A slow ride

It seems that everyday poses a different challenge for a person here. I have mentioned before that Vietnamese people see things very differently than we in the west. Generally in business we like to have a plan and execute it with logical precision to get a desired result. The Vietnamese on the other hand get an idea and the construction begins. If the idea changes or gets modified, just go with the flow and modify things as you go. It can make for some very strange bedfellows. For example; we were traveling on a highway yesterday and encountered a very large modern sigh that boasted Pho Bo which is beef soup and Sony products. The restaurant was in the Sony showroom….. Huh!! The challenge for me in the last few days is a coffee shop who has decided to do some renovations. Their building is attached to two hotels that are filled

A nice temple

 with overnight guests. In order not to affect is coffee business, he has hired a night crew to renovate starting at 11:00 pm. Well!! Midnight and the air chisels and sledge hammers start banging on the walls. Quick to react, I was out the door and in their face yelling for them to stop this stupidity. The owner of the hotel next door joined me and seeing how I was able to put an end to the madness, has now warmed to me. Maybe our relationship will be better. Anyway… the owner of the coffee shop had not even considered there might be a problem wit doing demolition during the night when attached to two hotels Sheesh!! Talking about not thinking thing through.

Collecting fares

There is a bus that stops very near our hotel and travels the entire distance of NhaTrang. Drifter and I were too saddle sore to even think of a road trip, so never being to the end of the line, I joined him for a bus ride. The number 4 runs every 20 minutes and stops at around 8 pm. From our area the bus departs near the tourism college and passes in front of the hotel. We jump aboard and a pleasant young lady in uniform charges us the 15 cents for a ticket and gives us our change. We are sitting amongst some very attractive young people…. In air-conditioned comfort, we drive a short distance along the ocean before turning up a small street lined with street food vendors, many of them serving food that makes my mouth water. The

Same same but different

 bus turns along 2/4 street (named for the day the North Vietnamese entered the city). After a short drive through a business area we cross two bridges we come to a large intersection that has both a traffic circle and an island in the middle. If a person gets off and walks 3 blocks towards the ocean, you will be in downtown and the busy Dam Market area, a great place to spend an afternoon shopping. The bus continues past a couple of more traffic circles and near the Maximark supermarket (the only one in NhaTrang), and then cuts a few blocks towards the ocean to run down Nguyen Thien Thuat street. This street leads into the

The drivers view

heart of the main tourist area passing many bars, western and Asian restaurants with surprisingly good food, and to the infamous Sailing club and the Why Not Bar. The bus again turns on to the ocean and continues to the harbor and stops very close to the cable car to Vin pearl land. Wow!! How convenient. Unless you are a late night person, there is nowhere you cannot get in 15 minutes right from our location.  We hopped off the bus we were on and jumped on a returning number 4 having to pay another fifteen cents for the fare. The bus took us back and the rest of the day was spent lazing around watching the world go by. After dinner, we jumped on the bikes and headed down to the bars in the main tourist area. Over a quiet drink we decided that our butts had calmed enough for another Road Trip!!

a custom tiled bike

Drifter had plans to try to get a bus to a town called Phan Rang about 110 km south of NhaTrang to find a MIA ( missing in Asia). A buddy that has disappeared for 30 years. He had some new information that he may be found in this town. Instead of leaving a day early to find him, we decided to turn it into another adventure. 

 Nothing was going on in the expat bars, and we could not bring ourselves to hang out in the expensive and trendy night clubs so we decided just to go back to the hotel and spend a couple of hours sitting in chairs on the front side walk sipping a cool one and winking at all the young beautiful people walking by, but alas it was not to be. We pulled up on our bikes to see 6 police officers in our place. EEEKS!!!! A raid. They were a bit surprised to see us come in, and maybe more so when I started using the reception computer.

Difter.... Do you need a wife??

