times with more water and a tissue. I thought, "This guy must be OCD or something" and I just acted like I didn't notice because he never said anything and the conversation never lagged.
So when we parted ways, I didn't offer my hand to shake or anything because I thought he clearly did not like to be touched. The next thing I know, he offers me his hand to shake! So I shook it. Then I watched him to see if he wiped it on his pants or anything while he was walking. He didn't! Strange. Very strange.
By the time I reached the market, it was near closing time. I quickly bought a couple of t-shirts and wondered why the hell people made such a big deal out of this market. It was just a knock off market that was crowded with too many booths and too much stuff, but the prices were low. Much lower than in China. After that I walked around outside where they set up more stuff and a bunch of food stalls, then I went back to the peace of my lovely hotel room with its big shower, hot water, and clean, crisp, white sheets. I couldn't sleep well though. I just had a nagging feeling that even though I'd confirmed the wake up call with three different people, no one would wake me.
Sure enough, the next morning, no one called or knocked on my door. I'd been awake since 3:30, so it didn't matter. When I went downstairs, the lobby was parked full of motorbikes and the two men working were sleeping. I was livid! I woke the guy behind the desk, said, "Give me my passport" and then explained why I was so angry. I paid for only half the room and walked out daring hiim to stop me. He was left with his mouth hanging open while I walked straight out and climbed into a taxi.
That said, if you have your own alarm, or just don't need one, I highly recommend the Boss Hotel near Ben Thahn Market in Saigon. Great price, clean, modern rooms, very nice furnishings, and no rats as far as I could tell. And free internet in the lobby. This was the nicest hotel I stayed in while in Vietnam, and if you are willing to pay 20 USD a night instead of 10USD, you can travel like a king in Vietnam! I had some very nice rooms for only 10 USD a night as well! I was very impressed with the hotels in Vietnam, but not with the service. Four times I requested wake up calls - I only got one and it was late.
I was happy to be returning to Shanghai. I was tired of traveling alone and was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. I missed out on Saigon and the Mekong Delta area, but I'll live. Maybe I'll return someday.
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Lucy
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