Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and beyond

Recommend in Bangkok -

2011-12-18T18:00:00.002+07:00

sun rise over Bang Chak BTS station - taken from my bed

A serviced apartment, that is what you get at ... As in a good hotel, Viva Garden has a friendly and welcoming staff looking after you but with the added benefits of the comforts of a homes.

In this case I've taken a studio and which has a compact little kitchen area, including a 2 burner stove, full size frig, a very sophisticated microwave that does much more than I'll ever require of it and all the cooking utensils you need for cooking or eating. My unit has a nice sized flat screen TV with cable, connected to a high quality system that will play Cd's or DVDs. A good bed, small couch with coffee table, a desk to sit your lap top on with WIFI. On the other side of the glass wall is a usable

sized balcony with a couple nice chairs and a table. Oh ya and unlike my home Viva Garden offers daily maid service. There is a jumbo sized outdoor pool and in the same area is a gym, a play area for the kids, along with a do it your self laundry or they will do it for you.Also available are single and multi bedroom units.

yup, Doug feet

The location is a ways out Sukhumvit but it's right by the BTS route and just minutes from the Bang Chak station so all the major city center stuff is available. One station up at On Nut is a Teco Lotus grocery/ discount department store along with a slue of western fast food outlets connected to it to cure that craving for a bit of Americana when it hits ya.

However, considering you went to all the trouble to get here you also might want to forgo western fast food and check out the Thai open, wet market directly across Sukhumvit from Viva Garden.. Where a good precooked meal can be pieced together for less than a couple bucks..

Speaking of food - going to take some of my own advise and get me some of that cheap but oh so tasty Thai food in the market across the street.

Saigon, cornucopia of craziness!

2011-05-03T10:24:00.004+07:00

Saigon - noisy, hot and steamy, untidy and more crowded than ever, streets overflowing on to the sidewalks with motorbikes but like a giant jigsaw puzzle it all fits together in a cornucopia of craziness, embraced by most Saigonese and myself.

However, change is afoot, many of the old school family run shops have closed and the buildings torn down. The party line (no pun intended) is that Saigon property is so much in demand that the rents forced the occupants out. Which I’m sure is true to a point but … Anyway, for myself I can’t figure out who will come to visit the multitude of new designer shops and chic western style restaurants and wonder if uniqueness of old Saigon will be lost and many will never know about it.

So I’ve taken it on myself to share some of my favorite, unique, still standing, old school spots but hurry who knows how long they will be available.

The following are a few of those -

Rooms for Rent - 3621 -36/23 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, dist 1 thanhthao775@yahoo.com

Thao rents rooms in two houses down an alley – many expats take rooms here along with a smattering of Vietnamese and tourists. No frills kind of place but clean, safe and Thao will quickly become your new best friend. Rooms start at about $15.00 a night and I’m thinking long stay rates can be negotiated. I rent a room here and have done so for about 5 years now.

Pho 32 32 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, dist 1 (around the corner to the left from Thao’s)

Traditional Vietnamese breakfast – beef noodle soup – pho they serve pho and will get you a coffee (from the upholstery shop next door) just walk in a point to a bowl as not much English here. Make sure you get here before 9:30 am because as soon as the tub of Pho is finished their finished. About 27,000 dong for a bowl of pho and a café sua da (iced coffee with milk). When in Saigon I make a point to eat here every morning no matter what.

Bristo 48 48 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, dist 1 (around the corner to the right from Thao)

Vietnamese French fusion – interesting place, menu in English with photos, casual dress but with table cloths, silverware and great food, speedy service and all at a reasonable price.. When in Saigon I eat here at least once a week.

Quoc Bao 1 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, dist 1 (at the roundabout, about a block from Pho 32) Not much English spoken here but the menu listing drinks is in English and the staff are pretty laid back and very friendly.

Downstairs is an open air coffee shop, loud music served with coffee, fruit drinks, beer or ruhm. You can find me sitting at the bar a few nights a week, drinking Saigon beer or ruhm and messing around with the owner and wait staff.

Upstairs is a beauty salon, great guy haircuts, be sure to get the shampoo, face wash and head message. Costing around 100,000 dong for the whole deal.

LUONG SON QUAN-BÒ TÙNG XẺO
31 Lý Tự Trọng, Dist.1

Table top bar-b-que - a small charcoal grill is set in the center of your table along with plates of meats (you ordered) for your bar-b-que pleasure. Loud, open air and still smoky but inexpensive, tasty and fun..

