Good Morning Vietnam!

Okay, since was originally coming to Vietnam and not to either of Thailand nor Cambodia, thought I'd hoof it over here since the ticket from PP only cost me $11 in the bus. The border crossing at Moi Bac (I think that's it) was a bit 'interesting' ie no english speaking bus conductor to tell me what was going on  - so hopping on and off bus and had to haul the luggage up and down etc - I wouldn't really do it that way again - but no biggie I suppose. Okay - in general - I really liked the look of Saigon (HCMC) on arrival, and the hotel was fantanstic - not quite as great as the glowing reviews as seen on TripAdvisor but still very good value for $21 per night including breakie. So took the trip to Cu Chi Tunnels (cost around $7) and the Vietnamese guide raved into the mic for the entire 2 hour trip there (and most of the way back) - I did get down the tunnel but backed out as there were several asian girls in front of me stopping and starting and I got a bit of a claustro attack - but I got the gist.

Me looking suitably serious at the Cu Chi Tunnels - "I'm goin in boys"

Okay next day did a great all day Mekong Delta tour - included sampling the coconut candy and having fruit and tea while some locals cracked out the aoi dai's for a sing a long (then cracked out the donation basket pretty quickly after it). I met some nice people, Jay from Ayudhaya and a spanish/italian couple who live in France (go figure).

I'm in the Mekong Delta

Okay then braved the Ben Thanh markets on Sunday.  I'm really a bit over the harrassment actually and am starting to almost not want to go to markets - the bartering can get heated and I had a run in with one rude Vietnamese girl who said "why did you ask me the price?" when I walked away from her (saying "no thanks") - my quick retort with an evil full on stare was "because I wanted to know how much it cost". (that shut her up)  Anyway bought a couple of nice silk shirts and some comfy p.j's and lovely laquerware bowls, most of which I posted back to Aus for $35 (much more expensive here than Thailand)... 



So bought my $43 AUD open bus ticket which means I can hop on and off any where around Vietnam really - have done the first leg and am now in Dalat - I agree with the other Aussie I met here this morning that it's not quite as nice as made out and certainly not a place you can 'walk around in a few minutes' - this morning I hired an Easy Rider (actually he was a dirty old man who kept making filty inuendoes and one of his parting phrases was 'may things be good for you in the bedroom' AND he was a close talker - God I couldn't get away quick enough) - but the motorbike tour to the monastery (to which I caught a cable car) and the Datalia waterfalls (down to which I rode a sort of cable toboggan thing - so much fun!) were pretty nice.  The only other vaguely interesting thing is that I was 1/10000000th of a second away from being mowed down by a really super crazy motorcyclist on crossing the road this morning - my first experience of that in the whole of SEA!  Anyway, I live to tell the tale.  More later - off to Nha Trang tomorrow than a few nights luxuriating in Hoi An.

Me at the waterfall in Dalat

This is the toboggan thingo at the Waterfalls - so much fun!