Saigon at night

We will work our way from the south to the north starting with The Mekong Delta:

The Mekong delta region 39,000 square kilometers of area where the Mekong river flows into the sea. There are many tributaries and small canals that make up the delta area. The Mekong region is where the majority of the rice crops are grown, there are also many fruit orchards in certain areas. The Mekong is a beautiful place to visit and it has become a popular destination. Most tours offer a trip to Cai Be or Cai Rang floating market, Boat trips to islands where you can experience the manufacture of rice paper or coconut candies. You will also get to enjoy some good food and beautiful scenery. There are also river cruises available from smaller 6 person boats, to a massive river cruise ship. A person can have a good Mekong experience on a 1 night stay, but longer trips are available. I found a 1 day trip was nice, but a

Around town

 little rushed, and 4 days was too long. Click here for more detailed

December to April is the best time to visit the south of Vietnam. There are short downpours during the wet season from May to November but they tend to only last a short time so you can still enjoy a visit during these months (just go for lunch when you see the black clouds developing). The Mekong Delta can experience severe flooding during this period making travel very difficult.

Next to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon):

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is home to some 9 million people. In spite of the city’s size it’s fairly straightforward deciding which part of the city

road near Saigon

to stay in. Travelers will most likely go to one of two areas: Dong Khoi which has mid-range accommodation or Pham Ngu Lao where you’ll find most of the budget accommodation in HCMC. There are Ho Chi Minh City Hotels to suit the requirements of all visitors ranging from backpacker hostels to 5-star hotels. One block of of Pham Ngu Lao ia Bui Vien St where I prefer to stay, there are many nice little bars and nightspots to quench your thirst after a busy day. You will be close some excellent shopping. Downtown you will find very high end stores selling name brands and expensive products. In sharp contrast, you will also witness street vendors selling cigarettes, books, and nick nacks.

Mekong river

 ( I have written about this in past blogs) Ben Thanh market will also be close by where you can hammer out some great deals if you have the mind.

 To visit the main tourist attractions you will need at least two full days. The main Things to See include the Hotel de Ville, the Reunification Palace, the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City, the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Jade Emperor Pagoda. If you’re quite adventurous it’s also

Making coconut candy

worthwhile taking a taxi to the Chinese district of Cho lon where you can visit a number of busy pagodas and street markets. Not many tourists head out this way so you may feel a little out of place but it’s worth doing just to observe life on the streets and provided you use your common sense there’s no reason to worry about heading off the beaten track. Once you’ve seen the main sights you’ll want to consider some Tours. The most popular is a half day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels where you can see part of the 200km network of tunnels which the Viet Cong used during the American War. You

A buffalo out of water

 can make this a full day tour by including a visit to the Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh on the Cambodian border. This is the home of Caodaism, a Vietnamese religion which is a combination of other major religions

A caged Rooster

Traffic is a nightmare all over Ho Chi Minh City and the worst place must be the traffic circle outside the Ben Thanh Market. Your lasting memory of this city will be the sheer quantity of motorbikes on the roads and guess what … they never stop at a pedestrian crossing! Watch how the locals cross the road before you even attempt it. It’s simply a question of keeping moving slowly forward without making any sudden rash movements, this way any motorbikes will go around you. Generally it is hot averaging from 31 to 35 degrees year round and the rainy season in Saigon is from May to November similar to the Mekong. Again December till April is your best time to visit.

Now lets head into the country on an open tour bus……….