Moc Lan Restaurant 20 Bui Thi Xuan street, Ben Thanh Ward, dist 1 phone: 0982-135-270

Vietnamese BBQ and hot pot – fun and interesting!

Mogambo 50 Pasteur Street, dist 1

Best hamburgers in Vietnam or maybe anywhere, Australian beef steaks and a mix of other food stuffs, along with a bar serving ice cold beers cute and friendly bar staff and a good selection of wine. American and Vietnamese owners along with the cute bar staff will be you new best friends. Its draws an International mix of expats living in Saigon so the bar is a great place to eves drop on the latest business goings on in Asia. Kind of like Ricks in “Casablanca” but this is the real deal and for the price of a drink you can be part of it.

Number 5 bar 44 Pasteur Street, Ben Thanh Ward dist 1

Next door stuffed with beautiful and friendly bar staff clad in miniskirts and tank tops working a large horse shoe shaped bar. Cold beer, hot Vietnamese ladies, oh ya and super hot ladies. Food maybe, music I don’t remember but the bar staff, ok, you got my point..

17 Saloon 193 A Pham Ngu Lao dist 1 (on the edge of the backpackers area across from 9/23 park)

The building was created to look like an old time American West Saloon and inside the staff dresses in cowboy and cowgirl outfits. It’s not American country western being played inside but loud American rock performed by a very solid Pilipino band. Drinks are a little pricey but considering the music, the nightly show of the juggling of flaming booze bottles and the gorgeous wait staff and bat tenders it’s money well spent.

Xuan Hong (Western Medicines) 154 Bui Vien Street Pham Ngu Lao Ward, dist1

While not really off the tourist trail, it’s in the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker’s area, but a good place to seek medical advice or get a foreign prescription refilled. A formal doctor signed prescription signed by a doctor is not need in Vietnam, so tell them what you need and they can probably fix you up. No idea what meds you need or if you need any, tell either one of the ladies about your condition and she will fix you up.

Giay Thanh Dung 150 Ly Chinh Thang (YEN DO CU) Phone: 08438586

Handmade shoes or sandals, he is the guy but located along way of the tourist tract and speaks little English. I’ve used him for custom sandals, inexpensive and good quality if your patient. Because of the language issues you really need the help of a Vietnamese who understands English and what you want to help you here.

Lovely lady - serving soft drinks, beer and coconut juice on the street from a display cabinet, with a folding table and a few plastic chairs and stools for her customers. Great place to kick back, take a break while watching the going on of the market and chat about life.

Located across the street from Ben Thanh market, on the side towards downtown. You may have to look around a little to find her, though if you get close she may find you .

That's all I got for now but always thinking of you... Doug

An alley is an hem in Saigon - for Julie

2011-03-12T13:08:00.002+07:00

As a kid growing up in Flint, Michigan my grandparent’s lived only about a few blocks away us. Though, even living as close as they did I often thought of my visits to their place as an adventure. You see, beyond their backyard they had an alley, mom said – “dangerous people lurk in alleys and strange things happen there so if I knew what was good for me, I was to stay clear”. So as any boy might, at the warnings of his mother, I became obsessed with the alley and the part of my grandparent’s back yard bordering it.

Now my grandpa, though unspoken on this, never the less seemed to understand and would often let me peek through the bushes separating his back yard from the alley, look away as I peered around the corner, or for a most excellent adventure, slide into the alley for a moment. As a quiet and very serious man my grandpas had little time for his own adventures but think he wanted more for me, as he would sit me on his lap and share and explain his latest National Geographic magazine. Though, I think it was those forbidden forays into the alley he allowed, that had the biggest influence in my adult adventures.

So now let’s take a gigantic leap from 1950’s flint to March 2011, in Saigon, Vietnam and it’s the alley thing all over again, no mom it’s now ok to go out in it and as a matter of fact I have to in order to get to my rented room. Though, still the danger, but not the unknown type as when I was a kid in Flint but now it’s the very real danger of motorbikes and bicycles wizing by trying to beat the light on the intersection it skirts around. My alley is as most; the center of life and living for the people around it and for me as well as my room entrance is off it and my balcony over looks it. It’s also a place where, along its edges and against its buildings, food is sold, motorbikes are repaired, garbage is sorted and folks just hang out. Vietnamese take all this for granted but I think these urban alleys are amazing in how are they bring everyone in and around the alley together.

