I can’t drive………. FIFTY FIVE!!

Some Random photos and…….I was forced to change a page from the title The allmighty buck, how far will it go to Rain, rain go away because for some reason  I was beeing spammed heavily only on that page. (perhaps the title) We will see if the spamming continues.

It hit with a vengeance. We went from solidly booked, to grossly overbooked in moments. We had a family of Chinese from Saigon book for 32 people leaving us with a little extra room for others. We assigned 8 rooms to the large group and two to others. The bus arrived with 47 people. Oh My God…. We scrambled to find room for them. We have them sleeping in the laundry room and in the storage. Egad!!…. they are everywhere. The gals still cannot grasp the ease and importance of everyone knowing who is coming and where at the same time. We ended up sending some guests to our empty house, and managed to scrounge up a couple of mattresses for their minor comfort. Had I known that we would be turning away hundreds at the door in the last two nights, I would have set up both of my houses as temporary lodgings. These Vietnamese are so adaptable and easy to satisfy that I could have had them happily sleeping on my living room floor. Who knows, it may happen yet. I am not sure why, but it is even busier in the streets than the last few days. I did not think it possible. The only area that is quiet and peaceful now it the main tourist or back packer area. The only ones there are tourists, foreigners that live here, and the Locals who prey on them. On the streets here is a different thing. Action everywhere, streets that would put the Las Vegas strip to shame. I think that the stores are opening again and everybody is headed out to the shops and entertainment spots after three days of withdrawal.

On the hotel front, it is sure nice to see customers here. I have also been overwhelmed by the amount of demand for my business card. It seems that one glance into my lobby, and the shocked people, who have been coming to this area every year, will now try to book us. We are after all, the most attractive place here at the moment. Another interesting development is that I am being approached by Americans wanting to stay long term if they like the rooms. That is a possibility I will look into. A stable income for the first few months would go a long way to covering my opening costs and staffing fees. Tomorrow the 47 people leave for Dalat, and a new group of people are set to arrive, not in as large a number though.

As of yet I have not had the time to start the computer servicing business that I had in mind when I came here. I am enjoying the interaction with the guests, they come from all over and it is a genuine pleasure dealing with them. (a little different than the people I have had to deal with the past number of years)

Speaking about the bust streets, there has been a radical change in the traffic. There are traffic lights in many locations now. Only about half of the drivers obey them, but I imagine people will come around. The radical change I am talking about is the amount of cars here and the types. First of all, cars are almost useless here. Sure they have more right of way, but they are cumbersome in a country that has been designed around the bicycle and the motorbike. Taxi’s were a necessary evil, but the Lexus’s, and BMW’s?? Where the heck do you park them, or harder yet, how do you keep the dents out of them? Moreover, the roads can be in very bad condition and hard on the cars suspension. Alas, there are more and more… It is part of the fashion statement that is so important to the people with a little money here, but to me it is just silly. Save your money fore retirement or help those in need. Blowing big bucks on a vehicle that is double the cost of the same in North America is just a waste. But wait for it!!!!!  The most ludicrous of all was a Chevrolet built Hummer I saw clumsily negotiating the streets of downtown Nha Trang, and it was being driven by a foreigner!! Ridiculous in my eyes.

Ps….  Credit for some of the photos Kevin D…. my bud