Vietnam
2014 - Day 4
March 01, 2014: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 95 - Sunny
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Sai Gon Transit Day. Flight day started with hotel breakfast –
Chinese breakfast at the hotel restaurant.
(Could
select
American, Japanese, or English, too). However, none could match the tray of Chinese
epicurean delights –
from a push
pot of special blend tea, stacks of dim sum,
fried noodles, very fresh fruit, and almond milk chicken
soup (with a
segmented
tray of extra ingredients). All was
finished with a deep fried rolled donut.
Next, down the
steps to the metro system – reverse
engineered the inbound route with multi exchange points
(most were
perfectly
timed with the train awaiting passengers.)
Interestingly, while standing, could see all the way
to the rear and
front of the train in a very full train.
You figure it out.
Once at the
airport, you realize that you’re not in Kansas anymore. The cross section of humanity was simply
amazing. More amazing was the empty line
at Vietnam Airlines check in. Our
trainee agent assigned us the “last
two seats on
the bus”; which, on an Air Bus
320 is just two seats – aisle and window.
And since a bus is used to
transport to a remote parking area and the
rear door is used, it was like backwards bulkhead to quick entry and exit.
Being outside
the States means real meals are served on all
flights – so, the 2 hour flight included a full meal and
no charge wine
and
beer. Now, the beer was really domestic
since absolutely no other language, including
English was used on the can.
One of the
formal dress for women, including Vietnamese
flight attendents, is the long tunic with pants. For most,
there is a
small “trianble” of skin
on the sides were the tunic slit ended.
This could be the ultimate “field day” for
someone with
massive tickling challenges.
Flight arrived
at the ex-military American base now fully
commercialized airport – ad space with “if interested”
phone number
was on
everything. Most all of the airport was
new and very open. Passport control took
some
time; however, all passport and visa prep work was correctly done.
We’re
Millionaires now! The exchange rate is 2,100
Vietnamese Dong currencty to 1 U.S.
Dollar. So, at the ATM
requesting
6,000,000 Dong was a little intimidating.
Applied the “measure twice and cut once” model with one
more
recalculation and requested the six million Dong.
Next to the
ATM is the Taxi booth – paid 220,000 Dong for a
coupon that includes the destitination.
System
worked extremely well – walked outside to taxi stand, handed
coupon to attendant, and off to the hotel.
The term
“organized chaos” has a new meaning – Vietnamese
roads! It you have have an aversion to
not stopping,
walking across
streets when you want, and generally like to ‘tail
gate’ on all sides, this is the place for you.
Words
cannot describe this orchestrated
event of 80% motorcycles, large buses,
and upscale cars all vieing for the small
space on the
road. Honking was not a warning – more of a “hi,
how are you doing?, just letting you know I’m
just 2 inches from you”.
Traffic
circles with motorcycles not becoming hood ornaments
or sidecars may demonstrate the “big bang theory”.
Most amazing
of all this syncranzied flow is
none of the new, clean, mostly upscale cars had no scratches or dings
of any
kind. Watching a Bentley “go upstream”
against a tidal wave of motorcycles is ‘reality TV’ is action.
Arrived at the
Renaissance Riverside (next to the Saigon river) intact and ready to breathe again. Followed a
group check in
and was checked in
with upgrade to Club Floor (18th floor) with view of atrium and all
day access
to Club room (evenings included full buffet of dinner, drinks, and
desserts).
Time for a
quick night walk around the heart of the city in
District 1 – main sights with a very alive and colorful
backdrop. If you need to use the phrase “The town that
never sleeps”, forget New York,
it’s Sai Gon! We can
imagine that
all
were outside enjoying the cool breezes. “That was the ticket” to finish the day.
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