Well… talk about another adventure. We arrived in Saigon after a smooth flight and I decided on behalf of both of us to try to travel as locals from the airport to district one where all the tourists go. We had a lot of time and I am determined to share with all of you how to cope in this sometimes chaotic place. I spotted a bus across the parking lot that had Binh Thanh which is the main downtown market close to the tourist area in the middle of district 1. Because Brad had a couple of large bags, we were asked to pay a triple bus fare. No problem… My fare was fifteen cents, and Brads a whopping forty five cents. My experiment was a total success!! We arrived in the tourist area only 1 block away from where I wanted to go. Until now I have taken a taxi. No longer!! The bus got us to the same area in the same time, only for 3000 dong instead of the usual 100,000 dong. The bus number is 152 or 153… I cannot recall exactly, but it will say binh thanh on the windshield. I will try to get the right number tomorrow. Now that I have discovered the local way to travel, I will never use a taxi again. After arriving at our destination, a couple of other foreigners were standing, confused as to where to find their hotel. I offered to help and we were on our way walking the busy streets of Saigon. As we were walking along, a hawker trying to sell a hotel room started following us. I told him in Vietnamese the we were helping foreigners and maybe we would be back to talk. Seeing the potential customer, he stuck with us until the end. I understand how it works here and he is in for a bit of commission if he delivers us to a location. I laugh silently to myself as he calls on his cell to make his arrangements to get his cut. He will make a dollar and I am happy. He deserves it for the hours he has been trying to attract someone to go to the mini hotel that is out of the way. And out of the way it is….  Winding through narrow alley ways into deep Saigon where very few tourists go, but still in the heart of the tourist area. I inspect the 15.00 room, knowing I could get it for a bit less, but am very happy with the cleanliness and the location, so no arguments. We stay. Funny though, I talk a bit about business, and we now have an agreement to send customers to each others hotels. So far everything is going well. Brad and I head out for a walk and see someone familiar on the side of the road. Brad recognizes him as a person who lives in NhaTrang near my house. I approach him and it is as Brad says. Not only is it a person who lived close to me, but he is someone who I was trying to meet for months. He is the only other western IT tech in NhaTrang that I have heard of. Finally I meet him but now he is leaving the country… some what not his choice from what I was able to glean. We stopped for an afternoon drink and then headed off for one of those great Doner sandwiches I have blogged about in the past. Richard…. If you read this blog, I look forward to seeing you again in the future.

I am stupid!!! In the early evening after dinner, Brad and I went for a walk around the neighborhood, We walked off the end of Bui Vien street on to a more local street in the tourist area. We walked a bit when Taxi girls, or in this instance I should say boys…. (yes there are ladyboys in Vietnam, but they are not to be trusted) pulled up beside us and offered sex. Of course we did not want. Brad, not wanting anything to do with these people moved inward on the sidewalk but I stayed on the street. I know about these tricksters and should have been aware of what was to come. I knew my wallet is always in danger from these people so most of my money was in a secure place however, The gal/boy jumped off  the back of the motorcycle and grabbed me by the privates very hard. Of course the distractions are promises of sex and such, did not tempt me. The problem was that I was grasped so hard by the balls, that both of my hands went to fend them off. This was a pro. He/she was able to hold on hard enough so after both of my hands were involved in freeing my testicles, the other hand got my wallet. I saw the pair drive off quickly and was unable to get the license number. HaH!! What an idiot I am. I know the scams, and the area and its petty crimes, yet I fell victim to it. I have to laugh about it a bit. I have not lost anything too important that cannot be replaced. My drivers license from Vietnam and Canada, a credit card and bank card, a few phone numbers, my health care card, and about seventy dollars. Brad seemed a little surprised at how I was able to laugh about it, but alas, this is probably the worst thing that can happen to anybody here. Live and learn……I think I will push back a bit. I am going to pick up another wallet, and glue it closed with a plastic bag full of ink and let that get picked… He He He….

oops!!! This post is from Feb 20. I did not realize that it did not get posted

As I closed for the night, the main door latch broke off in my hand. Huh!! Always something. We are still fully booked and things are going well. I think I will need to find a night receptionist quickly, Sleeping in the hotel and getting up very early everyday is slowly taking its toll. For the first time since I got here, I was forced to have a 20 minute nap. The streets are still alive with the New Years celebrations. There are dragon dancers showing up at random locations causing traffic jams as curious onlookers stop to gape at the martial arts spectacle. I do

A trap in Chu Chi

 not know how they do it. I see the same young men displaying their arts all day and evening long, and it looks very tiring. They are beaded with sweat by noon and a person can see the pain of the efforts in their faces, but still they persist. I have to admire them.

A bit of weather front has moved in and Nha Trang has cooled to a chilly 26 degrees. A pair of Swedes that were staying with us found the cloudiness not to their liking, so they have moved on south hoping to break through the

Hands up

front. I wish them luck. From what I have been able to see, the mildest and calmest climate is here in Nha Trang. Oh…… about the climate (oooooo ya gotta love my segways

Vietnam is over 3000 Km long so temperature can vary quite a bit depending on the season. I have been asked many times when the best time to travel to Vietnam is. That is a bit of a difficult question, but I will do my best to give you a clear answer.

