Monkey business

Some very cute students

The day started out cool and the air clean. What a pleasure I thought to myself as I was sitting on a rooftop restaurant enjoying breakfast. A headed out and encountered a bunch of sweet students with some kind of assignment to talk with English speakers and do a survey. I was happy to oblige them, and they also were happy that I could talk to them in some Vietnamese. We posed for a quick shot that I am sharing with you.

 Well, I should have known better. As soon as the sun rose above the buildings, things began to heat up. It got hot very fast and walking the streets trying to decide

Three Amigos, Nghia, Hau, and some westerner

 where to stay made me wet and sticky. This time I was determined to find a hotel away from the tourists, but close enough that I can still mingle and perhaps send a little business my way. I have found a few places and am now sitting in a coffee shop down the street trying to decide if and which one I will take. There is evidence that they are used as short term hotels during the day. I do not mind since at home I am in the thick of them. Hmmmmmm. Time to decide. I guess the next paragraph will have the answer.

The view from my room

I took a room at the very hotel I was contemplating. The room was large and comfortable, but I noticed something a bit different from other hotels. All of the floors have a cleaning station fully equipped with towels and sheets. Huh?? My place has the same number of rooms….. so….. this is a place up to funny business. I questioned the receptionist a bit about what is up, but she seemed a bit fearful to talk to me about the “curiosities”, so I let it go. Later, I befriended a fellow sitting in the front door and he confirmed that this was a girly hotel…… Yee Haww…….. let the eye candy happen. Or so I thought, but as usual, things in Vietnam change very fast.

I mentioned in the past that I have some very good friends that have a tour company in Vietnam. Well, today we got together for dinner and had a great time. Hau and Nghia returned the items from my stolen wallet, and I am happy to say that almost all of it was there, including the pictures of my loving wife and family. As it

A good time

 turns out, my knowledgeable friends have also been victims, so I do not feel so alone. We enjoyed a dinner of oxtail, rabbit, chicken, and other delicious items. It was a lot of fun. Hau and Nghia are very good people. Hau left around 7 pm and Nghia accompanied me to a local tourist bar where I usually try to befriend people with the hope that they will continue the friendship if they decide to come to NhaTrang. We enjoyed a long conversation with a conductor and a musician from Norway who were there to perform in the Saigon Opera house. I also had the pleasure to meet Nghia’s beautiful wife for the first time. A few big tigers later, it

The room was soso

was time to go home. Nghia drove me home on his big 150cc Italian made Honda, and true to my thinking, I was confronted by two beautiful gals exiting my hotel. OK…. This could be interesting. I went upstairs to get my computer, and then spent some time in the lobby where there is an internet connection. The night reception spoke very good English and after realizing that I was not there for the girls, but just there to talk and experience everything, we had a great time. As it turns out, there are a few hotels that all of the working girls use to take the customers they find on the street, and I was staying in one of them. The owner and night reception understanding that I was harmless and not going to cause trouble, spoke to me of the way things work in Saigon…. A very eye opening conversation. I will not go into anymore details as it is a story for another time. Anyway….. Hau and his family have

Post Office

 invited me for lunch. And I will be meeting them in a few hours. I am looking forward to meeting his wife and daughter. I am now starting to plan the big trip next year with Hau and Nghia. It is going to be unique, and a good time. Maybe 3 weeks through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

Tonight I think I will go back to NhaTrang. It was good to visit with my friends, and fun to see all the action, but I miss my loving wife. Sorry if the rushed blog is not written well, but that is what happens when on the fly……..

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