I had planned to re-visit Thailand after my Vietnam visa expired. I missed my friend and associated company. It had been a hard month. However, getting a second, single-entry visa in such a short time, did not seem possible! I considered a short stint in Cambodia while waiting for a second 30-day visa for Vietnam. I need to give the whole Vietnam experience a second round.
I heard that Cambodia can be rough, so felt somewhat paralysed by indecisiveness. I then recalled that Indonesia provides visas on arrival. What a wonderful problem to have, I thought! But before then, I would spend my last weekend in Saigon.
I gave final goodbyes to the lovely Golden Bamboo staff in Da Nang. They had also kindly organised an airport taxi. I couldn’t believe how small my bill was! This was for 5 nights, bike rental for 3 days, that intense massage, breakfast every day, and the taxi fare. I gave them 6 stars out of 5 for each question on their feedback form by drawing in an extra star and smiley face. They all waved me goodbye from the entrance when I left.
I had oodles of time to catch my flight, so the taxi driver suggested a brief stop at the Marble Mountains, which I hadn’t seen yet. However, this was rather a visit to a huge marble factory. Machines and human chiselers were working at full speed and there were statues from the miniscule to the magnificent. I just wondered how much of the Marble Mountains were still left…
I had preconceptions about Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). I expected intenseness, so after landing, I mad a beeline for a big central park where I could begin my work afternoon away from the chaos. It didn’t take long for a sudden thunderstorm to strike, so I huddled under a little wooden rondavel-type roof, moved a bench to the centre, and set up office. I squatted on my expensive flight pillow, which I have used more as a bum-rest than anything else. Very handy piece of equipment to have for such occasions! There was a marina nearby and gentle violin music started coming from somewhere mysterious.
When the rain took a break, I squelched my way to a nearby restaurant to finish my working hours. There was no English of any form here, so I just pointed to some words on the menu, which turned out to be a really nice rice dish with fried tentacle bits in it (I think).
I met up with two dear friends that evening who had kindly offered me a bed for two nights! We had a tame and mature first night out. It was just SO great to have good company for the first time in ages. I fired away so many questions in their general direction, asking what they had learned after 3.5 years of living in Vietnam. “Vietnam is hard”, said the one. Thank you! When it rains, it rains hard. When it’s hot, it’s bliksem hot. The traffic is tough, the harassment as a tourist is tough. Getting Pink Eye is tough. Agreed.
We chatted about cultural differences. This happened on the second night in Japan Town – an area dedicated to all things Japanese. This included ladies of the night in white. I was told that they cater to pleasures of the flesh. Japanese-style food, karaoke booths and interesting craft beers, were all on offer here. At another venue, a friend asked the waiter if he had a cigarette lighter. He took her gwaai and lit it using the clay stove that the neighbouring patrons were using to barbecue their dinner. No eyelids batted. Cultural difference.
During the daytime hours, I visited the Royal Palace and War Remnants Museum. The palace was okay, which explained what each royal room was used for. I decided to pay for the audio guide, which was a little disappointing. “This room is one of the bed chambers. You can see that it has a separate bathroom and a table made of lacquer. You can also see an oil painting on the left wall that illustrates something really mundane about planting rice”.
I wished I had rather used my money for an audio tour of the war museum. This was the second one I had visited in Vietnam, but had a whole section dedicated to the use of phosphorus gases and Agent Orange. There were photographs of 4th generation survivors, many of whom are still alive today, with serious bodily defects… The major lesson is that this was a time in history when a country used another country (and its people), as an experimental playground for new types of weapons and warfare. Thank god that has all been forgiven and that nations can all take serious learnings from that…
A final point of interest was passing by what seemed like a huge, outdoor seafood restaurant slash wholesalers. Tanks were piled up in huge pyramid shapes as more trucks arrived to stuff in extra sea creatures. I took a slow walk around the largest harvest as a man in a white uniform tailed me closely. He had a small smile on his face, but I felt very watched. The one tank included a crowded mass of deadly Stone Fish.
I think I shall be returning to Vietnam. There is just so much more to see and do. One month is actually peanuts when you are not an organised tourist, but rather a working traveler. But note to self: If your long-term travel is super flexible, just pay the extra USD for a multiple entry visa.
Next: Vietnam #15 – No Escape
Previously: Vietnam #13 – Rock it Like it’s Hot!
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