Another exciting day in Saigon. It was hot. Probably about plus 34. I am now sitting at a corner local restaurant. It is 7pm ant the sweat is pouring from by body. In front of me is a dear old friend. .( see picture)I am waiting for another old friend Hau. He was the person I used to book the tours that we took to Halong bay in 2009.  Since then, he has become a friend and I will be doing business with him. He is a bit of a party animal, so I do not know what tonight may bring. The plan is to go to the airport and pick up yet another friend of mine who is flying in from Washington.

Charles helping some women

It is now seven hours later. I had a great time. Hau picked me up and we went to a seafood restaurant near the airport to wait for Ken;s flight. We were joined by a bunch of people who operate the busses for tours in Vietnam…. A great bunch of guys. The snails were excellent and I ate and drank too much as usual. I think it is pretty safe to say that I was the first

A typical telephone pole in Saigon

 westerner ever to sit and party at that place. It is now 1:30 am here. We safely returned to the hotel with Ken and now I am tipsy and exhausted. I will go to sleep and carry on tomorrow..

This morning I have a bit of a headache…. I have no idea why Yesterday started of typically with my morning coffee and a bit of blogging, and at lunch I met up

A great gal. Get Hoa to show you aroung Saigon

 with Charles. I took him to the Doner Kebeb stand for a sandwich. He agrees with me that it is one of the best sandwiches ever. I blogged about it in December, so look back if you want more on the sandwich. We joked quite a bit about the fact he was Vietnamese, but it was I showing him around and helping him to deal with the people. He has been gone a long

Drinking with the boys

time and is a little nervous here. I think I have helped him lose some of his fears. He will be back to NhaTrang and I will see him again.

The demand for my business cards is so great here, that I ran to a print shop and had one hundred made while I waited. I can now send traffic my way. They did a very good job at

A toast with Hau

 copying the card I had with me. I then grabbed a Xe om ( motorcycle taxi) and headed downtown to do a little shopping. I was able to track down a particular perfume that my wife likes, although there is a chance it is counterfeit. We will see. In my wanderings, I  met up with a woman named Hoa. She speaks excellent English due to her involvement

Ma and my pal Ken from Washington

with the Americans. Unfortunately for her, her property downtown was confiscated in the 70’s, and has since lived in a small rented room. She makes her living by hanging around downtown and offering to show tourists around. She also helps then not to get ripped off. She accepts any money or food you offer her. I myself gave her a little money and bought her a coffee, she was worth it. I will see her again when in Saigon. Again, I grabbed a Xe om and headed back to my hotel for a drink before Hau came to collect me. And then…….PARTY ON!! It was fun

Ken's friend Thuy

 and I have a few photo’s attached. Now a little bit about Xe om

Motorcycle taxis are everywhere here. They are usually hardened men you will see sitting at the roadside looking as if they are there to pick your pocket. They look

Our receptionist has a new hairstyle... oooo so cute

Ya gotta love it here!!!!! Drink anyone??

mean, but generally they are a good bunch of people and you can rely on them to go everywhere. A short ride to anywhere you want to go within a reasonable distance is 10,000 Dong. For further distances 20,000. It is a fast and reliable way to travel. I used to go by taxi, but have found this mode of travel much more efficient. Do not be afraid to use them if in Vietnam.

As usual, this blog was very rushed. I am posting it without correcting any mistakes…… sooooooo…… If I sound like I am babbling…..Ah!! whatever…..

Yesterday we drank way too much coffee. First coffee at home, then off to the coffee shop in a rush to write the blog. While sitting there, Brad received a text message for us to meet a friend  for coffee, so off we went to join him for coffee. Mr. Linh is a man who lives here, speaks good English, and befriended Brad on his last trip. At this moment, he is sitting across from me talking to his family in Canada. We are waiting for a motorcycle to be delivered. With the help of my nephew, Brad is purchasing a used motorbike. It makes sense, it will be almost the same cost to rent one for the time he is here. We will be doing some road trips, so stay tuned for the adventure……

I have come to the conclusion that Vietnam is a dangerous place for kids. I personally do not know of a single adult that does not bear some kind of scar from a childhood accident, and if somehow they manage to pull it off, they then have to deal with the hazard of riding a bicycle in this traffic. I have more than once come close to colliding with kids, weaving unexpectedly into my path. The structures in which they live and play are all constructed from brick, cement, and concrete. Marble and ceramic is used to finish interiors. Barbed and broken glass fences protect the properties. Thorned trees and sharp grasses along with other jungle type hazards are plentiful. In to city, I have seen transformer boxes on electric poles open with bare wires at knee level. Even in my own house… My nephew’s son came running into the room crying he had been bit by something. When we went to look, we discovered that a hot bare wire was cut flush with the wall, and a curious kid was wondering what it was.

I see many kids playing in the streets with objects that we would take away from them immediately. Sticks, stones, rusted chunks of tin, items picked up from garbage piles. All things that can cut or bruise. I have to give them credit though, they are tough little buggers. I see them run down gravel roads in bare feet to kick back a soccer ball worn to the point of bursting. I see others fence with tree branches and land blows that would fell an adult. My own nephew is missing one eye from this past activity. Some toys I see the young children play with that would be banned in Canada with small parts that can be swallowed, and probably are. I have seen a lot of burn marks from contact with hot motorcycle exhaust pipes.