Loom in muslim village

in Vietnam there are two seasons, the cold season occurs from November to April and the hot season from May to October. The difference in temperature between the two seasons in southern parts of Vietnam is almost unnoticeable, averaging only around 3ºC. It is much more noticeable in the North where differences of 12ºC are not uncommon. In the northern regions, the rainy season from May to September (it’s hot, heavy rain), and the dry season from October to April (it’s cold, little rainfall). The annual average temperature is in the 20 to 25 degree range, but in winter the average

Paddling on the Mekong

temperature is around 16 and can go as low as 3 degrees. There is over 100 days of rain fall making it hard to hit the best weather.

The south is a sharp contrast There is almost no noticeable difference in seasons and it is not as stormy as the north. It can get quite hot during the summers, especially in the Mekong. From Ho Chi minh City all the way up the coast, the climate is generally similar with the exception of Nha Trang. Nha Trang is blessed with some of the mildest weather in the world. The rainy season only lasts about one month, and then, it may only rain for a week or two with sunny afternoons and stormy mornings. Nha Trang is surrounded by a number of mountains that shelter it from storms and weather fronts. The climate is mild all year around with an average temperature of 26-28

Future boat driver

 degrees. Most if not all of the typhoons that hit Vietnam veer slightly to the north and miss Nha Trang. Other areas as close as 10 Km can be devastated, while this locale remains untouched. That is probably why the ancient Cham people thrived here.

So here it is in a nutshell…. Depending where you want to spend your time will influence your decision. If you intend  to spend most of your time touring south and central Vietnam, I would suggest winter Maybe January of February. It will be fairly dry and the temperatures mild at 26 – 32 degrees. However, travel to the north is not so pleasant at this time. It can be chilly but tolerable in Halong Bay, but it can be darn right miserable if you plan to go to SAPA. If only coming to the center and Nha Trang in particular, almost any month is good. Just remember that October-November is the rainy season. The north is a little trickier. If you do not want to be cold, summer is the best, however, is becomes rainy and hot.

South Mekong Girls

In my opinion, if a person wants to do an entire country tour from top to bottom, April – June may be the best months. There is a good chance that the warmer weather has set in the north and the south is not in its hottest time. For myself, I do not mind January through March. I would much rather deal with a little chilliness than be confined to air-conditioned hotel rooms. I hope this answers some of your questions. If you have more specific questions…. Please ask

Todays photo’s brought to you by Brad

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

Kimmy and Kenny

Ah…. Where to begin. I could probably start by saying I have had the honor of meeting some very nice people. Ken has many friends here and I had the extreme pleasure of meeting a few so far. Kimmy invited us to lunch and took us to a very nice buffet place in downtown Saigon. She has a magical personality and I hope very much she will look me up when visiting NhaTrang.

My pal Hau

Yesterdays blog was a short one. Hau came banging on the door and we were set to hit the road for a trip into the Mekong. Here we were waiting for Ken to join us when sadly he announced that he is suffering some heave diarrhea. Which leads me into today’s sub topic:

A foreigner here must pay very close attention they what they eat. The food is wonderful and most things can be consumed safely, however, anything that is washed with local water must be treated as suspect. More importantly is the ice in your drink. There are two kinds of ice here. There are ice factories now that make ice from purified water. These can be recognized

Orange Dragons

 because of a rounded shape and a small hole in the middle. They can be large or small in size. If you are drinking an iced beverage, check to make sure there is some evidence of this round ice. If you cannot see, or if it is crushed ask to make sure it is ice made by machine and not cut from a block. Also,

Mekong river

most restaurants that are set up western style, are washing with purified water so vegetables can be consumed safely, however, in local spots, unless it is boiled or peeled do not eat it. I have as of yet not had a problem by following these two basic rules. Now on with the story:

Ken retired to his room and Hau and I were off by our selves to try a new

The drive on new highway

 highway that had just opened the day before. It reduced the time it takes to travel to the Mekong by three hours. The drive was beautiful. There are police at both ends of the new freeway to stop any motorcycles and trucks from entering and cars only are allowed. This may change but it made the ride pleasant. Since ken was not able to attend, it allowed me more time