Now, mind you, this alley is not a large area, otherwise it would be a street. We are talking about a place maybe 300 ft long by 12 - 15 ft wide, but within this relative small space there is a lot of stuff happening.

The food sellers – one end for the morning set, tables line the side with tarps strung over the top, open air kitchen, dishes done in tubs – the other end in the evening it’s the same thing. All this is put up and torn down when the serving is over and the area is cleaned so you would never know they had been there. Across from my room is the motorbike repair guy which my landlord says he has been at it in his little alley spot for 20 years – no shop but a box and a large metal bowl on the curb with all his tools and there again he sets up in the morning and in the evening picks up everything and stuffs his box and bowl in someone’s place, like under one of my landlords chairs down stairs and goes home. Down a ways, at about 6:00 PM, a big pile of stuff shows up along the far side of the alley and then a lady appears, sorts through it, guessing she is separating plastic from paper and then they are gone, both her and the pile.

A side from the businesses that set along the sides of the alley, do their thing, fold up shop and go home only to repeat it again tomorrow, there are people walking and chatting from 4:30 in the morning till around 9:00 at night, kids playing, mom’s walking their babies, retires sitting around little tables playing board games, motorbikes parked, some with people lounging a top chatting or texting into their cell phones and through the middle of all this is a steady stream of motorbikes bustling by in both directions.

It’s what in the states city planners might refer to as a mixed use area, the alley edges are like canyon walls as the homes and businesses fit tightly together forming a solid 3 or 4 stories high cliff face, each opening directly into the canyon like floor. For example we have an LP gas distribution center with motorbikes used for delivery, office machine business, lawyer, Vietnamese traditional medical clinic, cell phone store, several other food related shops, rooming houses like where I stay, private residences and a hand full of others that I have no idea what they do.

However, I’m comfortable in my canyon in urban Saigon, it’s noisy, especially when the motorbike guy is fixing a horn, a bit warn around the edges and I’ve had a couple real close encounters of the speeding motorbike kind. Funny, now that I think about it, I have the same kind of comfortable feeling here that I had hanging out with my Grandpa, in his garage, by his alley, in Flint a zillion years ago.

What goes around comes around, maybe it’s Karma.

Violence continues against Thai Civilians in the south of Thailand

2011-03-09T17:58:00.000+07:00

Mar 7, 2011

pattani.reuters

Buddhist monks comfort each other as family of another monk grieve over his body in a hospital in the troubled southern province of Pattani March 5, 2011. Gunmen killed a Buddhist monk and wounded two others as they were collecting alms in Pattani. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

THAILAND - VIOLENCE flared up in the deep South on Sunday, leaving a retired policeman and a monk dead and many people wounded. In Pattani's Yarang district, masked men on three motorcycles opened fire at people shopping for food or working out on a local road in the morning.

Police Sgt Sanan Sangkasunya, 64, succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital while the other four victims, including Muhammad Isris Pathan, 18, were seriously hurt.

Mr Muhammad's father Yula said the insurgents should not have attacked the general public.

In Pattani's Panare district, two men shot a man and his mother while they were travelling on their motorcycle.

Nattakorn Jantip, 23, was killed instantly but his mother was not hit. She just sustained minor injuries from falling off the bike.

In Pattani's Khok Pho district, a 32-year-old soldier was shot and seriously wound while on patrol. Almost at the same time, unknown men launched an M79 grenade at a checkpoint on 418 Pattani-Yala Road then opened fire. After three minutes of fierce exchange, the attackers withdrew. No one was wounded. -- THE NATION/ANN

In Vietnam and don't have access to facebook

2011-02-27T17:05:00.001+07:00

Saigon wired - infrastructure - oh ya!

Unless you live under a log or maybe here in Vietnam where the news is not news until the guy in charge decides it to be, you would know the world has some more immediate problems than global warming.

Just spent a few months in Thailand - border dispute with Cambodia that over the past few months has destroyed property and cost up to 8 or 9 lives, in the south of Thailand Muslin terrorists have killed over 2000 people since 2004 which 90% were civilian, than you have the red shirts and the yellow shirt protesters causing disruptions in Bangkok. Not to forget loss of life and property due to natural causes, like flooding and sever cold weather in the north of Thailand.  However, in Thailand's case it's possible to visit and be total unaware of these happenings. Though, Tourists are fickle lot and so just the negative news has had an effect on potential visitors which is another blow to the countries economy.

