To Saigon

 

Sat 22nd Nov 2008

Woke about 6am to sounds of breakfast being set up. Tried to get back to sleep but no good. Our room was above the foyer, a double height ceiling. Packed up and bags out before breakfast. Met in foyer at 8.15. Rita not well so didn’t get to say goodbye. All the others came down to see us off. Adelle and John, Margaret and Barry, Sandra and Maz, and Kay. They made a guard of honour at the door. What a nice bunch. Meet up with the newbies tonight so that will be interesting. Currently sitting in Siem Riep Airport waiting for flight. A bunch of Aussie guys have arrived for same flight and are playing local version of hackysack. Bit noisy. Then, when they get bored with that, they start singing, falsetto, ‘Kiss From a Rose’, how funny are they? Talk to them on the way out to the plane, they are from Wollongong. Flight SR to HCM good except at the end, a few clouds had bumps in them. Sarah (from the other group) was feeling a bit seedy, but was before the flight anyway.

Hotel Duxton very flash, lots of marble in the foyer. 2 porters stood around in our room waiting for a tip, but we didn’t have anything to give them. Very awkward moment. Keith said later they had been tipped already, apparently it hadn’t been passed on to them yet!

Went for a walk to the Ben Thanh markets, bought 2 x hackysack/shuttlecock things for 15 000 VND (about $1.50 AU), one each for Patrick and Hayden. Found an ANZ ATM in the Saigon Centre on way back from markets so got some dong. Got our $US changed into dong at the hotel.

Met the new kids – Aussie Jeff, on his own, Pommy Veronica and her partner Roy, and Veronica’s sister (who lives in Hobart) Barbara, and Pommy sisters Mary and Claire. Mary won the trip for 2 and only had to pay return England flights. Dinner ok. Didn’t write down where and now can’t remember. Some place up on the 14th floor. Learnt a Vietnamese drinking toast, 1,2,3, mo, hai, ba… doh!! Then drink!! Went for a walk after with most of the group to see Town Hall all lit up. Quite nice to see – no photos – not allowed.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The temples of Angkor

  Fri 21 st Nov 2008 Awake before alarm went off @ 4.30. Had to be ready to leave @5am!! Quite a sight – row of tuk-tuks in the dark. Pre-dawn coolness nice at first, but did get a bit chilly. Arrived at Angkor Wat at dawn – so many people there already! Sunrise not too spectacular, but lovely view anyway. Amazing place, so big and so many intricate carvings and bas reliefs. Sat in a ‘restaurant’ to eat our breakfast box about 8.30, pretty crappy, but food. As long as we bought drinks, the owner didn’t mind us being there. Made it look busy I guess, or they had an arrangement with TIC. Little kids funny, all trying to sell something. Once they figured out where you were from, they would rattle off the country’s vital statistics. Keith bought from one little girl because she was the only one who knew Canada. Bought 2 packs of postcards to supplement the photos, $1 each. Next stop by tuk-tuk, the Bayon. Another amazing place, but for different reasons. More compact, but taller a...
Read more

Busy day

  Sun 23 rd Nov 2008 Breakfast good. Local guide ‘Long’, driver ‘Jack Brabham’!! Met at 8.30 for tour to Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral then out to Cu Chi Tunnels. Amazing how they lived. Some of the group went thru the tunnel – Ken too tall. Stopped at rubber plantation on way back in from Cu Chi. Lunch of Pho Gai (chic) at Pho 2000. With a 333 beer, total cost $5 US. Then on to Presidential Palace (Reunification Palace) for tour, very interesting and some furnishings very opulent. Thought we were going up to roof, but didn’t. Still haven’t been to the Rex Hotel yet….. After that to the War Remnants Museum – bit graphic but now I get the people here with deformities. Caused by Agent Orange and residue. Last stop, a lacquerware factory. I could care less!! Lot of work into producing so gotta appreciate that. Return to Hotel with storm clouds brewing. Lightning outside now, 5.45pm. Will have free internet access in Hoi An. That will be good. Off to the Mekong Delta tomor...
Read more