After an hour, Drifter decided he would forgo our nightly tradition of people watching and hit the sack, unfortunately for me, I had to stay. Records were checked and rooms inspected, and then paperwork was taken away, Hmmmmm…. The next day Mai and the landlord have a meeting with the provincial police to determine our future. Oh Well…… Road Trip!! Why worry… we were legit, so Drifter and I were off for an overnighter to seek out an MIA he has looked for so long…… The adventure intensifies!

Mekong attraction

In the mid 2000’s Vietnam seemed to discover the tourist dollar. The government let it be known to the people that tourism and the foreigners that were to come with it, will be welcomed and anybody causing us difficulties would be dealt with. It is now 2010 and Tourism has flourished. Most cities have developed areas that foreigners stay and around them has developed a tour industry that may surpass anything similar in other countries. There is heave competition for the tourist dollar and a person can get extremely good deals on travel and accommodation to many places. With the increase of tourist traffic, the ever industrious Vietnamese have introduced services that can be quite unique and exactly what a budget traveler is looking for.

First let us address tours:

Many people are overwhelmed by the amount of information that comes

In Binh Quoi resort

 their way when searching for a company. Many of them are good and will do anything to satisfy the customer. There are some that are not, but a little homework will ensure you make the correct choice. All reputable tour companies use guides licensed by the government. They will display their licenses around their necks at all times when escorting guests. They are charged to keep you safe and visit establishments that have acceptable standards for a foreigner. The last thing you want is to end up with a bad case of diarrhea and have to suffer in places where the toilet is a hole dug in the ground. The meals will be safe to eat, toilets will be relatively clean. Travel forums such as Trip Advisor can help to make a correct decision, but a person has to try to weed out the people or company promoting themselves for a profit or commission. Also…. Do not be put out by the package you

Stadium in Mekong

might see advertised on a website or other media. A good travel company will take the areas of interest you wish to see and custom built it to your taste. You are the boss.. You choose where you want to go, and if the tour they have pre-built is OK by you, go for it.

Things to ask a company before deciding are

Do you use all accredited guides?

Do they speak the language you want?

Are the busses or cars in new condition?

Garden decoration

How long has your company been in business?

A little time and reading will get you a good guide…… or…. You can always ask me for a referral. I have personal friends in the business that specialize in English speaking tours.

Now, why travel to Vietnam?:

Vietnam is a country and culture very different than others. Through much of its history, Vietnam was an occupied country endlessly struggling for its freedom from foreign rule. This constant struggle has created an extremely rugged and tough people who are able to live in extreme hardship without complaint or thought about it. They work hard at everything, and

Mekong bridge

consequently also play hard when it is all over. They are a happy gracious people with a hard edge that sometimes makes foreigners nervous, but under that edge is a person who would like dearly to be your friend, and invite you into his/her home. It is something to behold, the differences in life here. At first it may come as a big culture shock. Someone described the experience t me as “Vietnam is like a big unassembled jig-saw puzzle after all of the loose pieces were poured onto the floor. It makes no sense, but as you slowly put piece by piece together, it slowly starts to make sense.” A very apt description I think. Soooo the people are great but what about value?…. I am here to tell you that Vietnam is one of the least expensive travel destinations in the world. They still have not quite figured out the rules of supply and demand, but rather compete with each other driving prices down. There also were or are a lot of regulations to where and what kind of hotels could be built. When the Vietnamese saw the tourists come, many in order to get a piece of the pie renovated their homes into guest houses and mini hotels, and they are everywhere. A person can rent a guest house in an out of the way area for as little as 4 dollars a night. On average, a budget

Hotel in Mekong

 conscious traveler can get nice accommodation right in the heart of all the action for 10 to 20 dollars a night anywhere in the country.

The average person here makes about 60 to 100 dollars a month, so all prices are relative to that. You can spend more money staying in foreign hotels eating foreign meals, but why come to Vietnam for that? I meal in Vietnam might cost a dollar or so, and the cold beer with is 30 cents. The taxi to drive across town maybe 3 dollars. Quality clothing of any kind can be purchased for 4 of 5 dollars. Jeans, shorts, shirts…. Take your pick.