Then there are the major conflicts in other parts of the world over government leadership that I witnessed from Thai TV that are taking place in parts of the Mideast and once again protesters on the streets of Greece.  Of course then we have the ongoing economic pressures on the USA and other parts of Europe that are impossible to ignore. However, it's better than it was, it's still a long way from what you can refer to as a stable economy in these areas. Then there is the catastrophic loss in live in Mexico due to the on going strife with the drug Mafia types. Australia with the loss of property and lives due to flooding and New Zealand with it's recent earthquake.  Anyway, I'm sure I missed a lot of other bad stuff but suffice to say the world is a mess and even more messed up than me and so I might be better than we all thought, or maybe not.

Lets get back to where I am and as we know that's Saigon, Vietnam and they have there problems too. Though here in Saigon as I'm looking at all the new construction you would never know it, things are looking up.   However, even as Vietnam manufacturing and production has increased at a rapid rate, the worlds financial difficulties even have moved in on this new growth and has also taken its toll. For example inflation has caused the government to devalue the dong several times, at present leaving it around 20,000 dong to a dollar , the normal rate is around 15,000. There have been price increases in the government controlled commodities of gas and electricity which surly won't help with inflation but...........

Then being the negative guy I can't help but look at all the new mega high rises and wonder how the infrastructure of the country can support them, guess it falls under the - you build them and it will all work out, theory. Along the same line more high class designer shopping areas with hotels and restaurants are being built on the ground where my favorite little mom and pop shops were, and I wonder about who the customers are now they have lost me. So sad to know I that un important.

In finishing this I want to tell you that I'm feeling like that guy under the log but not because I crawled under it, but because someone dropped it on me and all I really wanted was facebook and a medical information web site.

Lets talk Thai Visa - edited

2011-02-19T18:56:00.004+07:00

Visa, yup, you gotta have one to visit Thailand. Though it's a simple deal for us Americans and many other citizens of other western countries staying less than 30 days. Really all that is required is showing up at the immigrations window with proof that you'll be out of Thailand with in 30 days and a completed immigrations form. Normally the airlines supplies the forms on your flight but if not you can pick one up at the immigrations counter. This visa is refer to as an "on demand visa" and it's free.

The official tourist visa is one you have to apply for through the Los Angeles Thai consulate or another consulate outside of Thailand. Roughly what is entailed is you need to send them your passport, along with two passport sized photos, a completed visa application, the visa fee of what ever it is at the time and include a self addressed/postage affixed return envelope. The fee change can change at any time but at the time of writing this it has been waved through March 2011. This type of visa gets you 60 days in country and for 1900 baht you can extend it 30 days through a Thai immigrations office in Thailand.

Note, on the original visa application it will ask how many entries you want, think all you can get is two but write in something of at least two entries.

While allowing your original visa with in 7 days of its expiration to be rolled over into another 60 days plus as before it can be extended for 30 another days after another visit to Thai immigrations and the payment of 1900 baht.. Though in order to get this second edition you must leave and reenter the country.

I'll relate my recent experiences with obtaining a visa extension and the second visa:

Recently I visited Chaengwattana road immigrations and paid the 1900 baht to extend my 60 day tourist visa the extra 30 days. Though as the clock ran down on my extension I could see it wasn't going to do it so decided to make a trip back to Thai immigrations and see if I could get a little more time as I really didn't want to go to the trouble of leaving the country.

So got out the maps getting ready for a little adventure (time before I had a Thai helper), decided on using the BTS to get as close as I could, which was Mo Chit. Once out of the BTS terminal at Mo Chit I flashed the note saying where I wanted to go, that a Thai friend wrote for me in Thai. One of the waiting van drivers pulled me into his van and was on my way again, only to be drooped off, with a lot of pointing and waving, in the middle of nowhere. After wondered around a bit, a taxi guy found me and promptly took me to the wrong immigrations office. Then on my own I visited a couple more wrong offices and while at last wrong office a nice lady directed me to pay 20 baht for a motorbike or take my chances on a bus that doesn't always show up to get me where I needed to be. Went with the motorbike guy and before I knew it I was zoomed directly to where I needed to be.

