Phin, Pho & Phun

Arrived 4am local time so not much activity in the airport so just wandered about in a sleepy daze until we had a coffee - OK but not enough caffeine. Walked the airport some more before a light breakfast and stocking up on a bit of duty free grog. A long walk down Q terminal to our gate and pretty soon we were in the "premium" queue - Justin has done some more magic and got us all Exit Row seats. On board another pretty new Air Asia A320 and another full plane and then off on the 1 1/2 hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Didn't take long to disembark but too a fair while to get thru immigration, the stony faced officials were making everyone sure about the serious nature of their business. Our luggage was available stright away, through customs, nothing to declare, and then we burst outside in the warm humid air and a cacophony of horns, cars & bikes zooming around the airport. For the 1st time ever, there is a man waiting with a sign for Peter Reynolds, Justin has got the hotel to put my nameon the hire car booking, unreal. A few minutes wait and we bundle into a mini van and within seconds Therrie is screaming about an impending car crash as the driver, and every other driver, enters the suburban road netwok, where rules are guides only. For the next 20 minutes we wove in & out of traffic,mostly motorbikes and cars, not many trucks. Seems the only rule adhered to are the traffic lights.
After about 20 mins of this trill seeking ride we were deposited at our hotel, just a small enterance off the street but very nice inside. Luckily they let us have 2 rooms (it was only 10am) so we dropped our bags off, the ladies had a shower and then we set off into the wilds of Ho Chi Minh City, 1st stop the ATM to get some cash. After a bit of mucking about laerning their ATM, we emerged all millionaires, in Viet Dong terms anyway.
The comes the big moment - crossing the street. This is not a job for the faint-hearted. Taking note of Louisa who seems to have it down pat, we step steadily into the stream of traffic, it feels like wading a fast flowing river, the flow just seems to find its way around you, then keep walking, not stopping unless there is a taxi or a truck,until you reach the other side, and begin breathing again.
Wandered around the area for a while before retreating to a restaurant for brunch - Pho, Rice or pork, all delicious.
Now sustained, Sue, Therrie & Ross decided they were up for some shopping at the market across the road. It is a huge building, with thousand of small stall holders selling their wares - looks like you can buy almost anything but it is hard to look without someone grabbing your arm to tell you about their stall have the best quality goods in the world. Too much for Justin, Louisa & Peter who retreated to a nearby coffee shop to partake in a famous Vietnamese coffee.
Then the drama begins, sue & therrie arrive, but no Ross. We investigate the market & surrounds, no luck so back to the hotel and he is not there either. after about 20 mins the front desk ring and say that Ross has turned up at another hotel, luckily he recognised the name ofour hotel & they rang and then gave him directions.
While Ross was recovering, the rest of us took a walk to the Independence Palace where the old regime used and the new unified leaders met back in the 70's. Pretty austere place, no fancy trimmings here but itis all open to the paying public, even the bunkers underneath where they would go in the event of an attack.
All good until the walk back to the hotel when the heavens opened up on us, and it just teemed down for about 15 mins, we eventually found shelter, but by then too late, so we made our way back, going into the hotel foyer spreading water everywhere. The look on the faces of the locals said it all - FOOLS! but were toopolite to say anything.
So after drying ourselves and taking our bag of wet gear to a nearby laundry (which also doubles as a lingerie shop - maybe they sell all the fancy gear left behind) we took over the breakfast room and had a couple of drinks to review the day's events.
Suitably refreshed, we headed out at dark to find some dinner, discovering that we were too early to eat at the food market just down the road. As we headed off to a bar to wait, we see a massive procession of motorbikes with trailing wagon & carriages, all the stuff for the food markets. In the time it took us to have drink, the food stalls were already serving.
Justin picked one he had been to before and we sat down to a scumptious meal of duck, squid, beef and veg, garlic fried rice and a few beers. And then the bill arrived - after some conversions it was $10.50 per person. Unreal.
Fully filled up we all retired for a pretty early night.

Highlights
* The very friendly people who helped Ross get back to his right hotel;
* Crossing a major street without incident;
* Getting everyone here happy & safely;
* Getting soaked in the rain and not even caring;
* having my name of the airport arrivals, hire van;
* the Vietnamese coffee;
* The dinner in the pop up restaurant.

Weather - Overcast, humid and then torrential rain before a warm humid evening. Max 32CLeggi altro