[Bungarra]

[align=center]Thoughts on Vietnam



Flight from Oz

                                     We did the midnight Horror, left 12.30am but when you are going on a journey to the likes of Vietnam, the mind doesn’t let you sleep anyway. We went Singapore airlines, without a doubt best carrier I’ve been on. All the comforts of home, DVD with 500 movies or Tv stations in the back of the seat in front of you. It is also a games console if you want. Every one has there own, my only complaint was that the movie was not quite finished when I landed. Great meals, all drinks I noticed were free, pity I don’t drink on planes. Smoothest landings I’ve ever had, all staff were superb. 50 minute stop over in Singapore, the airport terminal is big, I mean big big. We took a sky train to another terminal and walked 1 klm (still inside the terminal) to board our flight to Vietnam. Arrived at 8.30am to the humid, tropical, smog polluted atmosphere of Saigon airport. First thing you notice is 45% of people wear facemasks, then you notice the Japanese tourists (women), their clothing “out there” compared to the conservative Vietnamese. Customs was ok, but they do check you separately and give you the once over, fair enough too if I saw that Budda Ross (Tuna) P%%%%n I’d check the rest of the party too!



Taxi’s

                            Being with a mob of nicotine addicts (I’m not), the facts are lets just put our bags down here and have a cigarette or 10 (long trip and withdrawals had set in) before we get a cab. Don’t mind the 30 or so drivers that are trying to drag you into there motor cars. “Ho chi Minh? 800,000 dong!” “Nah mate we are getting a metered cab” “600,000 dong!” “ Nah mate” “500,000!” “Nah mate we are getting a metered cab”

There in lies your first lesson grasshoppers, metered cabs only, 230,000 dong, we stuck to this rule and the fares were always reasonable. Exchange rate was $1 to 16,000 dong



Traffic

                            I come from the bush, got a rubber neck from looking at everything else but traffic. I let the Queen drive to Perth and around, have a few heart attacks here and there in the traffic. So it was plainly obvious after 35 yards on the road from the airport that I should have brought over a cardio vascular machine with those electrical thingamajigs to get your heart going again. I found though that 20 yards further along the track after just missing 45 motor bikes with 1,2,3,4 and sometimes 5 people on them that she’d start up again. Then a further 20 yards after a near head on with a bus and so on. Another thing that strikes you and without exception is, they all got a horn for Xmas, and they forgot what it sounded like 5 seconds ago when they used it last so they use it again. Really its an essential tool on their roads, but like me after 4 days solid of it, you don’t hear it. Rules are, 50kph speed limit in cities, and 80kmh on the highway (so called). Get your nose in front, and you have right of way. I mean anything go’s, want to get over the other side of the road? Just drive out in front of the oncoming traffic. The motor cars are left hand drive so, word of advice to the passenger, sit on the right hand side. Being a pedestrian is also the experience of a lifetime, my advice to the adrenalin junkies of Australia, is walk across the road in Vietnam, doesn’t matter where, same rules apply. Billionaires, didn’t see any, far from it. But the guy who has the Honda motorbike importation company would be the richest man there, spare parts man, close second.

You have no idea the amount of motorbikes in Vietnam, my guess is there are more motorbikes there than sheep in Australia. They are the main source of transport. 20 foot lengths of corrugated iron, pigs, chickens, dogs & ducks to market. Front glass doors, spa baths, man the list go’s on. I didn’t really believe you could fit all that stuff on two wheels, if I didn’t have pictures of it I’d say it was a dream. But rarely an accident. They all travel around 30-40kmh handlebar to handlebar they just ride around you as you get from one side to the other. Cars however are a different matter, let the cars pass before walking across  the road slowly. I got used to the traffic somehow, but I lost count of the near misses. Saw about 5 accidents, all involving motor bikes, one with a truck, another a van, the others bike to bike. Rarely serious, just skin off as there is no speed factor. To be truthful they are better drivers than Australians, I never once saw road rage. Yes try and get in front but if the other guy beats you big deal. Time is different in hours to destination. In Australia if its 500 klms away its 6 hours with stops. In Vietnam its 10 hours plus! Be aware of this when you make your travel plans by road.

Tipping

                            I reckon my mate Rossco was a fish in his previous life but that’s another story. Always slip em 20,000 dong (or more if you feel inclined,) the average wage is not more than $100.00 U.S. a month. 20,000 dong is $1.50 means nought to us but is a lot of money to them. The smile is worth it if nothing else, We kept up this policy every where, anyone that looked after us we tipped them, its amazing what we got in return, they cannot help you enough.

Ho Chi Minh City

                            The thing I remember about this place is the traffic, its horrific, coming from any and every direction and if the road is full, lets use the footpath! Another thing is the noise of the place, again traffic, horns & engines 24/7. The thick exhaust polluted atmosphere where you cannot see more than 3 klms. The other is, near all of them are savvy to the tourist. The shop keepers will rip you off without batting an eyelid. Rule of thumb halve what they ask, then work from there. They will not sell it to you without making money. I hated Ho Chi Minh City, no one would take no for an answer (hawkers & markets) and they would hassle you. This I found out is unique to Ho Chi Minh. Near every where else, especially the North, a polite no thanks and they would move on. Also the prices in the North are more realistic.

