South Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City Days 1 & 2

Yesterday morning was soooo long ago, I may have to cheat and look at my pictures to remember...

I woke up late, 10:30 or so.  Then I proceeded to have a bit of a mental freak out.  I could not figure out where my hotel was on the Lonely Planet pull out map (I hope you don't want that back in pristine condition Rachelle, cause that little map is trashed!).  I tried cross checking Booking.com's map against my paper map and google maps.  None of them seemed to have the same info in the same language.  Anyone who has ever travelled with me (or met me) knows I am not good with directions.  And every street here has a very long and complicated Vietnamese name which I will not remember enough to make a mental map.

I eventually convinced myself that I could not spend my first day in a crappy hotel room so I ventured out with the goal of finding food.  It was noon by this time. I had no idea where I was or where I was going.  But I managed to walk in a square AND found my hotel again (actually, I found the spa across the street but I will take it since I ended up back where I started).  This was a major accomplishment.  I was very proud of myself.

But I hadn't found food.  I started to think I was the only person in this country who couldn't find street food.  I knew it was around but it is surprisingly hard to actually determine what is a restaurant and what is something else.  And what might be on offer.  Eventually, I gave up and went for a coffee at a Starbucks knockoff.  I'm sure it cost me an extra buck but sometimes one just needs something familiar (or at least a knockoff of something familiar).

Here's the coffee shop later that day
when I discovered it was only a block from my hotel
Viva Star Coffee!

Instead of going back into my room when I finished my square, I headed towards town.  My little jaunt had oriented me enough to know which direction to head.  I walked and walked and got rerouted due to construction but eventually I found a landmark on my map and figured out I was near stuff.    I found the cathedral (I didn't go in) and the post office.

Cathedral

Post Office

I bought some stamps because the only thing I have bought so far was a couple of popup cards.  I needed stamps.  Then I found this cool little street that runs alongside of the post office.  It is all bookstores on one side and coffee shops on the other.  As I was wandering around there, it started to rain.  Of course I hadn't brought my umbrella or raincoat so there was nothing to do but duck into one of the coffee shops.  I had cold lemongrass tea and a pork patty thing, my first food in Vietnam.  It was delicious, sweet and salty and spicy and peppery without being to much of anyone flavour.

Bookstores

waiting out the rain with lemongrass iced tea

Then I started to walk back to the hotel.  I should mention the traffic.  There is a total disregard for pedestrians use of sidewalks here.  Sidewalks are for motorbike parking, vegetable stands, food stalls, construction, security guard sitting, general not walking.  immediately learned that I would have to walk in the road as part of the traffic.  There are motorbikes everywhere.  From what I can tell, they don't want to kill me.  The bikes are pretty good about going around people.  Sometimes you might find a nice wide, unobstructed sidewalk.  Do not be fooled.  This is just an excellent place for bikes to avoid traffic.  Or to go the wrong way on a one way street.  Or just have a nice wide path to ride on.  Whatever the reason, clear sidewalks are just another way to force pedestrians to walk in traffic.

Rules I have figured out.  Walk in the straightest line possible (not possible but I try).  Keep a steady pace so oncoming traffic can guess where you are going to be so they can swerve around.  Imagine that scene in City Slickers with motorcycles instead of cows.   And clump when crossing the street whenever possible.  Bikes can avoid groups more easily than a bunch of individuals.  So far so good.

Here are some obligatory traffic photos.

riding on the side'walk'.

At one point today, I tried to 'clump' with a woman also crossing in a huge traffic circle with no crosswalks or lights or predictability.  She just took my hand and led me across like a child.  I was very grateful. 

I managed to find my street Co Giang.  When I turned onto it, I discovered that it had completely transformed.  At 5pm, it had become covered in food stands.  I had just been looking at the wrong time of day when I left my hotel.  I chose a stall where I could see people eating Pho.  I asked for soup.  They laughed and waved at a table for me to sit down in one of the preschool sized seats.  They were kind and brought me some basic soup.  Noodles, broth, chicken and some sausage.  It was very good, of course.

my soup restaurant

my soup - $1

Just as my bowl arrived, so did the rat.  It scurried around the tables as I was eating. Either I was the only one who saw it or I was the only one who was paying it any attention.  I suspect the latter, I have seen a lot of rats in the last two days.  It was not too big.  Don't get me wrong, if it was in my house, I would say it was huge, but for a vietnamese street rat, it was moderate.