On the Mekong

to get to know Hau. Our driver was surprised that this was the first time he had seen Hau travelling in his shorts and a tee shirt rather than formal attire. Hau explained to him that this was a trip with a friend and not a tourist. I was honored. I now consider him a very good friend, and I hope to spend time with him whenever he is here in NhaTrang, or I in

at the docks

 Saigon.  For any of my readers, if you plan to come here and need somebody to organize your trecks…. Hau is your man. Check out this website www.visitindochina.net Anyway…… back to Mekong. The drive took us only

Restaurant on water

1hr 10min to a town named My Tho. My Tho was founded by the Chinese back in the 13^th century. At that time a group of Chinese approached the King (or Emperor) of Vietnam and asked for land to live. The  King not wanting much do do with then gave them a piece of land far away, empty, and useless at the

Hau and our boat driver

 time. The Chinese thrived and eventually flowed to the north where they established a very large Chinatown in Saigon. If you go to do business there, you will probably end up in Cho Lon eventually. We arrived at a newly build boat dock to have a private boat waiting for us. We were way ahead of any

Looking back on our boat

tourists so we were alone (just the way I like it). Our small boat was chugging away across a wide section of the Mekong river when oh…oh…… A gentle wind started blowing, and the tide started to move in. The waves in the river grew to ocean size. The boat driver commented on the size informing us they were the largest he had ever experienced. Maybe it was that we were going earlier than normal, or perhaps somebody up there wanted me to have exciting things to write about.

On the Mekong river

Well……. After the waves started getting really big, I saw a bit of congers come over the drivers face and he started to concentrate on his driving. I also was becoming a bit concerned, I saw the same thing in Hau. Were we going to make it to the other side? Would the little boat be worthy of the task? Where is Batman??  Or Superman for that matter?? Do not change the channel. Stay tuned.

I have returned to see that NhaTrang is starting to fill up. Many hotels are totally booked and I am sure that our place will be also. I have discovered a disturbing thin upon my return.

Bridge over the Mekong

 The lady that operated this place before me has been hiding and witholdong taxes fron the government for years. They are rightly angry and will be keeping an eye on us as new owners….. Great!!!  So much for charging the big bucks for a quick slingshot into profitability. While most hotels will triple in price the next two weeks, we will have to rent out rooms at a regular rate, or perhaps a little bit higher, but not as we intended. Maybe I can get a crowd that will drink coffee and beer in the lobby to help. Oh well……..This place is too much fun to worry about it now.

What are they selling

A person never knows what will happen next here. My plan today was to make contacts to promote the hotel and try to get some influential people here to recommend my place. It has been working out pretty good. Most tourists here have just arrived and intend to travel to the north. Hopefully they will stay with me. My wanderings took my thought e park close by and then it happened….. I got side tracked and everything changed.

My pal Tang

I have mentioned before that this country is boiling slowly to a climax. Another day closer and new things are happening. The park magically filled with flowers of all sorts. The downtown area is turning into a giant flower and light show. I was particularly admiring the dragon fruit displays. Everything was set up so beautiful that I lost track of time. A cyclo driver was trying to get my attention for a fare, however, I was not interested so I told him in Vietnamese as much. I do not know how or why, but we ended up in deep conversation and quickly became pals. He never asked for money and because of that, I decided to hire him for the afternoon. I needed an education about Saigon, so he showed me. We went to the area where all of the embassies and consulates are. We also went by the zoo and into a part of Saigon that very few westerners ever see. Deep, deep in the maze of alleyways and tiny houses we stopped to interact with the locals. At first they were a little suspicious of a foreigner being in their midst, but after talking with them in my bad Vietnamese, they warmed up and it was good fun. I left promising them that I would return. Here is some sad news about cyclos.

The government has deemed that cyclos are too dangerous in Saigon and Hanoi. The driver of my cyclo was saddened. He enjoys driving his bicycle and will be now forced to become a Xe Om driver. In two months the cyclo will disappear from the two cities. I think that this is going to be a big loss to the flavor of Vietnam. The cyclo driver has to be one of the hardest working, and poorest of the working class. They are responsible for much more than simply driving tourists around. They act as a low cost courier to deliver all kinds if goods. They are also used to transport children to and from school, or weak people to pick up groceries at the market. I cannot see an 80 year old woman using a motorcycle taxi to go shopping. Knowing Vietnamese

Motorcycle taxi

people, they will probably come up with some ingenious way of coping. This sudden end to the cyclo reminds me of other events that happened here. When the government speaks, the whole population acts. About two years ago the government announced it was introduced helmet laws and in a single day, the whole country went to wearing nothing, to wearing helmets. Another announcement at the same time was that any air

A road side massage

 polluting vehicle was to be outlawed. Literally overnight the old chugging busses, Tuc-tucs and old style vehicles were gone.  When a law is made here, it is acted on immediately by the people, and alas, sadly the cyclo is the next big new change.

