Vietnam Trip

[joe552]

I hope we get to read more details of your trip, Scottish

[scottish-guy]

Below are the final 2 "instalments" - had difficulty connecting to Internet, hence the delay


So, it's now Sunday and we are in Da Lat bus bus station disembarking the bus. As soon as I stepped off I was overjoyed!
It was cool, it was fresh, with a gentle drizzle raining down. A blessed relief!
A point of information here us that once you are off the bus you are ferried to your accommodation free of charge by a fleet of taxis.

BFs father had suggested where we should stay "Dalat Train Villa" - and at $90 for 2 nights in their last remaining room ( a family room) it seemed reasonable. It was pitch dark by the time we arrived (gets dark in Vietnam about 6.30pm). Got checked in and are are escorted to our room by torchlight ( no, the electricity hadn't failed, although that happened later) it's because we are in a separate villa.

Quick unpacking follows, quick showers, and then we pour ourselves (BF, Sister, Hotel owner (just wait),and myself) into a taxi and head out for food and drinks. Turns out she owns this venue too! It's called the Escape Bar and is part of the Blue Moon Hotel building.When I hear "Escape" bar I had nostalgic thoughts of Prague, but only the name was the same!

Had a great night at Escape with free red wine greeting us, a reserved "top table" and a first-rate live band playing a rock and roll set/jam session. I had a really good and freshly made (not frozen) Pizza with a few beers and I really don't remember what the others had but it was all very good and reasonably priced. Then this guy enters the bar with a small entourage and greets us and thus turns out to be the owner's American husband. Very nice, friendly guy, warm and outgoing. Then, the next thing he's on the stage with the live band, playing the trombone. I was impressed with the jamming session on that song, but does he not then grab an electric guitar for the next one and play that equally amazingly, then further 2 songs - this time with a harmonica, and then he gets on the keyboard on the next song. This guy is amazing! So, that rounds off the evening nicely and we get back about 1am and just literally hit the sack we are so tired.

MONDAY morning - guess what - we make breakfast! This is served in a Vietnamese train carriage which has been brought on site, refurbished and turned into breakfast room/cafe. Simple breakfast of juice, cornflakes, eggs, bread, tea/coffee. If anybody is interested in the hotel or bar venue, PM me for details..

BFs mother and father appear early morning - they have travelled from Saigon on the coffin-bus (12 hours I think) and look remarkably fresh. Nice family get together in the garden for a couple of hours. Hotel owner joins in, suggests I move to Vietnam immediately and she will help me set up a business to provide an income. Sounds vaguely familiar to something that happened in Pattaya a few yrs ago! But she certainly knows what she is talking about - it is not simply a case of the husband running the show, it's her - so any advice would be worth listening to at least.

Breakfast and chat is all over by about 11.30am, so (as I've explained before) it's now time to eat lunch!

Hotel owner shoves us all in a taxi, and we are all whisked off on a sightseeing session.

First up is a trip to Crazy House - a bizarre architectural experiment thought up by some mad Russian woman who has developed this house/ residence within a concept of tree stumps and rocks. A collection of bedrooms, living rooms, and various other rooms all woven into this surreal tree- like concept. Look it up for yourselves - I'm sure its on google, it's a bit arty-farty and beyond me frankly, but an enjoyable hour.

We are then whisked to some kind of stately home in Da Lat - Bao Dai's Summer Palace I believe. Very interesting place with touristy things to do outside (pose with horse and cart etc) and magnificent furnishings inside. They also dress you up as the Emperor and you can buy the photos (which I did) and was photographed in costume with my new-found family who were similarly attired. Bought a few items from the gift shop.

That passed an hour or so, then of course it's time to eat again. We are put back in the taxi and taken to V Cafe. The hotel owner aka the Escape bar owner, is also the owner of this venue. Excellent food, nice cold beers and good prices. Highly recommended.

Get back to the hotel about 4pm via a taxi tour round the open air market and some local streets. Everywhere bustling and busy.