(I stopped there to eat and I guess I fell asleep - next morning now, not sure what time, the sun's not up but the roosters are)

Day 2:  I woke up earlier this time and made it out the door by 8am.  I wanted an early start to go to the botanical garden to try to do a bit of birding, 8am was still too late for proper birding but whatever.

I left the hotel and found that Co Giang street had transformed again.  This road is a different experience at each point in the day.  In the morning, it becomes a giant street market.  There were all of the food stalls from the night before and everyone selling everything.  There were stalls for meat, fish, rice, vegetables, fruit, household goods, clothes, lottery, electronics and probably more that I didn't see or recognize.  Here are some photos:

I was part of traffic at this point, there was NO sidewalk.

I ate some BBQ chicken on rice at a food stall.  I will spare you a photo of every meal I eat.  Then I headed back toward town.  It was rush hour so the streets were crazy.  The botanical gardens are farther away than where I had made it the day before so I had planned to take a taxi but I could not find one or flag one down in the mayhem.  At about half way, I saw that taxis were stopping in front of a fancy hotel so I stood there until one stopped.  I was hoping to save the walking time to salvage a bit of birding before it got too hot.

I jumped in and told him botanical garden.  Nope.  I showed him the map.  Nope.  I pointed forward then turn right.  Nope.  He took the map and studied it for a minute or two and then seemed to have an epiphany.  Yes!  We were off.  But he didn't turn.  And didn't turn.  I was starting to make noises that he needed to turn.  Then we crossed the river.  I had been willing to believe up to that point that maybe he was skirting busy streets or one ways but now I knew for sure we were not going to the right place.

On the bridge I said we were going the wrong way.  In his very limited English he managed to mansplain to me that I didn't know and he was the professional.  We arrived at City Garden.  Nope.  I was not getting out of the car.  He asked the guards and then all tittered away until they agreed that this was not where I wanted to be.

Back over the bridge until he managed to drop me at the gate for the botanical garden.  Where he tried to charge me the amount on the meter.  Nope.  Here is 20K.  Thanks.  So much for saving the walking time.

Lonely Planet says there is a zoo in the botanical gardens.  Actually, the botanical gardens are the zoo.  I don't particularly like zoos, they make me sad for the animals.  But here I was, in a zoo.  I didn't take any photos of the big animals but there are a couple of forlorn lizards.

Orchid garden

Orchids

Sad lizard

Another sad lizard

School kids watching the elephant show

some of the monkeys had escaped so that made me happy.
They still hung around their caged brethren.  Maybe they could get back in?

The rats in the garden/zoo were brazen.  They own the place.

Javan Pond Heron

I found an island near the middle with two gibbons living basically free.  One black, one golden.  They were hard to see as they played near the top.  then this little old lady wandered by and called out to them.  First the black one arrived and she threw it a juice box.  then the golden one arrived, baby clutching to her tummy.  Another juice box, straw already inserted.  They liked their juice.  At least the baby didn't get any.

Wild and free and a juice junkie

baby

Here is an update on the three monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.  I call this the four civic workers monkeys.  the fourth one is just covering his balls.

I wanted to go to the history museum that is on the garden grounds but it was closed for lunch so I ventured out to eat.  I tried my first touristy place.  There were no actual tourists, at least not western tourists, but it had a tripadvisor sign on it.  And an English menu with pictures.  It turns out if you want to eat on a proper table without rats (at least visible rats) you pay more.  I had to jump up to $2.50!. I ordered pork and lettuce rolls.  Since I had spent so much, I took half home.  Which I carried around in the blazing heat all day and then ate for dinner last night.  The Vietnam version of the questionable sandwich tour!