Nui Dat (pronounced duh)

                            My “Spanish mackerel” cobber had been here 41 years ago, turned 19 on the HMAS Sydney on the way over to do his tour in 1968. He was based at Nui Dat for most of it bar a bit of R & R. A platoon radio operator he was keen to see the old base, where his tent was. The slit trenches, airstrip, etc. So we hired a motor car, actually it was a 12 seater Mercedes Benz Sprinter bus of which there are many in Vietnam. We were fortunate to have 4 people in ours but most of the rest we saw were squeezed in hanging out the windows, standing room only. Going there through the traffic I was thinking, man we got to get home the same way. Vietnam is one big Delta i.e., flood plain. All main roads are built up a metre high over the rice paddies. Consequently they reclaim the land with back fill beside the road and build houses with shops below facing the road. So Vietnam’s highways are basically one main street for 100s of klms. It was our drivers first time here, he got bushed a couple of times but a quick word to a local and we were on our way again. To my “bronze whaler” mate, one of the only things recognisable was the airstrip and even that had 10-20 houses facing each side of it. Nui Dat hill where he did stints in the radio shack was also visible. But rubber plantations and the like had swallowed the rest. You would never know that this was the Australian base of operations for their armed forces. This is what the “Barramundi” came for, he was talking a dime to the dozen working out where this was, where that was. The chopper strip, the water desalination plant, 15 minutes and it was all over. “Take me back now, that’s it, I’ve seen enough, we can go now” “ But “Tiger shark” old son, you said you wanted to find your tent site etc?” “Nah, its all overgrown we’d be here all day and still not find it. No, I’ve seen enough, lets go and get on with our holiday” “Sure Perchy?” “sure”. So that was it. You know I have no idea what went through his mind (if its like his arse there wouldn’t be much) but he was over it. No emotion, zippo, zilch, nothing, lets go. I’ve thought about it since and this is my conclusion. At no time since we were there (and no time since) did any Vietnamese mention the war of reunification. Like Nui Dat, they have got on with it, hardly anyone there knows where Nui Dat is let alone it be a major Australian base of operations. It is folk lore here (Oz), but a rubber plantation in their eyes. I really think the “speckled trout” came to grips with that, ok I’ve done it, I came back, now I’m getting on with it.

Can’t help but admire that.

Road back to Saigon

                            Any one who has seen tropical rain in the afternoon can well imagine the deluge that occurred on the way home. Though the roads are built up above the rice paddies they are a slap bang affair. Not rolled or the ground settled properly, hastily bitumined with pot holes every where. Still there were motor bikes on it, ½ with ponchos on mind you. The motor cars & trucks showed no mercy for these unfortunate people and I saw more than one get washed away by the 4 foot high wake of our driver who drove like it was dry, The road had a dividing wall at one part and a female jumped over it from the other side onto ours crossing the road, when she got half way across a truck on the other side hit a great puddle of water. It came across our side of the road like a tidal wave and hit her fair in the back knocking her over. “Did you see that”! She just got up & kept going. We stopped for a feed at some resort on the way back, real expensive $4.00 each. We had asian food, our driver because we said he can tuck into anything had steak. Not that it mattered probably the first one he’s eaten. He could not speak much English but the old sign language was good enough, he looked after us well. More to the point he saved my life! Anyone who can drive in all that crap deserves a medal! We made him put his address on the bill for the draw for the plasma tv there this month and the girls spoke to him about his family etc. He was a real nice fella. We rewarded him handsomely when we returned back to our apartment on dark and in one piece. Even the “Moray eel” didn’t complain.

(When an eel bites your cheek when your swimming in the creek that’s a Moray)

Regroup

[Bungarra]

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No Dean Martin fans  

[HawkerHart]

Dean Martin fans? I must be missing something obvious
Great post though. I didn't want to reply incase it was going to be an ongoing thing, but as its not. Cant wait for part 2

[pvt_Grunt]

Oh I just got it...."That's a Moray"    Say it like you've had 6 martinis  

Great post, the visit to the command base must be strange to the locals, I bet they're just trying to live their lives, not run a museum. It must be like the New Guinea people who keep wondering why all those stupid Aussies want to walk up that muddy old track !

[Bungarra]

Yeah I suppose but New Guinea does well out of the tourist dollars just like Vietnam, its a money spinner

You know Kakoda to me is a bit like Gallipoli, its sort of ingrained.

All the Pollies here are prize wankers, thats the only national pride we have.

I don't know if you've read Kakoda by Peter Fitsimmons grunter but make a point of it.

And yes there are people in the land of Vietnam that would not welcome tourists

But fact is being shot at at 19 & shooting back is a life long trauma, its faufel gear stuff

I can see why he came back, and I'm sure you do too.

I guess the purpose of this thread really is to say that you can tour Vietnam at a very reasonable price

My Queen has a friend going on a singles tour there for $4000.00 19 days

We as a couple did it for $5000.00, 19 days including spending money. Admittedly with another couple.

Relating my story can help you wth yours.

Hold on for Part 2,

I'm nearly there

Cheers & A Moray