The Chaengwattana road Thai government building is big, but it's easy to locate the immigrations/visa office inside and start your process by jumping right into the que for the form lady, where I tried my darnedest to explain that I just wanted a few weeks extension on my visa but ended up with a form for reentry and told it would cost 1000 baht. OK, so I fill out the form and que up for the form checker/number dispenser lady - missed the whole back side of the form but guess she felt sorry for the stupid, old farang guy me, as she gave me a number anyway and passed me on to wait for my interview with the immigrations officer. As I a waited I filled out the rest of the form the best I could even though the questions didn't fit what I wanted. Now I'm up and it's getting late so the immigration lady is trying to step up the pace by handling a half dozen people at a time and then I show up. She half listens to my request and gives me that look and sits me aside in her office. Then after she clears all the people out of her office she turns to me and patiently explains on how I have to leave the country, walk across the border and return through Thai immigrations for a second 60 day visa, no money or forms required. Oh, should add the immigration officer who helped me in the end was really nice, giving me this warm and fuzzy feeling that she (Thailand) truly wanted me to stay in her country as long as possible, so why is it is hard?

I had already had plans in the works to go up to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai so I Incorporated a day trip up to Mail Sai and across the Burma border to Tachilek for a new visa. What an easy deal, no lines no waiting. Pass out of Thailand and into the Burma immigrations, they fill out the forms and take your photo, smile and joke with you as you pay then 500 baht. They ask if you want to go right back to Thailand or shop in the border area in Tachilek. I chose shop, they held my passport and gave me a paper receipt with my photo on it. When I was finished walking around, passed back through the border immigrations and traded the paper for my passport, then it all a matter of jumping in line for Thai customs and my second entry visa entry was in effect..

Note - used a bus from the bus station in Chiang Rai to Mai Sai and then a sawngthaew to the boarder - bus at the bus station was marked and once in Mai Sai a guy with a sign was standing by his pickup (green color not blue as in my photo) saying "to the boarder and immigrations". Total trip to the border took less than 2 hours.

Welcome, handsome, young man

2011-01-03T12:23:00.006+07:00

soi Nana bar complex

A pack of lovelies lean out of the bar signing the siren song of "welcome, handsome, young man". While your handsome, young man days may have long ago slipped by, the girls now have you thinking, those 5 sit ups last week really did help trim my belly, ah ha the 3 days of stubble - very manly, yup, my shinny bald head, just as I suspected, really is sexy. However, the clincher is looking much younger than your age, yup I'm glad someone other than me can finely see it. OK, so welcome to Amazing Thailand, land of smiles, beautiful women and ten bazillion bars to sweep you away from the realities of life..

You hesitate in front of the bar and one of the young lovelies takes your arm and guides you to a seat. Then, here is the drill, the beer you just ordered cost around 100 baht (30 baht 1 $) but your new love is thirsty too, girl drinks are around 110 baht for Thai whiskey or 150 baht for beer. If she likes you or is just a drunk she will offer to drink Thai whiskey. Keep in mind she is the entertainment committee and part of her pay comes from her commission off the drinks your buying her. Also keep in mind that even though you are buying her drinks she has a choice in deciding if she wants to be with you or not, so be nice or be alone.

So now you may be wondering about her pay thing, not sure of totals but it breaks down to something like this: commissions + monthly salary, based on the number of shifts worked + bar fine up charges + what ever she hustles up on her own (like room cleaning,(sex). Whatever she gets for room cleaning (sex) after you bar fine her out of the bar is between you, costing somewhere between 4 - 10,000 baht. Also, if you find a girl you like and just want some company and a guide you might be able to bar fine her out of the bar to go clubing with you.

soi Cowboy, Bangkok

For some girls the ultimate goal is finding a falang boyfriend or several, its status with the other girls and generate a steady income for her and then, just maybe, one will marry her.

Many of the girls working in bars come from the poorer areas of Thailand and this may account for the not so very sophisticated thinking of some. However, they are very clever and make up for short comings by being fast learners and absorb knowledge from there international clientele very quickly. While life for them in some ways is much the same it was back home in the country side, as it's still basicly a day to day existence, as they send much of there earning back home to support their families, which may also include a kid or two of their own and any extra left over being frittering away on stuff or gifts for others so they never get ahead.

However, what I find really interesting about their spending habits is that even thought they earn their money by what seems at times like heartless hustling, they might buy food, loan money or even buy drinks for bar customers they really like.

So when you hear the siren song of the Thai lady, don't pre judge her, be nice and be careful.. While keeping in mind you and her both have somewhat similar but conflicting goals, hers is to entertain you while maximizing the money her and the bar make from you and yours is to be entertained while paying as little as possible, without looking cheap. Remember face is important here, so always be cool you "handsome, young man".

