Day 16

6 May 2013

By eight I had to return to my scooter. It had served me well that day. It occurred to me that if there was a slight change in the Australian law this could be a great item to stop pollutions and traffic congestion. Fifty cc scooters are dangerous on the roads; I have experienced that and seen it. They can't keep up with the normal city traffic because as soon as you face a hill the traffic speed stays at 60-65 kph , while the 59 cc scooter is struggling up hill at say 40-45 kph, forcing the rider over the left continues line if he loves his life. 100 cc scooters could be the limit. They have a top speed of around 90 kph and can keep up with any city traffic. The rental was arranged by a travel agent where I also bought the bus ticket to Ho Chi Min City (Saigon). They asked me to bring my stuff over and wait at their premises for the pickup bus. The pickup time was 8.39 am. Meanwhile I stayed at the hotel 50 meters away as I could still make use of the Wi-Fi Internet connection. After arrival at the travel agent I was met by a tuktuk driver. I asked if that was right as I expected a mini bus to arrive. The same as they used to go past a series of hotels. All was ok they said so I got in the trailer and enjoyed the ride. After ten minutes we arrived at the street where the bus was parked, Reclining seat, air-conditioned and toilet in the rear.

One other person was in the bus which I thought to be a Vietnamese lady. Right at 9am we departed with only four persons on board. The driver, his assistant, the Vietnamese lady and me. And it stayed like that. I was travelling in an empty bus.

For some reason I had forgotten to have breakfast or to buy any food on the way. I settled back to watch the Cambodian landscape run past me. It was obvious that we were at the tail end of the dry season. The rice paddies were all dry but farmers were preparing for planting by the looks of it. Some farmers had machines, other still working the farms the traditional way with buffalos. We went on for several hours until we came to a stop which was obviously a lunch break stop. The bus needed a lot of maneuvering to get into the parking area so I said to the driver that he did not have to stop but to check with the Vietnamese lady. I guessed the answer, and the bus pulled out. An hour later we stopped for a few minutes waiting to get ready to cross the Mekong River. It was tight in between a truck one side and a few dozen scooter riders on the other side, we squeezed in. I looked outside. After a few hours in the air-conditioned bus the heat hit me like a sledgehammer.. I wanted to take some pictures so I had no choice than to be outside. I was approached by a few food sellers, I felt hungry as I still had not eaten anything and it was now close to 3 pm. The garlic smell of the food attracted me to the opposite side of the bus. However… what was being offered here. Fried Crickets, Fried beetles and friend spiders. Ok let me have a taste first I thought. Well crunchy was my first thought. The spiders were a bit hard to put in the mouth without breaking its legs. Well not too bad, just the idea of it being a spider or cricket was new. The taste was nice as the overriding flavor came from the spices.

Around 4 we arrived at the outskirts of the Saigon. Slowly the scooter traffic was getting denser and denser. We were on a one way road with curb to curb 20-30 rows of scooters 50 rows deep. The impression is total chaos at intersections and junctions. Everywhere people are cut off, cut across or pushed aside. Like dodgem cars but no one touches. When the light goes green (there are digital counters next to the lights indicating how many second until the light changes to green). Of course when there is between 1 and 2 seconds to go everyone is already moving while the scooters in the side street still move even by then they are going to go through a red signal.

I was let out of the bus in an ordinary street and not as expected in front of the bus company’s office or travel agents. I was approached by a taxi driver and immediately made my first mistake. Instead of negotiating a price he said: "no, no , Ok, I have a meter" I got in and noticed we drove a very long way in a straight line, then made two left handers and drove half the distance back. I told the driver that I knew what he was doing and to get a move on. Another left hander and we were at the hostel which was pointed out to me as down a very narrow lane. Obviously it was close to where the bus had stopped but alas that’s life.

I checked in, climbed up five flights of black marble stairs and found my bed. Other travelers arrived shortly after which is usually followed by introducing oneself and asking where they were from. All of the other guests where around 20-25. 2 girls, One from England and one from France, Three guys, one from Malaysia, One from England and one from the USA. All single travelers travelling in various directions in South East Asia. I am glad to be in Vietnam; the place does not feel strange anymore and I can read they signs although I don’t know what they mean. However at least I can read the street signs again and that is a big help.