We spend a couple of hours doing this and that and then are told a taxi is booked for 6pm. By now, I don't even bother to ask - just go with the flow. We get in the taxi and are driven to the Dalat Palace Hotel. Well, this is something else - this would be like staying in an art gallery or museum! (Google it if interested). I half expect our Hotel owner to tell us she owns this as well, but no - she worked here a few years ago and wants to show us around. Now, don't get me wrong - its magnificent. its unique, but being shown round a hotel is a little strange to me - but i enjoy it. The Presidential Suite is unlocked for us and we have an opportunity to wander round that.

We are taken deep down in the hotel, to the basement bar "Harrys Bar". I remember it because there was a gay bar in Glasgow with the same name. The Glasgow one was names after Sir Harry Lauder mind you, THIS one I'm told is named after some American millionaire who redeveloped it and a couple other hotels in Da Lat in the 20s in the hope of turning Da Lat into some kind of rich man's playground for golfers etc. Apparently (this is all from memory so forgive inaccuracies) he died in one of those "vanishing plane" crashes that were not uncommon in those days (and still happen now it seems). Our Hotel owner buys us all drinks! I have a Rusty Nail (!), BF and HO have G&T and BFs Dad has something I cant remember.

Very pleasant early evening activity.

We are then ushered into the taxi again and are transported to the Escape Bar again where were enjoy the fantastic entertainment again and consume lots of drinks. Again the musician husband it absolutely superb and this time SHE gets up and belts out a few numbers as well. Fantastic nights entertainment. Then at about 11.30 pm its all back to the hotel for some well-earned sleep!

[scottish-guy]

Tuesday 24/6

This is my last day in Vietnam.

I therefore need to get from Da Lat back to Saigon to catch my flight home which leaves just after midnight tomorrow.

So, we get up at 6am to shower and do some last-minute packing. The hotel has agreed to open the breakfast caf├й at 7am instead of 8am so we can eat before leaving Da Lat,

At least there is no bus involved, but there is some trepidation in my mind - Bfs sister booked the flights via the Hotel in Nha Trang (I could not get the Vietjetair website to accept a payment) and this is the same booking agency which fucked up the bus to Da Lat (although it fucked it up favourably as it turned out)

Taxi has been booked for 7.45am and arrives on time. Mother and Father have risen early to wave us away, which is a nice touch.

SoтАж..off we go.

Taxi to airport takes about 30 minutes with no problems at all en route. We get to the check-in desk. Much yapping in Vietnamese signals some kind of problem. IтАЩm told that no luggage has been paid for. However, after recent experiences, I have now attained a state of supreme bliss where this sort of problem is a mere trifle in the scheme of things. I ask тАЬHow muchтАЭ and it is something like $15 so I am not going to tear my hair out over this.

тАЬJust pay herтАЭ I tell BF. тАЬButтАжbutтАжbutтАжтАЬ he says. тАЬJust pay her please and lets get awayтАЭ .

Of course, its not that straightforward - you canтАЩt pay HER - you have to pay someone else at a different desk, get a chitty stamped and bring it back over. OK, we do that - but thereтАЩs more to come: we arrived in Da Lat with 2 bags and we are leaving with 4. The check-in girl has all 4 bags on the belt and is insisting that we pull stuff out of 1 bag and put it in the others. BF has a rucksack and a paper carrier bag bound by an entire roll of sellotape (nobody in their right mind would consider this as acceptable luggage but never mind. Much re-arranging goes on till she is satisfied that she can send 2 bags to the hold and the other 2 are to be cabin bags. I think I hear her face crack as she finally breaks into a smile.

I rub my hands as I walk away - тАЬTea!тАЭ I say and we walk a short distance where a sullen boy brings me a cup of brownish liquid purporting to be tea, into which he has already put UHT milk (which I cant stand), and BF has some kind of juice. We sip the drinks, and chat for about 15 minutes.

Then I remember that with all the fucking about, the check-in agent has sent my CABIN luggage to the HOLD, with my iphone and camera in the front flap which is unsecured in any way. I tell BF about this тАЬWhy you do this?тАЭ he asks and I explain that I was intending to personally carry that bag onboard, so it did not need to be secured. тАЬI get the bag back, maybe I canтАЭ and he tears off.