Thai political tension - who me worry!

2010-12-23T16:04:00.003+07:00

After being in Bangkok for a couple days I stumbled on to the start of a red shirt protest - the 6 month anniversary of the forced end to the political violence between the red shirts and government forces. Costing the red shirts 91 lives.

OK, so red shirts or the (UDD)United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship and the (DAAD), support Thaksin Shinawatra who is in self imposed political exile after the coup that removed him from office in 2006. The groups are mostly comprised of folk from the north and northeast of Thailand who believe the present government was illegally created after the coup and the ultimate forced disbandment of Thaskin's political party.

The whole political thing in Thailand is very confusing but non threatening to foreigners and easy to ignore. Equally the start up of the protest I stumbled into was populated by very non threatening folks and it seemed that what ever the political ramifications, the McDonald's in the photo was doing a booming business.

Seems to be more settled (12/21/2010) now as the government mandated Center for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRS) is proposing the lifting of the governments emergency decree. However, many of the red shirts issues have yet to be resolved, so we will see.

Bangkok on one leg -

2010-11-17T16:48:00.001+07:00

Hong Kong International Airport

Had a great and fun ride with Rachel and my son Ian to the San Francisco International Airport on Sunday. Only to be brought down by the airport security goons forcing me to pull off my money belt and run it, along with my life savings inside, through the ex-ray tunnel. Where in, my money belt and contents were misplaced and in my panic I pissed off the head goon because of my complaining. While instead of addressing my complaint, he tried intimidating me by tossing trays very hard and as close to me as he could. Which resulted in a very intense staring match between us, my money belt materializing, only then to have my shoes disappear. This experience confirms my thought - that the terrorists have won and many government employees have joined their ranks

So with money belt and shoes in place I'm aboard an aging 747-400 for 13 hours and 47 minutes of being pinned in a high flying aluminum tube, with my new Bosie - noise canceling headphones glued to my head (they really work, but be sure to bring a backup AAA battery), a bit of wine, Dramamine and a little white pill in my stomach I'm heading to Hong Kong. On arrival I've a few morning hours to roam the airport in search of a AAA battery, success at a little after 7:00 AM as the stores started to open, $3.00 for two batteries and interesting enough, they were made in the USA.

Then at 9:10 AM its back into a another aluminum tube, this time a packed 737-300 but the people next to me on this leg were small and polite folks traveling home to India. Though this is where I experienced a second problem with the new head phones, the jack opening was too large to except the headphones plug. So while searching out a new battery was an interesting mission but really didn't make any difference because I couldn't use them, anyway it's only a two and a half hour trip from Hong Kong to Bangkok. However,I've been telling everyone it's a five and a half hour slog, sorry everyone!

OK, so you’re thinking what's with the "Bangkok on one leg" - a few weeks ago I injured my right leg and with all the walking I've had to do it's become very awkward and painful to get around. I gave in this morning, after a few hours of wondering around, retreating to my room with a fresh from the grill piece of chicken, a bag of fresh cut fruit and a very cold beer Chang. All for about the cost of the Sunday paper in Sacramento and I'm a better man for it.

Just an after thought. had some bangkok street photos to post also but couldn't get it to work. Anyway, more to come...

The bus to Pattaya and gateui (lady boy)

2010-10-13T10:51:00.001+07:00

Its 6:00 in the morning as I sat in Bangkok’s Northern (Mo Chit) bus station awaiting the 7:15 bus to Pattaya. I am not a morning kind of guy so six o’clock in the morning feels like the middle of the night and the coffee I’m sipping just doesn’t have enough punch to get me through the lingering cobwebs of a night of doing the bars of soi Cowboy.

Then for a moment my foggy mind clears enough to capture a vision of Thai loveliness walking through the half light of the bus terminal, dressed to the nines, short skirt showing shapely legs, with blond streaked, ink black hair cascaded down her back. From my seat in the terminal I only got a brief look before the vision passed from my sight and passed on to the stations coffee shop. Not much going on, so with just time to kill I toss my backpack over my shoulder, headed over to the coffee shop for a second cup of coffee and try to get a clearer look at what I had just watched walk past and was rewarded with a coffee and best yet a nod and a smile from my latest love.

