Ho Chi Min Day 3

It’s 8:27, and I have a plan and it starts with only going down those stairs 1 more time.
A few more things to leave behind, but I doubt it’ll make much difference to the repacking.
I’ve booked a coffee class and the hop & off double decker bus. Lazy way to hit the main sights of the city, though in this traffic certainly faster to go by motorbike.

I eventually found somewhere for breakfast/lunch - unfortunately the worst thing I’ve eaten this trip, hopefully dinner tonight will ensure that the bowl of beef noodles (spaghetti and grisly beef in a bowl of watery broth) ends the trip on a high.

I wandered on to the ticket booth for the bus, timing it with just 5 min to spare. People watching the best thing about that diversion. In particular the number of young people - more girls than boys in traditional outfits posing for their IG accounts. Staring whistfully at an orchid, the V sign, I even saw 1 girl arranging herself on the bitumen in the middle of everything.

I got off at the Independence Palace and weaved my way around big groups for a look there. The technology on display and the grandiose decoration of the Presidents rooms, like something out of a 1970’s Bond film. My intention then was to do a quick walk through the Central Market and then go on to my coffee workshop.

As I was walking along checking the map, I look up to see a grinning and waving couple deliberately walking towards me! Odd…After spending the day with Jeremy, Josh & Sunny from the food tour yesterday, couldn’t believe it … out of a possible 10 million people I run into Sheryl & Rayner (great couple) also from the Chu Chi tunnels and food tour. So we had a quick catch up and a laugh at the chances of running into each other, they had just come from the coffee place I was heading to - I missed my window to detour through the market and went straight to the egg coffee class.

Only 2 others, a lovely girl from Mongolia (we discovered we had a lot in common in 60min) who owns a coffee shop there and a Vietnamese girl. Can’t believe I left it til the end to try the egg caphe, it’s delicious! And the inventors family place is in Hanoi. Next time.

I couldn’t have planned it any better, with the $20, 2 star hotel up the road only 450m. Smells a little dank….And that’s where I’ve been for the last 3 hours tying to sleep as I know I’ll get none on the plane. It’s in the middle of the building, so can’t hear any street noise, air-con and I’ll be able to have a shower before I go. And that’s all it’s got going for it….

A short wander around the corner and stopped at the first place full of locals - ice cold Tiger and a bar snack to go with it. Just spring rolls.
As I munched away it occurred to me that I had not checked the cost of the Grab to the airport … and of course on checking not quite enough once I’d paid for dinner …. So via an ATM to the hotel and a shower and then when I actually booked, it was considerably cheaper, now I don’t need the money I got FFS.

8:30pm
Change of plans … staying til Monday because I can’t read a ducking 24hr clock….
FFS

9:17pm
Flying via Melbourne - expensive lack of attention to detail!Читать далее