Leaving Cambodia and entering Vietnam was a snap when compared to entering Cambodia from Thailand. For one, the same bus would take us all the way from Siem Reap to Saigon (HCMC) making transport scams nearly impossible. There was a man on the bus that was collecting everyone’s passport so that we could get stamped out of Cambodia. I didn’t even think that was legal, but whatever it’s Cambodia. We got back on the bus, drove to the Vietnam immigration station and again had our passports collected. This time the Vietnamese immigration officials called us by name, from our passport, and handed it to us. It was a long wait, but it was easy. As it should be, since I had to make a trip to the Vietnamese Consulate in Japan, in person, and pay $75 for the visa.
Once back on the bus and on Vietnamese soil, everyone’s phones turned on and the atmosphere changed from near silence to cell phone banter. It was obvious that most of the travelers were not Cambodian. After a few more hours we would be in bustling Saigon.
There is no joke or lie about the stories you hear of Saigon traffic. It is nearly endless, and you literally do just walk slowly across what I cannot describe any better than a river of motor bikes, mainly the choice Honda Cub/Wave. The people of Saigon were great, and it was much easier to let down a few guards that were built in Cambodia. It was almost the New Year and everyone was in a good mood.
The Saigon Motor Sea
We found our hotel! It was nice to stay in a higher class establishment for a couple nights. A good decision on the part of my travel buddy, Dusty, who figured we should have a nice place for the New Year. I mean, there was a guy that opened the door for you into the lobby. It wasn’t some crazy expensive place, but it was nicer than most things I was use to while traveling. Also turned out, there was an International culinary festival across the street. You could try food from all over the world for a very cheap price. Needless to say, we stopped back there many times to eat.
We wandered the city, went to the war remnants museum and took an $8 commercial tour of the Mekong Delta. Every evening Dusty and I went out looking for something interesting such as a bar, pho shop, or night market, since our other two companions liked to hit the pillow earlier than we were willing. Because of this, I have a funny story to tell.
We found our hotel! It was nice to stay in a higher class establishment for a couple nights. A good decision on the part of my travel buddy, Dusty, who figured we should have a nice place for the New Year. I mean, there was a guy that opened the door for you into the lobby. It wasn’t some crazy expensive place, but it was nicer than most things I was use to while traveling. Also turned out, there was an International culinary festival across the street. You could try food from all over the world for a very cheap price. Needless to say, we stopped back there many times to eat.
We wandered the city, went to the war remnants museum and took an $8 commercial tour of the Mekong Delta. Every evening Dusty and I went out looking for something interesting such as a bar, pho shop, or night market, since our other two companions liked to hit the pillow earlier than we were willing. Because of this, I have a funny story to tell.
Cruisin' the Meikong
Throughout Cambodia and Vietnam, tuk tuk drivers always seemed to be members of some other business. They offer you a tuk tuk, if you decline they offer you marijuana, if you decline they offer you “boom-boom” (sex) hopefully not from them, and that’s usually where it ended. One night we heard the next stage after declining all the previous mentioned. “Opium.” Yep, that’s right. Opium. After hearing this Dusty and I both looked at each other and in our minds imagined some crazy opium den with old Vietnamese guys wearing rice farmer hats stroking their long wispy beards. For a split second we thought, and realized it would probably end up being a dirty ditch where we would be caught and end up in handcuffs. We politely declined and ate some noodles instead.
New Year was spent going to a club and then a bar that was filled with 90% gay men and once we realized this decided it was time to bounce to the countdown clock. The traffic in Saigon is always crazy, on New Year’s Eve it is madness. We just arrived as they started counting down, five minutes early. There was some western pop singer on stage and lots of screaming Vietnamese. As it started winding down, we met some university kids and screamed Happy New Year for about 5 minutes before heading out to another bar. Overall, a successful New Year!
Throughout Cambodia and Vietnam, tuk tuk drivers always seemed to be members of some other business. They offer you a tuk tuk, if you decline they offer you marijuana, if you decline they offer you “boom-boom” (sex) hopefully not from them, and that’s usually where it ended. One night we heard the next stage after declining all the previous mentioned. “Opium.” Yep, that’s right. Opium. After hearing this Dusty and I both looked at each other and in our minds imagined some crazy opium den with old Vietnamese guys wearing rice farmer hats stroking their long wispy beards. For a split second we thought, and realized it would probably end up being a dirty ditch where we would be caught and end up in handcuffs. We politely declined and ate some noodles instead.
New Year was spent going to a club and then a bar that was filled with 90% gay men and once we realized this decided it was time to bounce to the countdown clock. The traffic in Saigon is always crazy, on New Year’s Eve it is madness. We just arrived as they started counting down, five minutes early. There was some western pop singer on stage and lots of screaming Vietnamese. As it started winding down, we met some university kids and screamed Happy New Year for about 5 minutes before heading out to another bar. Overall, a successful New Year!
Happy New Year!
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