As I tried to shush Mr. Ego’s shouting, they all want you Doug, Mr. Reality chims in, evening clothes this early in the morning, something is little strange here. Then on closer observation, yikes - did I see a faint shadow of a beard? As I craned to get a better look, my vision spoke a greeting to me in Thai spoken with a feminine, lilted male voice, embarrassed, I nodded, trying to hide my surprise and disappointment as I scurried out of the coffee shop and back to my seat. Where I then attempted to disappear into the book I held in front of me as my mind milled over the morning’s craziness and damn it’s still only a quarter after six. Anyway, I’m thinking that I’ll be on the bus soon, leaving all this behind.

Oh ya, here we go, board the bus, grab the first row seat across from the driver, allowing me an unobstructed view out the window and I’m so happy with my good luck I forgot about everything else. Making myself busy getting my cameras ready and took little notice as my seat mate slid in next to me. As I’m puttering away with my camera, out of the corner of my eye I notice the disapproving looks of some of the older Thai women boarding the bus. I then glance over at my seat mate who is now leaning on my shoulder, ca damn it’s the gateui (lady boy) from the bus station. From the look on her/his face I could tell she was enjoying the attention and my discomfort and as I moved closer to the window so did she, a smile for everyone boarding, as to say, this is my guy.

The two hour ride to Pattaya seemed to drag on for ever and once the bus pulled to a stop at Pattaya, I couldn’t get away fast enough, that is after I got around my seat mate. Just a thought to keep in mind while traveling in Thailand – it’s possible that your new, best Thai girl might also be your new, best bro.

Thailand entrance requirements

2010-09-24T15:06:00.009+07:00

not taken by me (not sure who to credit)

Thailand here I come, so now what documents do I need to get me into the Kingdom.

Kingdom, yes, Thailand has a king, hence kingdom. However, since the coup of 1932 the country officially has a constitutional monarchy style government, complete with a prime minister but still with a king. Thai’s love king Bhumibol, the world’s longest reigning monarch and democracy but the military is still a powerful force in Thai politics. Probably harking back to the last big lull in democracy in the 1950’s when military dictator General Sarit Thanarat ran things, as proof of this, the bloodless coup, number 18 in Thai history, toppling Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 was carried out by the Thai military.

Getting a bit of tract but there is a point to this, politics in such a relatively new democracy with such a diverse group of players can get a bit dicey, not really dangerous to foreign visitors but laws and regulations covering entrance documentation and visa requirements can and due change, so be aware.

OK, so here is the basic deal now for my fellow American’s and a bunch of other countries this is what is needed to enter Thailand - passport validity of at least 6 months, proof of return or ongoing ticket out of the country (enforcement is erratic), adequate funds – 10,000 baht for an individual and 20,000 baht for a family (never been asked), the completed emigration form the airline passed out on the plane – name, passport info, why your entering, how you got there and where your staying (never filled the where I’m staying and never got called on it). This is a no charge for this visa, referred to as a “30 day Visa-on-Arrival” for tourism by Thai immigration.

Not mine either

As of this time the "Visa-on-arrival" can’t be extended past the exit date the emigration officer stamped in your passport on your arrival. Tough I once received a 10 day extension so if you want to stay longer check with Thai emigrations and dress nice, it helps. Otherwise you have the option of doing what is called a “visa run” as you step out of the country and re-enter with a new “30 day Visa-on-Arrival” but think there is a limit as to how many times you can do this.

Up a step is the standard Tourist visa which I just applied for through the
Royal Thai Consulate, Los Angeles or it could be any consulate outside of Thailand. To obtain this one you will need to send in, along with a return postage paid envelope your passport, plus a copy of the information page (whoops, I forgot this on mine), two passport size 2X2 photos, completed application form and the processing fee of $ 35.00. Note: the fee has been dropped until March 11, 2011. With this you will be good to go for 60 days in country and it can be extended for 30 days. Though you need to visit emigrations before you original period expires; over stay fine is 500 baht a day.

There is also several other visa’s for longer stays, for example - retirement, marriage, business, education and I’m thinking medical. However, this is all I’ve got for now.

See you in Thailand - Doug

2010-08-11T12:57:00.000+07:00

Tet 2010 year of the tiger

The Vietnamese holiday that is way, big and by that I mean bigger than any holiday I've ever know. I'm no holiday size expert but this is big - how big you say - how about if you rolled our Christmas and New years celebrations together and then gave every one in the country a week off to celebrate, see I'm talking way big.

Tet is based on the Chinese new year which is predicated on the lunar cycle effecting the earth. So the arrival date of Gio thua (new years eve) and the Tet holiday changes from year to year.