Then a pop over to the Jade Pagoda.  I was basically doing whatever was featured in Lonely Planet.  Two days in a major city is not enough time to get inventive.  The Jade Pagoda has no signs.  I think they found themselves in Lonely Planet and gave didn't care.  Tourists are like ghosts.  They know we're there but they don't look at us or acknowledge us.  No signage, no English, no entrance fee.  Just keep quiet.  I did drop some money in one of the donation boxes.  I don't know which god I honoured but I figured any of them would end up in the same coffer.

Pagoda cat

Then I headed back to the gardens to see the history museum. It is in an old French colonial house which is a museum display unto itself.

garden pond in the courtyard

Then over to the temple across the way.  They are directly opposite but a lady helped me 'find' it.  That ended up costing me a couple of bucks for postcards for the 'help'.  She was very sweet so I didn't mind too much.

An impromptu game of soccer with a water bottle out front

Entrance

Ceiling

It was only 4pm so I still had time to fit in one more LP feature.  the War Remnants museum.  Lots of captured or abandones American equipment.  I was pretty tired by this time so I just looked at the distressing photos but I didn't read much.  There was the constant sound of falling bombs being piped all over the grounds.  That was disconcerting but i suppose that's the point.

Then I walked home again.  I hadn't worn my fitbit the first day but I wore it on day 2.  Did you know it rolls back to zero when you hit 20000 steps.  And then when you hit 30000 steps it gives the same celebration as when you fit 10000.  I felt a bit ripped off.  I wanted more.  

I was pretty sore when I got back to my room but my feet are surprisingly good.  I love my new orthotics.  I did take a preemptive tylenol when I got home though, just in case.

The sun is up now, I found my watch.  It is time to get up and moving.  I am heading to My Tho in the Mekong Delta today.  Now I just have to find the bus station and figure out the bus schedule.  That should be easy...

Getting here

In transit:

Woke up at 2am to be ready to be out of the house by 3am!  A few last minute chores (dishes, garbage) and a last list check for packing.  Alisma agreed to take me to the airport so I picked her up and we made it to the airport by 3:30am.  Through Delta bag drop in a jiffy.  So quickly that security wasn't even open yet.

4am security opened.   I got a 'random' extra level of security.  Into the magic x-ray box.  And a pat down and the chemical tests on my hands and camera.  And drug sniffing squirrels through my bag (probably, can't verify).  Anyway, I am still bomb & drug free so I was allowed to pass, shoes and belt in hand.  There was even more security by Delta when I got to my gate.  Did I pack my own bag?  Yes.  Where, why, with whom, etc etc.  Then 30 minutes later as we all walked to the plane, more questions.  Have I left my bag unattended?  No.  Am I sure I packed it?  Yes.

The flight was quick.  I tried to log into Blogspot in Seattle where google and all google-adjacent sites including blogspot decided I was trying to breach security.  This is when I realized that I forgot my cell phone.  the cell phone I upgraded to so I could use it on this trip.  Probably sitting on my kitchen counter.  Google/blogspot wanted me to verify my account on my phone.  Nope.  I tried every which way but they would not accept anything sent to my email.  Apparently they don't consider a yahoo account secure.  (jump ahead in time - fixed now, a pleading 'how can we help you' email seems to have done the trick).

my only photo of Seattle

Next flight, Seattle to Seoul - 11+ ass and mind numbing hours.  Premium economy was nice though.  Not sure exactly how it was different than regular economy but I feel like there was more attention.  definitely true if I am comparing to the next Seoul to HCMC leg of the trip.  I watched four movies,  none of which I can remember and then another one (or two?) on the night flight. 

It was snowing in Seoul when we arrived.  Our flight was delayed in leaving for almost two hours due to bags on board without guests (several, when I was waiting for boarding they were already 15 minutes in before I noticed and I was sitting RIGHT beside the gate - the Koreans are a quiet and well behaved group - so I imagine other passengers who wandered away for a few minutes and missed the whole event) and de-icing.  I got a bit of sleep on this flight, I was pretty exhausted by this point.

Seoul airport, snowing 

It's a lovely airport with a forest in the middle

I know I was exhausted because I spent an hour or more trying to figure out the time change.  The time on the flight tracker was wrong.  then they announced we would be landing in Seoul at 4 o'clock.  I honestly didn't know if that was pm or am.  I still didn't know until the guy beside me opened his window shade and it was light out.  Time change + international date line + going backwards + no sleep = me dumb.