The young woman that cleans the hotel I am staying in was standing in the doorway looking bored when I returned. I asked her if she was going out, but she replied she has no friends here and nowhere to go. I told her I would take her somewhere and she was delighted. I decided to take her atop the tallest hotel in Saigon to a small lounge for a drink and see the view. The Sheraton hotel is expensive even by our standards and she was a little reluctant, but I was able to persuade her. When she saw the price of the drinks she wanted to leave, but I assured her it was OK. Sh sat and marveled over the balcony at seeing the city from such a height. After one drink, I took her to another bar in the hotel that had a live rock band. They were excellent and we were treated to the added bonus of some Korean and Japanese business men being there with their sexy and slinky concubines. The way they wriggled on the dance floor and entertained the old men was a sight to behold. Khuyen  I spoke of her in an early December blog) sat with jaw agape. She had the time of her life and is still telling stories to her co-workers this morning. I am glad I was able to give her a little happiness, if even for only a short time.

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…..

Meet my friends Linda and Denny. I ran into them while having a late evening drink. They are on an adventurous trip through asia. I enjoyed very much, our conversation, and hope to see them again someday….. And can you guess where they are fron by their looks??????  Yep, you guessed it… Sweden!! A couple of sweedies you could say.

The young man os from the south of France. Also a very nice fellow. Damn my fading memory!! It seems I have to write down peoples names to remember therm. I think his name was Peter or Pierre. My appologies my friend. If you read this blog can you please remind me??

I arrived at the Cam Ranh airport terminal and was totally shocked! It was not the airport of old. One year ago it was totally different. The old terminal was just a small cement building with a few chairs, and a small shop to get a bowl of soup. Now? A beautiful, clean, and modern structure now stands in its place. While waiting to board I became engaged in a conversation with a man named Charles from the USA, and a nice young woman Nina from Austria if I remember correctly. We had a pleasant conversation while waiting for the aircraft to board. Charles and I arranged for seats together, and as luck would have it, Nina ended up in the seat beside us. We continued our conversation and remained together the three amigos until we were in downtown Saigon. We went our separate ways, Nina a woman with a mission in the shopping district, Charles, booking into his hotel, and me, just wandering the streets soaking in the exciting chaos that is Saigon. I finally went to my hotel and was overwhelmed by joy when the staff of saw and remembered who I am. They ran to me with hugs and joyful banter, commenting on the changes in my appearance. It seems everyone I interact here are very nice. This afternoon I will meet with Charles again. I think we will be seeing more of each other in the future. His plan is to like me, take an early retirement and live in NhaTrang. A very good decision I think.

The flight here has to be the scariest I have ever taken. I was sitting at the window just above the wing. On take off the plane rolled to the right and I eaw the wing tip come within a foot of hitting the ground. Oh my God!! I had visions running through my mind of a firey crash. Charles, who is very familiar with aircraft, made some comments about the lack of skill that Vietnamese pilots have. The Landing was just as bad. We hit the ground hard. Thankfully the aircraft was an airbus 320., a verry rugged bird. Hopefully I will not get the same pilot again.

Saigon is getting set for new year and the city is going wild. They are closing down streets in the downtown and making decorations. It seems the party in Vietnam has begun. I will ride the wave and have some fun. Now off to play……. Bye

Oh My God!! The Vietnamese have discovered LED’s. It is a good thing. The people here are forever trying to save money on their power bills by installing very energy efficient bulbs or even just living with very low lighting. LED’s have started an amazing transformation where they can decorate things with light at a low cost, and now they have. I was in an electrical store marveling at the rolls of led wire being sold to people. I did not know such a thing existed, but let me tell you about the display they are creating. Lunar New Year is coming up shortly. For the Asians this is a big thing. Years ago it was displayed by flags being flown from every household and chains of firecrackers adding to the constant noise all around. Now the firecrackers are no longer allowed, and light displays and special events, many of them singing are all the rage. Now the city is being lit up by a cascade of light shows, all lit by LED’s. It is only day one of the celebrations, so who knows what other light shows will show up soon. I have the camera…. I will take photo’s.