Well, the state of supreme bliss I mentioned earlier is still lingering - either that or I have just given up completely. I watch as he goes back through security the wrong way, back to the check-in desk. At that point I stop looking, I have already waved goodbye to the iphone and camera and am trying to remember which email address I had the insurance policy sent to. After all, who in the world can get a bag back after it disappeared down the conveyor belt 15 minutes ago?

I finish my tea slowly. He is still not back so I finish his juice as well. Then he re-appears at the back of security, grinning from ear to ear and waving the phone and camera in the air. Well thatтАЩs an unexpected result! On his return, he tells me how he did it. He claimed he had left his life saving medicine in the bag and might die if he didnтАЩt have it on the plane, so they pulled out all the stops and retrieved the bag before it went on the plane. Highly resourceful and imaginative.

About 20 minutes later he flight is called and we board the plane. After the 9hr bus journey from Saigon to Nha Trange and the 4.5hr journey from Nha Trang to Da Lat, IтАЩm looking forward to $30 of luxury travel!

Plane is absolutely fine - similar to easy jet operation.

We have exit row seats and thatтАЩs a bonus for space, so I have already decided to celebrate by ordering a beer and a small tub of Pringles once we are airborne.

The steward minces up to us and yaps in Vietnamese to BF. BF looks bewildered then nods his head and smiles. IтАЩm told that apparently the steward recognises him from Facebook. IтАЩm not that surprised, as he seems to be on it 24/7.

Then the safety announcement is delivered by the camp steward. After the formal announcement, he decides we need further advice and, pointing to the escape hatch, says in all seriousness тАЬOh, please donтАЩt open the doorтАЭ This is good advice, this boy will go far.

We are airborne! Waiting for seat belt light to go out which it does after about 10 minutes. I check the food menu again and we decide what we shall order when the cart arrives. Some further chit-chat. BF goes to the toilet. He comes back after about 5 mins. Few minutes later there are stirrings up-front and I anticipate my cold fun-size beer and cheesy Pringles. <DING DONG> тАЬLadies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts and make sure you seat is it the upright position as we begin our descent into Saigon airportтАЭ

WTF???

We are on the deck in Saigon within 30 minutes of taking off from Da Lat!! We are herded onto a stinking hot bus but its only 2 minutes ride to terminal and we get luggage etc. The entire journey has taken 1 hour. RESULT!!

Now we must get a taxi from Airport to motherтАЩs house to retrieve the large bag I left there (taking only small one on tour). As soon as I get in the taxi I tell BF to tell the driver to close windows and turn air-con to max. It sort of works - he turns the air-con speed to #1. After shouts of MAXIMUM, he moves it grudgingly to #2. ThatтАЩs as good as its going to get. We pick up the bag and take it to BFs new flat which I remember is hellishly complicated to get to, but I know there might be beer in the fridge left over from the party.

We arrive at the new condo. I notice the development is called Celadon City. In the daylight I can see its very very nice. I also see thereтАЩs a big shopping mall nearby, it is in fact pointed out to me. We get the bags to the flat and everything is good.

Even better, there are 4 cans of cold beer in the fridge! I am allowed one before being dragged to the shopping mall. тАЬCan you get me some things for my new homeтАЭ he pleads. This doesnтАЩt bother me - IтАЩd far rather do this that spend money on something transient. So we spend about an hour in the mall picking up everything from toilet roll to packets of noodles (OK, those are pretty transient I admit but we also bought plates and pots/pans). We get a taxi back to the condo with the shopping, turn the air-con to max. and unpack and stow it all.

I then drink the remaining 3 cans of beer at a leisurely pace while he puts some finishing touches to his Buddha shrine (he has some peacock feathers he wants to attach to the back.

Leisurely shower, change of clothes etc and then we are ready to leave the condo. BF has already told me he has to work tonight from 7pm to 9.30pm - do I want to come? I say OK and we will take the bags and after he finishes we will go to the Airport and play out a Casablanca type scene.