So we have established that the people are friendly and it is not an expensive place to find food and accommodation, but what about moving around?

First there is the tour company you may have chosen. They will arrange all of your transportation for you, but if you wish to go on your own?

a small house

The main modes to transportation are Air, Train, Bus, Sleeper bus, Express Taxi Bus. aqnd Open tour bus.

Travel by air is not expensive in Vietnam and a flight between cities will range from 40 to 80 dollars on an average. They are easy to book online and if no holidays are involved, a person can usually get flights in the same week. It is the fastest mode of travel. Next fastest is the express Taxi bus. It is run by a number of different companies. They have assigned seating and travel from point a to b with minimum stops. Usually these are 15 seat passenger transports. Then there is the train. The comfortable trains run at night and a solid sleeper can rent a berth and try to sleep the distance travelled. There are also recliner chairs for the more budge oriented person that does not mind roughing it a bit.

The sleeper bus is a good way to travel. Very inexpensive and the beds are not too uncomfortable. If you can sleep anywhere, this is the way to go.

Real men love props

Lastly are the open tour and the regular bus. The open tour is a concept where you can purchase a ticket to a destination and have 30 days to use it. The ticket allows a person to get off anywhere along the route, spend a day or two, and continue on another day. It stops frequently for breaks and nap time, so be prepared for a long day. The regular bus can be fun but very tiring. It is a constant busy overcrowded mode of transport, and almost anything is allowed on board as long as the people can profit from it. I have literally rode with chickens.

Enough for now…… more to follow…

In a hammok

A home stay is one of the cheapest and most native ways to see Vietnam. Homes with extra rooms are given license to house people as long as certain conditions are met. I am not sure what the standard is as I have seen very basic conditions. In the country the bed can consist of a simple mat with mosquito

Roadside Cafe owner

 netting. Dinner will be included and person will get the unique experience of dining with the local family. In the towns they generally are more comfortable offering beds and sometimes air conditioning. The home stay in towns also usually include a meal. When you get into the cities, the

A happy girl

home stay can consist of a small cement room with a bed and a fan or air conditioner, but often do not include food. These accommodations are used by a lot of transients and students as a cheap way to house themselves while working away from home. When traveling in Vietnam, a home stay can be a fun and inexpensive way to go. 

The coffee shop was deserted in the heat of the day. Hau plopped himself down into a hammock, and I took a chair close by. There were a couple of very attentive ladies that came to pay attention to us. Hau and I spent some

New Year flowers

time declining their advances and settled for a couple of coffees. The coffee was pretty good. A little more playful banter and we were on the way again with the photos in hand as I wanted. We drove via the old highway back to Saigon ant to the hotel. Ken was there feeling a whole lot better. We relayed the days events over cracked river crab and boiled conch, then Hau returned home to his family and the Mekong Adventure was over. I have to tell you all that you could net get a better guide to help with your Vietnam adventures. Give him a shout. Is email is info@visitindochina.net .

The bed in the bus

It was my last day in Saigon and I had arranged for a sleeper bus to go back to NhaTrang. At 7:30 I headed down the street and around the corner to see a large double decker bus waiting in front of the office where I had book from. As usual there was havoc, with people running around trying to rush and please the passengers, and riders, who not speaking the language calling out to try to confirm this was the correct bus, or what to do with the bags. Travelling very light, I threw my single bag into a small compartment and boarded the bus. The bus contained as many seats as a regular bus would, but all arranged into 3 isles. The beds themselves were pretty comfortable as long as you are not over 5’10 or 11. I talked with a few fellow travelers and then settled down to sleep. I took a pill called Zypoclone that I

Happy anneversery

 know from experience will give me a solid 7.5 hours of sleep. I laid there reflecting on how I would need to return to Saigon soon to work on drumming up business. I was woken up three times by the rough road to NhaTrang, but all in all it was not a bad trip. I recommend this mode of travel to those on a budget and have the ability to sleep easily. A light sleeper may have difficulty on this service. The trip from Saigon to NhaTrang is about 7 US dollars, bit during New Year it is doubled.

