Thursday 28th April 2011
Up and had breakfast and waited for Jet bus who actually turned up 5 minutes early (compared to 40 minutes late when used for Tasmania). Dropped at Airport by 10.30am, lot of messing about queuing in the check in for Darwin flight (as we then had a connection to Ho Chin Ming City – Vietnam), only to queue for half an hour to be told we should queue elsewhere as different kind of check in for international. Spoke to a little bald man from the Philippines who had big eyebrows and a little half Pilipino boy eating chocolate none stop. Showed him how to use the auto scanning Check In machines, which he was struggling with.
Waited to board and bumped into Mick regular from The Corkman. Before Conor had even updated his facebook on his phone to say he’d met him, Mick had hopped online before him and had posted that they’d met. Sat boarding the flight on two aisles seats, watching with dread as people got on to see who would be sat next to us... a woman with two crying babies got on, then a huge, over weight Aboriginal family. Thankfully it turned out to be an Aussie girl. We had paid for a Jetstar meal in advance but when we asked the attendant he did not have a clue and said it must be the flight to Saigon we got it. We had it ni our heads this flights Melbourne to Darwin was only 4 hours, then Darwin to Saigon / Ho Chin Minh was about 12?!
Waited in Darwin airport for a couple of hours, it was pretty hot there. Check in procedure was a mess with people going through security not boarding yet and so there was no where to sit. Had a last VB Beer before take off though. Finally got on to a very small Plane which was worrying for a 12 hour flight. But once on was told it was only a 4 hour flight to Saigon as well, so asked the new attendant about our free meal. He looked at our passes and said we should have got one free on the first flight too, but at leats made sure we got served first on this flight. That was $56 extra we paid for one lousy microwave meal....
Sun was setting over Darwin and Australia as we left Aus soil for the last time. Ate the adequate, but half cold, half hot Beef stew? Coming in over Vietnam about 8.30pm local time, and in the blackness flew over the waters leading up to their shore which were just covered with these white lights dotted around. It turned out to be the lights on top of hundreds of fishing boats moored off shore, but as it was pitch black and only little yellow lights it was like looking down at a night sky. Flew over the shoreline now and flying over Saigon could see the hundreds of little lit up motorbikes below, scurrying about frantically on the roads. Landed aggressively at the airport. Cleared customs, visa control with no problem what so ever (as leaving Australia she spent ten minutes looking into if we needed proof of a flight out of the country in order to get in). Went to collect our bags and got there just as the first were coming out. Small one’s came out early on, then waited and waited and waited for Tall Ones. Then everyone was gone except for Tall, Small and a family of five people waiting for their bags. Suddenly after half an hour they cried with laughter, their bags had been pulled off the belt and were sat behind them on a trolley, someone had already moved them off for them. So then it was just Tall one looking for his bag, he was just about to go round all the other conveyors belts to check other flights, when Small one also found his bag on the floor of the airport, someone had jsut throw it off the belt before they got there and it was there all along.
Came out airport to see four/five travel desks all offering pre-paid taxi trips to the city for $7US. Paid one of their vouchers and this little Asian woman with no English took us outside and flagged a taxi. This way they cannot over charge you as all pre paid. Gave the voucher to a driver and had a fairly long ride into the City. Weather was very very humid, and roads were very busy at night. Moped and motorbikes weaving in our out of vans, at a cross roads all four roads started to go at once and just weaved seemingly chaotically head on into and through each other. It was quite something to watch. Dropped on main street and asked for prices in a fancy hotel ‘Liberty’. Was told $50US a night for two bed room. Asked next door at a slightly less expensive one and was told $20US a night for two bed room. Went for that one.
Checked in and was told to pay when we left, she took only a copy of passport. It was not the Ritz, but had air con, Asian TV (Doctor Who dubbed into Vietnamese, with not even a sound effect put on the Vietnamese speaking Darlick) breakfast included. Headed out for some food and bumped into some guy who recognised us from the place who we had not spoke to. His name was Rusty from Souvlakia. Got pestered to ride on bikes, to buy fags, massage, flowers, squid, chestnuts, shoes, lighters all the way down the street. Stopped and had a warm beer poured over an enormous, hideous looking ice cube. Beer was only about $1AUS dollar, food about $4 AUS. Chose safely with onion rins and garlic bread. Rusty told us how he came out airport and just went straight to taxis, and was charged $25US for a ride into town. Went to bed just gone Midnight and arriving at Hotel to find in reception the bell boy asleep on sofa along with some other fella, with a blanket over each. Must be work for accommodation?
Monday 25th – Wednesday 27th April 2011
Saw that Kelvin the young, weird Aussie guy Tal one was training to replace him as hostel manager at The Corkman (but who walked out) now had a job cleaning toilets in The Elephant.... Visited the Corkman Hostel itself and spoke to the new hostel manager, Chloe who still had her weird way of rambling on about nothing during a conversation. Also went for a coffee with the only remaining Corkman residents, Brent, Sue and Jennifer. Told us how someone called in hostel inspectors but all they found wrong was a creaky step and one two many beds in 12 bed. Also that Matt was no in the 12 bed with them and shagging a different girl every other night and sneaking her out early morning. Al very bizarre. They had had a few trouble making groups which Chloe had thrown out as well.
Did some shopping for travelling and ate a lot of dinners brought from Coles to save money. Still plenty of aggressive weirdos in the Elephant backpackers. Went into Host Plus’ offices and tried to get Tall one’s accounts all merged and updated after 6 weeks of failing to do so via post and email. Seemed to now be good. Went to bank to get proof of funds and get cash for Vietnam. Asked for the smallest currency they had in Dong and she said ‘sorry the smallest we have is $10,000 Dong.... whch is 50c’. We didn’t want $500 Aus in the equiviliant of 50c notes.... She then counted out 9 and a half million in 200,000 and 100,000 notes, got some weird looks as she counted ‘100,000 to 200,000 to one million to two million out loud. Tuesday Night both went to cinema to see film called Paul which was quite good.
Wednesday night a few drinks at The Drunken Poet, spoke to Dennis, Keith and then Matt turned up along with Stacey from Corkman. At about 9pm Dublin John showed up just as the others left, so Tall and Small sat just with John and Siobhan (behind the bar) an chatted and drank Guinness to about 11pm. So much Guinness was a mistake when your on a plane the next day so long.
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