Getting a taxi is hard - phone bookings are accepted but nothing in the way of a taxi actually turning up is ever sure to happen, and so it proves. We end up on the street trying to hail one, which takes 20 minutes. We are now late for his work (the nature of which I havenтАЩt managed to fathom out yet). Lonf journey to centre of Saigon. We pass landmarks I remember from last week - and I chortle as I remember the names of some shops I saw previously and meant to photograph later (but as you know we went elsewhere).

тАЬBum CoffeeтАЭ springs to mind as does a restaurant called тАЬPho King GoodтАЭ and the best of the lot - a ladies wear shop called тАЬFanny FashionтАЭ

We arrive at the Caravelle Hotel and exit the taxi. I am taken to the Lion Bar across the street and introduced to the bar staff. Turns out BF worked here before and hence is friends with staff. I am introduced to his тАЬbest friendтАЭ, the barman known as LuLu (which is highly appropriate). So, dear readers, if you find yourself at a loose end in Saigon - go see Lulu in the Lion Bar.

My bags are put behind the bar and a cold beer is brought over. тАЬ - I go to work. I finish 9.30тАЭ BF tells me. I decide to be diplomatic тАЬRemind me - what exactly are you working at?тАЭ тАЬI tell you so many times - I work in restaurant (which I know and accept).... and sometimes IтАЩm model for newspaper (he means magazines), but today I make a movieтАЭ I think to myself - yes, you DID tell me that last part many times but I simply did not take it seriously - I have to see this for myself.

So, I leave Lulu to watch my beer and I accompany BF to another bar area just a few metres away. Well, IтАЩm gob smacked - there is a proper movie crew there, and lighting etc - and NO its not a porno, he DOES have a part in a movie. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying its an international blockbuster andthat he's the star but I see that he has a speaking part at least. I'm impressed! Seems like I've been too cynical.

A few minutes watching that and I need to get back to my beer. I ask Lulu to bring me a Pork Escalope with tartare sauce, french fries and veg. It duly arrives and is delicious. The movie work is taking longer than expected and I have 4 beers altogether before BF returns and its now 10pm for the 00.30 flight.

We go outside, many taxis are standing so thereтАЩs no problem getting one which whisks us to the Airport in under 30 minutes. We do the scene from Casablanca plus extra helpings of tears and, as he's not allowed in the airport because he's not actually travelling, the last I see of him is his hand waving in the distance.

( (

Now, you might remember I remarked on how easy it was to ENTER Vietnam (20mins?) well, EXITING is a different matter entirely!

Check-in >>> Cabin bag X ray check>>> Passport Control (this is the weak link, they take a full 3 minutes to check each passport and you can have 15/20 in your queue)>>>>>ANOTHER Cabin Bag X ray and personal scan check>>>> Very, very frustrating!

One other thing worth mentioning - a number of websites currently tell you that you must pay an Exit fee of around $15 and say specifically that it is NOT included in your ticket price and you really have to make sure you have this sum in cash, in Dong specifically. This is untrue - there is no exit tax. I remember Thailand had this some years ago, but not any more) ALSO, ignore anything you read about having to retain a yellow Customs form issued at entry, in order to get back out - also untrue, certainly for Europeans.



I will do one more post on this - not on the flights because I anticipate nothing interesting but perhaps just pulling together some lessons learned which might help others, and a kind of general overall conclusion to the trip.

Hope you enjoyed the report. If you want details of Hotels etc or anything else, just PM. Again, sorry for errors - I donтАЩt like the iPad for these things - may re-edit later (or not)

[lego]

Thanks for your reports, scottish-guy, I've really enjoyed reading them!

[scottish-guy]

Thanks Lego - glad you liked.

[fountainhall]

Now that you are back home after all these adventures, I expect you are ready for a holiday!

[scottish-guy]

Indeed! But fortunately have 2 of those coming up in the next 4 months and an added bonus is that I now feel able to disclose them!