Another hazard that is shared by all people, not just the kids, are the uneven sidewalks, curbs, or lack of them. Also, motorbikes are parked everywhere. There may not be room for a pedestrian to walk as the sidewalk is being used in some manner for a business, or parking area. The walk in front of the business is often reshaped into something different making is so uneven, that a person has to constantly be looking where they are stepping.  Things may be changing a bit. I have seen some kids in the city playing with more toys than in the past. Maybe people are making more money, or maybe toys are finally being imported. There are many more things here that can break toes, or cut limbs. Children here have to learn very fast and very young how to prevent injury.

Now….. Brad and I are off for an adventurous driving lesson. He has some limited experience with the rules of the road, but a person can not really know how to drive here until immersed in its madness. Should make for some interesting comments……

Last night we met with the hotel building owner to hammer out some deals and details. She is a nice woman. There are things she should, and will be responsible for in the renovations of the building. There are things we also will be responsible for. After some hard negotiation, we are very close to finalizing some of the last details. I think I have surprised the people that I have been dealing with that I am so aggressive and concise in what has to happen for all of this to come together. Being a hard ass seems to be getting their respect unlike some of the westerners in the tourist area that seem to be a push over to them. Only one final hurdle co jump tomorrow and we can have the renovation materials delivered……. Speaking about delivery…..

There are large cargo vehicles in the country, but I wish to talk about the main method of delivery of goods. Most things are transported locally by cyclo, motor cyclo, bicycle and motorcycle. A cyclo is a bicycle version of a rickshaw. It has a hooded carrier in the front and can seat 2 people a bit uncomfortably. They are quite often kept in good shape and always kept clean to attract the paying customer. The competition amongst themselves for the tourist dollar is fierce and can sometimes break into fist fights. A person will also see many older run down machines. These are usually used not only to ferry people (if it is in acceptable condition) to moving furniture and industrial supplies. They are pro ably the cheapest way to move large goods such as mattresses and other not too heavy but bulky items.

 Then there are the real work horses. Motorized cyclos have a flat deck in front similar to a small trailer. The cargo placed on these vehicles can be anything. I have seen loads of granite stones, 20’ lengths of rebar, and complete living room furniture including a sofa, chairs, and tables. I am no longer surprised when I see something new. I have never seen one that looks new, and have also never seen one in a dealership. Perhaps these machines are obsolete, but keep on getting rebuilt. They all look ancient.

 Bicycles are generally used by individuals to move their goods. Many of them are recyclers, or people to poor to have a motorcycle. Again, they can be loaded beyond anything you can imagine. For example in the picture attached. The flats of beer look un-remarkable in the size being transported, but imagine the weight, and how do they not fall off?

Lastly there is the true work horse of Vietnam….. the motorcycle. It is absolutely amazing at what you can see being transported by these things. Most stores in Vietnam will deliver a product direct to your door and install them within hours of the sale. In an earlier post I had mentioned that I purchased a fridge, stove, microwave, and rice cooker. These items arrived at my door on two motorcycles. Remember that these little beasts are only 110 cc’s on average. I have seen everything behind a driver from giant panes of glass, to a cow…… yes, a full grown cow! Perhaps the most memorable cargo to me was a person had made some kind of wire structure to wear around him shaped like a giant bell. The bell shaped cloak ( for lack of a better word) had four to six rings to which was attached DUCKS! They were tied at the feet and hung from the garment. Perhaps as many as 60 to 80 ducks. As I drove by him, all that was visible of the driver was his head sticking out slightly above the ducks which enveloped him in a bell like circle from head to foot. For all intents and purposes….. a cloak of ducks. As I passed some of the ducks looked at me and quacked indigently at me as if to ask what the heck was I looking at!! Smart ass ducks!!

What a day!! It all started simple enough. One of my nephews joined me at 7:30 for coffee. I looked around for his bike, and not seeing it I asked where it was. He said that he would ride on the back of mine.. What!!? I did not think this possible, and told him to get a motorcycle.  It is a good thing I insisted on this as you will read. We swung back to borrow a bike and were on our way. It was only 15 minutes or so until we started to see the country past the houses built against the roadside. We turned off the main highway onto a smaller potholed secondary road that would get us to Dalat. We started to cruise by some beautiful scenery, and countryside houses, when, the road ended. The Typhoons of a month ago had washed out and damaged much of the road. Ahead for unknown kilometers was the roughest, dustiest, ugliest road I have ever seen. The road was dried red clay and the dust filled the air like a smoky fire. We are stuck behind big trucks and busses kicking up clouds of this dust, bouncing over terrain that would challenge a trail bike. After endless kilometers of beating our bodies and bikes, we finally found some pavement. We increased our speed ant were starting to move fast, when we hit the rumble strips. I guess the traffic in these mountain road was getting too fast and crazy, so rumble strips  were placed wherever there was a good stretch of road. We left the last of civilization and started deep into the jungle and mountains….. Then It happened. Li’l Sissy stopped dead!! We determined that there was no spark. We pushed it back a kilometer or so and found a small repair shop. The mechanic changed out most of my ignition system, and tested it. We took the time to hose ourselves off and remove some of our clothes to bat them against some bricks. After we had lost enough soil to plant a small garden from our clothes, and washed the rings of clay from out eyes and mouths, we were on our way again.

