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Published: March 9th 2010
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Start your engines
It looks more like the start of a moto cross than bikes at a stoplight. I left Cambodia today for my fifth Asian country - Vietnam. I departed the hostel via tuk tuk and made it to the airport very early; partially because the ride was shorter than expected but mostly because my math skills seem to have deteriorated. In fact, 13:40 less two hours is not 10:40.
Having to spend plenty of time there, at least the airport was air conditioned. It’s actually nice. From the outside it looks like a large, Florida country club, with its manicured lawns, new roads and numerous palm trees.
Even with the air conditioning, I felt grimy. With all the sweat, sunscreen and DEET lotion to keep the mosquitoes away, I haven’t felt clean in weeks. The best I can hope for is proper hygiene.
After boarding outdoors, the flight itself was very short. The pilot sounded American, a comforting thought when you know how some of the airlines here have lesser safety standards. Either that or he got banned by the FAA and came here for work. Fortunately, I only thought of the latter afterward.
The flight featured a small meal consisting of a sandwich, Kit Kat bar and water. The choice of sandwich
Mayhem
Motorbikes haphazardly zip in and out of traffic. was a peculiar one, even considering where I am. I believe it was corned beef and cabbage. Of course I ate it but I couldn’t help but feel it was a bit odd.
At the airport, the visa process was surprisingly very efficient. To get a visa on arrival - without it I would have actually had to go to an embassy before arrival - I had applied through a service over the internet for a $23 fee, a much lower cost than a journey to Washington, DC. I handed over my paperwork and within 15 minutes I was paying for and receiving my visa. After the debacle that took place in Cambodia, this was really refreshing. I made it through without any problems and received a knowing wink from the immigrations officer. Well, he was the only party in the know.
I caught my taxi into Saigon near the Binh Thahn market where my guesthouse is located. The area appears to be tourist central, with hundreds of hotels and guesthouses nearby. Inside, I checked into my single room and spent some time relaxing and researching what there is to do in Saigon.
After a bit I
Tiger beer
My first Tiger - the Budweiser of Asia. made my way out on the town to see what was around. It appeared to be rush hour, with hundreds - dare I say thousands - of motorbikes on the streets. Adding to this was a lack of proper traffic flow since there are very few traffic lights and rarer still is a pedestrian cross walk outfitted with a walk light.
I had heard from some people at prior hostels that crossing the street here is an adventure. You just step out and start walking, keeping a consistent pace no matter what is coming at you.
Don’t change your speed. As many as there are, they will somehow go around you. I did that and made it. It’s a miracle more people aren’t killed crossing the street here.
My back was still a bit stiff from lugging my pack today and the flight so I opted for another cheap massage. I added to it some adventure as I rode on a motorbike taxi to one in a nearby hotel. The massage was great, with the girl walking all over my back and relieving a lot of kinks along my spine. But even better was the ride as we almost slammed into another bike on the way back. I had heard that drivers must have a Vietnamese license to drive here. It’s no wonder why. They could really use one of those CIA defensive driving courses to go with it.
For dinner I had my first kebab in quite some time. Along with it: fries and my first Tiger beer. Tiger is like the Budweiser of Asia; seen everywhere. But it’s a lot better than Budweiser (which isn’t to say it’s all that great).
After dinner I rested up and worked on yesterday’s entry with
Dead Poet’s Society on the TV in the background. Tomorrow I take a guided tour of the city.
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