Today’s blog is a little late. Halfway through this blog, I had to run and do an errand. On the way home I blew the rear tire. Did I mention that New Years is in 2 days. Well, All the stores are closing down, or all the road side services are disappearing. I was forced to push L’ill Sissy for more than a kilometer before I found a roadside mechanic that had a hand pump and a tube. An expensive 80,000 Dong later, I am now here finishing this blog…

By the way….  Mai and I Celebrated our 11^th wedding anniversary last night by going out for A big steak and a rack of ribs at the Texas BBQ. Have to admit that it was one of the best western style steaks I have had. Today is New Years eve…. I think… Let us see what happens

Waitresses at the Texas Bar

I saw a friend live on Facebook last night and I told him where I was… He wished he was here… so I took a couple of snapshots of what was in front of me. Rick…the first couple of photo’s are for you.

The  Open Tour is a concept that the Vietnamese have come up with to move people, especially tourists around the country. There are many companies

Playng pool

 that offer this service, but I imagine that most of them are the same. An open tour is a bus that runs the length of the country everyday. A ticket can be purchased for about 40 dollars that will allow you one month to travel in one direction, with unlimited stops to the end destination. For example, from Saigon to Hanoi is 40 dollars. You can get off at NhaTrang, Hoi An, Mui Ne, Hue, Danang or many other destinations. A

A sweetheart and Brother

person can spend a night or a week.. it does not matter. Just continue on your way to the next destination. If you book a shorter distance, say for example NhaTrang from Saigon, the ticket may only be 9 dollars with you being able to stop anywhere in-between. A pretty good deal huh? I think so. A warning though. If you travel by these busses you will be on Vietnamese time. That means there will be siestas and coffee breaks along the way that will extend the trip by hours. The buses are comfortable

Boiled snails

 enough. A trip that takes 8 hours by express bus will take 11 or 12 hours by open tour. The sleeper bus is how I am getting back to Nhatrang after going to Saigon. I tried to book a flight or a train, but there is no way. I might be able to slip a few bills in to get a seat, but it would be so crowded, it would not be worth it. Luckily I have these little blue pills the doc prescribed. I take one and 30 minutes later I am in a deep sleep for exactly 7.5 hours. I wake up refreshed and ready to go. I use these pills when flying here to adjust my body clock and am happy to say they work

Saigon traffic circle

wonderfully. There are many other alternatives to travel here but it is very hard for a foreigner to find out the exact information that you are looking for. After spending a few minutes on open tours, I got to thinking about travel companies that are here offering tours and booking services to the tourist.

I think that some tour guides and publications have given the tour companies a bad rap. I was sitting in a tour company’s office today. They

NhaTrang beach

 had asked for my help with a computer issue that I am able to help them with. While I was there, they had a number of potential customers come in to inquire about services or tours to different places. I watched as the young lady did her best to satisfy every whim of the person asking questions. The customer however, seemed deeply suspicious of the advice being given and was writing everything down to compare to the next company. She told me in Vietnamese  “ a lot of customers… no money” I understood exactly. These people will go to find a better deal, and when they do not they will simply book with whoever they are sitting with at the time. All the work this young lady did was for nothing. A word people……  Most of these companies are not trying to rip you off like the forums say. They will do their best to help you. The language barrier cane sometimes be an issue. Also, their understanding of what you want might be totally different that you expected, but they are doing there best. The days of the Vietnam tour companies trying to stiff the tourist are over. Traveling in Vietnam is still sometimes a hard and frustrating thing, but the people transporting you are really trying the best they can in a situation where resources may be restricted.

Our Hotel in the center of the shot

If any of you ever want to do a tour or have pre arranged destinations and need hotels, just contact me. I have some very good people that I know who will custom build a tour for you for much less than you could do it for yourself.

Hey!! The reno’s are done. The Hotel looks good. Some details to fix, but all in all OK. I have many readers chomping at the bit to see photo’s… you will, but after a few days.