The drive to Dalat is spectacular. The rugged mountains climbed or dropped on each side of us. In every direction was almost endless jungle, a beautiful expanse of wilderness. The mountains were jagged and waterfalls were plentiful. We started up the steepest of mountains, a hard climb for our little 110 cc bikes. At times we could not get over 40 kmph. At high altitude we could hear the poor overstrained engines straining for air. Still, the views were breathtaking and I was enjoying the drive. Alas….. the strain of the roads where too tough for Li’l Sissy and she conked out again. I had fried the new ignition system that was installed only 2 hours earlier. Again, we pushed the poor thing around 5 kilometers until we found a repair shop on the fringes of Dalat. The mechanic replaces a burnt out coil with a much heavier duty one which he guaranteed would not burn out. Finally on our way again, we arrived at Dalat. We passed among the endless green houses and stepping hills, along a cool almost cold mountain plateau. Here it is a forest more than jungle. There are pine trees and some others that could be recognized in more cold climates. Dalat is a beautiful city. There are flowers, and fruits everywhere. It is known as the agricultural hub of Vietnam. The climate is suitable for the growth of all kinds of vegetables and fruits, not able to be grown in the lover elevations. We headed for the central part of the city when………    Wham!!!!!   Traffic..  Lots of traffic, people are everywhere. As luck would have it, it is the flower festival. In Dalat every year they celebrate a festival and decorate the city with flowers. People from all over the country come to attend. We fought the traffic and then braved the market to purchase some dried fruit. Mayhem….   I love it!!  There was a time that I was intimidated by the noise, confusion, and all around chaos, but now, I fit right in. My nephew is amazed how well I fit in. The last time we traveled together anywhere, he was a baby sitter. No longer, now he could have fun with me as a partner. He laughingly translated numerous times from the native hill women that I was being offered second wives, Of course as normal I politely refused and told them if I ever wanted one, it would be them. They laughed at this and off we would go. My nephew got an offer himself J

We left around 5 with the intention of returning to NhaTrang about 7. I thought it unlikely as it took us so long to get here.

We left with the light hoping to make some good time on the decent plateau highway before we would be forced to slow in the jagged mountains. It was not to be. After cooking along at the maximum speed out little bikes would go, Li’l Sissy decided to throw a tantrum and lost her chain. It jammed in the chain guard, and I came skidding to a halt right before a hairpin turn around a cliff. It was not a close call, but reminder enough to drive defensively here. We were able to re-attach the chain, but had lost our light. As the day passed into darkness, we both learned new and valuable lessons. The temperature dropped by 10 degrees. I started to get cold in my tank top. I did not get much chance to get to cold though, the clouds had dropped to mountain level, and it got wet, miserable, and cold. The mist of the clouds soake3d my glassed and the intense fog made visibility only mere feet. We were forced to slow to 20 or 30 kph for very long distances, the whole time trying to keep the bike stable from our shivering. This was insane!! Driving could not be more dangerous, but we had nowhere to go. All there was is jungle and cliffs. No houses, hotels, or shelter of any kind. There was one good thing however. There was almost no traffic. The locals are too smart to attempt such a foolish trek. From time to time, a oversized monster of a vehicle would blind and deafen us. Thankfully after a couple of hard blind hours, we broke through the clouds and had descended enough to have some visibility again. The country was now so dark, our feeble headlights did little to show the way, so we cruised on, not being able to see the potholes until the last second…. Bang!!!….. another Bang!!……   Ouch!! For a moment I thought the torture was all over when, THE ROAD FROM HELL!!. I had forgotten. Now, in the dark, we had to negotiate this dirt, dust, mud, and mayhem for att least an hour. I did not have the gumption to get off and take some night shots, as my but was too busy clenching my bike seat. Along this bucking ride, I lost a foot peg, side cover, and any sense of fear I may have ever had. We finally broke through back onto the potholed roads, then back to the highway, a couple of battered hardened men. We rode side by side, grinning like children. A four and a half hour ride in hell, we both understood. It was a bonding experience. An experience that that we probably both hope not to share again, but we prevailed. We limped back into NhaTrang at 9:30 pm. We phoned and learned that everybody had already eaten so we stopped at the closest roadside street vendor we could find, and hungrily devoured a steaming bowl of beef noodle soup.

This morning, I am suffering from a pinched neck, a bit of sunburn, and a few sore muscles. Otherwise everything AOK!  I have replaced a part or two on the bike, and washed the cached dust from it. I think I may need to invest in a more powerful bike if I wish to make any more long distance trips. Li’l Sissy is good around town, but is a big sissy in the hills.

What is today going to bring???   I do not know…  Life is good

PS.

As happens so many times, I write this blog rushed. I do not have the time to go back and check for mistakes, so please forgive any boo boo’s I made.