Anyway,  whatever time, I arrived in Ho Chi Minh at some point around 10pm.  I was way at the back of the plane but I managed to find the Visa Entry office without too much difficulty.  I stood in line hoping it was the right line.  It was.  Guy took my papers and picture and told me to sit.  I waited 15 or so minutes (it seemed longer as I thought about my pack lazily going around the luggage carousel unguarded).  They called some very garbled version of my name, handed me back my passport, and off to the next line to actually enter the country.  A million border agents, one open desk which literally the guy tried to close as I got to the front of the line.  The other agents realized they might have to work so they yelled at him.  They all laughed and I made it through. 

My bag was still there.  Then through the gauntlet of waiting people and taxi shills.  There was so many people there was only a narrow lane to get through.  Once I made it outside, I found a taxi guy (let's be honest, he found me).  He offered a price of 300 000 dong (VND from now on) to my hotel.  it is @ 18 000 VND to one Canadian dollar.  As I was attempting to calculate this in my sleep deprived head, he assumed I was unhappy with the price and dropped it to 250K.  Even sleepy I recognize a bargaining opportunity when I see it so I bargained down to 225K and then he only charged me 215K.  @ 12 bucks.  I have no idea if that was a good price but since I had been prepared to pay the first asking price, I was not unhappy. 

I was unhappy when I was in the taxi and the 'supervisor?' asked for the money upfront.  I took out my VND that my mom had given me and the driver grabbed the bills (all of the bills!) out of my hand.  I think he was trying to help get the correct bills but I lost it on him.  He gave it back based on the yelling (without the physical assault that was about to happen to him) but the supervisor made the wise choice to move me to a different car and driver. 

I arrived at the entrance to a sketchy alleyway at midnight.  We had passed through a variety of neighbourhoods that careened me from terrified (very Vietnamese & filthy)  to calm (touristy and clean) back to terrified.  My hotel was in a 'terrified' location.  I got out of the taxi and hoped like heck that my hotel was indeed in that alley and not that the driver was ditching me.   It was. 

End of the sketchy alleyway.  That's my hotel's sign at the very back.

I woke up the night person who gave me a key and took my passport.  My room is very basic but fine.   The tap on the bathroom sink fell off when I went to wash my hands.  It had clearly been precariously placed there since it obviously not worked in a long time.  No worries, the shower is right there with water at the ready. 

Speaking of water, I didn't have any.  I checked the travel forums on the drinkability of water in HCMC.  mixed reviews.  I did not want to venture into the gritty, scary neighbourhood at that point so I used the kettle in the room to boil the tap water.  That did the trick.  Water isn't the tastiest but it is the cheapest so that is how I have been hydrating so far. 

Ok, as usual this is long.  I started before bed and now I am finishing at 3am.   I feel like with the crazy time change and the exhausting flight, I am already mostly on Vietnam time so that's good.  I woke up at 10:30 on my first morning, then I think I fell asleep around 9 last night and now i am up at 3am.  I can work with that.

Anyway, I was going to tell you about my first day in HCMC but that is going to have to wait.

Packing

I think I am packed.  For now.  I have a few hours to re-assess.

 

 

 

 

Travel Hair

I guess I'll need more sunscreen for my ears & neck!  

Decrepitude part two & prep

I can't believe I am leaving in a day and a half (I'm not counting Sunday since I have to be at the airport at 4am!, so basically Saturday night).  I have so much to catch you up on. 

First, health update.  Four physiotherapy appointments and three massage therapy appointments later, I seem to have a working/functional back.  My physio used IMS (intramuscular stimulation).  Needles in the ass for the layperson.  You can imagine (but I implore you not to do so) my bare bum up in the air covered in needles.  My very amenable physio, Nick, offered to take a picture for me but I suspect this is like IDing a deceased love one after they are found after a week in a pond, that is just something you can't unsee.  I declined.  I prefer to remember my butt from when I last saw it when it was alive and carefree, around 1995.