All these lights and the coming of New Year has turned this city into a party. A person cannot travel anywhere after dark without coping with heavy traffic. Also, all the young men and women are dressed for the occasion……  Damn my eyes hurt!!! I truly wish that all of you could be here to experience this…. It is a slow climax building to some kind of finale in the next two weeks. It is not as before…. I do not know how it will end…. Just another part of the adventure.

One final thought…. Do you pee in the shower?….Admit it… I know…. I have heard that many do.. me?? I can proudly admit that yes in fact I do…. Ha!! My urinal is right below my shower head…. Ahhhh luxury…. Bwa Ha Ha

Witnessing beautiful light shows, driving in warm tropical breezes, seeing beautiful young people around me, and peeing in the shower……. How can it be better?  Now I am off to Saigon for a bit of business and pleasure. It should prove interesting as I had totally forgot about new year when I made arrangements.

A Few random photo’s to compliment my blabbering

I ordered a computer yesterday for the hotel. Pretty primitive by my standards…. But still way beyond what most places have here. They will deliver it tomorrow and starting on Monday, I will hopefully have a reliable and constant internet connection. It is a little difficult to always have to jump on the motorbike and cruise along the ocean to a romantic café with beautiful waitresses and…………aack!! What am I saying? OK, let’s just say I will have more time on the computer…. I accomplished a big thing today.

 Yesterday I commented how Vietnamese think different from us. In an earlier blog I have commented how they feel things are impossible. Well….. I wanted the granite floors of the hotel polished so they would be shiny again. WHAT?? Impossible I am told. I told them no problem, just get a floor sander such as they use to do hardwood and use fine water based sandpaper under it. WHAT??? No such thing I was told. For one month I have been trying to get the idea to them that a granite tile can be brought back to a shiny condition. Impossible it remained. In frustration, I finally went to a hardware store and found a sanding and a polishing wheel for a hand grinder. I did this because my wife and niece were spending hours scraping paint drops from the floor. I returned and showed the construction people that a person uses the heavier grit wheel first to remove the paint and stains, then use the higher grit wheel to polish the tile. Their eyes lit up in amazement. This was the impossible being done. I had restored a granite tile into almost new shiny condition. There are now 3 men duck walking across the floor with 4 inch grinders polishing the floor that was impossible to do. I win!! He he he…. It is NOT IMPOSSIBLE.!!

I am heading to Saigon for a solo trip to meet a friend, and to do some business. I have decided that in order to make a little profit at the hotel until I can establish a client base, I will need to find another means of attracting customers. I now have almost everything I need to have a very nice coffee shop/ bar. I have decided that I will purchase a projection TV and offer large screen entertainment, something that is very rare here. There are also other things we require that cannot be found here. Four days alone in Saigon should truly test my abilities to cope and interact. Only one problem about this whole trip…. Tet Feb 14 this year is the lunar New Year. It is a very big thing here as our Jan 1 is to us. People from Hanoi and Saigon leave to go home to their families. The whole country will be in Chaos for a week, and it is the same time that I travel to Saigon to do some business. I was able to get a flight to Saigon in a higher class than economy, however, there is no return flights available…. OK…. How about the train? Booked solid. Hmmmmm. I was thinking of hiring a private car when I remembered that the tourist companies in their ever ingenious ways of trying to make a buck…. had created sleeping busses. (I think I have just discovered tomorrow’s topic). I was able to secure a ticket back home this way. Because it is New Year, the price was automatically doubled…. I grudgingly paid the 18 dollars.

A couple of thing worth mentioning…… HEY SPAMMERS!! I have total control of who I permit to comment on my blog. GO AWAY!! You will not get any free advertising from me. Only people who have genuine comments will be allowed….good or bad. Secondly, I read yesterdays post and saw it did not make sense. Sometimes on this small net book, my thumb hits the touch pad the same time I am typing. This can cause a section to be deleted and over written. That is what happened yesterday. I will edit and repost the blog……. For me it is morning, so for you it is night………. Goodnight