Just around the time I was recovering from my back, I got that horrible cold with the cough.  Cough, cough, cough, sniffle, cough.  That laid me out last weekend so I didn't do any packing or cleaning or planning.  Cough.  I bought some sinus medicine and some cough medicine so I can make it through my flight but I am already feeling much better.  Definitely happy it was last week not next week.

I did manage to get some, ...I want to say packing, but piling would be a more accurate description.  I just kept throwing things at the spare bed until a great heap formed.  Eventually I said, 'this looks like about as much as I can carry' and stopped.  Key piece missing:  Capri pants.  I don't currently have any Capri pants that fit me.   Where to find Capri pants in January?  Off to Value Village.

I wandered about V.V. for an hour or so on Wednesday until they closed.  NO Capri pants.  NONE.  I kind of gave up on the idea and threw a skirt at my pile.  Then last night I was out in Langford watching the beautiful and talented Makenna play a beaver in a play.

She looked much prettier than this Mrs Beaver

But I digress...  When in Langford, do as the Lanfordians do etc etc.  So I went to Walmart.  I found a pair of Capri pants in the most putrid Kack-colour.  Beggars can't be choosers and they were only $20.  Done.

Today I went downtown to buy some American money.  I has been planning to buy some Dong so I would have some at the ready when I arrive but I discovered that Royal Bank doesn't sell it.  That's fine, I can buy it when I get there.  But unbeknownst to me, my mom tracked down some Vietnamese money and gave me some for my birthday.  And then when I got home from the bank, I found an envelope in my mailbox with some American money (from Chris I later discovered) also for my birthday.  Very lovely of both of them.

I also exchanged my plum and orange Eddie Bauer jacket for boring black.  I have a colour scheme, burgundy, blue, grey, black.  Orange just won't work (ha, as if - it didn't fit properly and they only had my size in black).

I also 'managed' my media.  That sounds more impressive than it is.  I added some podcasts to my IPod and learned to download Netflix so I can watch it in the airport between flights.  And I downloaded a searchable map of Vietnam for my computer.

Did I mention that Delta changed the last leg of my flight from Seattle to Victoria.  Now I have a nine hour layover.  Not cool Delta.  I tried to call them to complain but I couldn't reach a human so I decided I would hassle them when I was in Seattle on my way to Vietnam.  I am getting old, I'm tired and I just don't care enough.

Time to start dividing the pile into cube sized mini-piles.

Am I getting too old/decrepit for this?

At least I'm not black with soot, but I am pretty much everything else on here

Am I getting too old/decrepit for this? The answer is probably yes but if I instead ask:  Am I stupid enough to keep doing this while old and decrepit, then happily the answer is also yes.  So, I guess it all balances out!  All things being equal, I am still going.

1.  Iron.  As I alluded to in my to do list, I had to get iron infusions because my iron levels were super low.  I had blood tests for some other non-issue in early December.  My doctor made me come in to discuss my iron.  He was going to prescribe iron supplements until I mentioned that I was going to be backpacking for a month.  No time for supplements! he cried. (Dramatic overstatement).  Two double infusions and $500 later, I am iron rich and peppy, like a liver and spinach casserole.

2.  My back.  I hurt my back.  Or my back hurts me depending on your viewpoint.  No dramatic injury that I can think of.  I blame all of the time I spent sitting and knitting before Christmas.  And then the lifting of four 20 kilo kitty litter bags.  As my workmate Linda noted - sounds like spinster syndrome (knitting and cat accessory related injury). 

Anyway, cause aside, I spent my Christmas break in varying degrees of immobility.  Physio and massage appointments later, with some rest and light exercise, it is getting better.  But not great, certainly not up to hoisting a 15 kilo backpack onto my back every day.   I have two weeks to get unbroken. 

I am still going, even if I have to take a wheelie bag (gasps, shudders) like an old lady heading to an all-inclusive resort (weeps) in Palm Springs (hangs head, contemplates slow march to the grave). Another dramatic overstatement but not by much).

Why is the 'academic' bird wearing a piece of bread?
Kind of takes away from his intellectual authority, therefore I can reject his assessment, therefore I am fine.
(I know how students think)