Though,while the Tet holiday is a time to spend time with the family enjoy good food and drink or maybe travel to a special, fun place, Vietnamese work really hard in preparing for it. Saving up to buy that special outfit to welcome in the new year, food is put aside, so much that shortages of certain foods occur and then the race to buy special presents to cement ties with family and friends for the up coming new year.

The Tet holiday and the days and weeks leading up to it are filled with the bounty of the tropics, exotic flowers, bushes and trees are on display on the streets, in homes and businesses. Colorful banners are hung proclaiming "chuc Mung Nam Moi" (happy New year) and the streets are lit with colored lights. In Saigon - Nguyen Hue street is turned into a bountiful garden of flowers, trees, bushes and Tet related displays. Lucky money, small denominations of money in red and gold envelops are passed around. Traditional Tet food such as bang chung is readied for the holiday. Hair cuts are got to set off that new outfit, houses are cleaned and spiffed up. The house where I stay even pulled down the front doors and windows and repainted them. Vietnamese believe in household genies, such as the craft creator, the land genie and the kitchen god and out of respect they are allowed to take part in the holiday.

From a foreigners stand point the days leading up to tet and the holiday, officially 3 days but extends for a week or so, can be a frustrating and crazy period of time. I've witnessed first hand at least a half dozen Tet's and have learned to enjoy the holiday as an observer, while my Vietnamese friends try ever so hard to make me part of the goings on. For me, I just don't get a lot of it, as it's more a state of mind and I'm thinking being Vietnamese is required.

So probably at this point, even if you only looked at my photos, you understand that Tet is a interesting and unique part of Vietnamese culture. However, before you head off for an up close and personal look at Tet 2011, which is the third of February, the following are a few thing to keep in mind.

During Tet week travel in and around Vietnam is dicey, if you can get transport but its probably over crowded and at a premium price. Vietnamese love to travel, to visit there family or to a special holiday destination and for some this is there only long holiday for the year. So it seems like every one in the country is on the move.

In Vietnam along with many other Asian cultures I've visited the concept of personal space is not understood, it's especially noticeable while traveling during Tet. Remembering back a few years ago - traveling from Qui Nhon/Die Tri to Hue by train to be awoke by a Vietnamese family perched on the outer edge of my bed with me in it. Also you would find it's common practice to add stools down the isle of train cars and buses to seat more people or seats designed for two crammed with an undetermined number of folks and there luggage.

Many businesses close, including bars and restaurants for the official 3 day holiday and some stay closed all week. 5 or 6 years ago it could be hard to find an open restaurant but the influx of tourists has held a few open. Tet being a family holiday most people stay home or with there relatives so in place like Saigon the streets are actually peaceful and quiet, well quieter than normal.

In Saigon, on Gio thua the New Year is welcomed in with a fantastic display of fireworks. Seems to me all of Saigon turns out on Nguyen Hue for the event. This last Tet I got spooked by the crowds and headed home to my room, on my way back I decided to stop for a beer at one of my hang outs Quoc Bao, an old style open air coffee shop, located on the traffic circle at 1 Le Thi Rieng and Le Loi. Turned out to be perfect spot not only for a beer but looking down Le Loi the fireworks were framed by the buildings, as if by design and it was fantastic.

Yes, Tet is a uniquly Vietnamese event but if your time is limited for your visit to Vietnam you might want to plan around it and read my blog.

2010-07-24T13:40:00.000+07:00

images of the past

It's Summer in Thailand, the rainy season but not so much rain this year but hot and to hot for war games. So things are getting back to the old normal, not that the folks in the red shirts are happy but they are back to there normal lives.

Though the state of emergency, which sounds to me like a nice way of saying marshal law or lets have a totalitarian mandate, has been lifted in one Provence to the north, Lampang and two smaller provinces in Issan - Sakon Nakon and Roi-et. While Bangkok and the the bulk of the kingdom are still under thumb of prime minister Abhisit and the military under the "State of Emergency powers".

A date to watch is August the 18 th when the Thai Supreme Court rules on the the legality of the seizure of Mr. Thaksin's 46 billion baht assets.

As I've told many, even when the protests were in full swing, Bangkok is a big city and it's possible to visit and not even see all this craziness that was going on. So go and visit a girly bar off of Sukumvit or take in the historic palace grounds, take a ride on the river, visit one of the markets or malls and shop or just hang out in one of the worlds most interesting and fun places.

However, remember the government is trying to discourage elephants in the city so have leveed a fine of 10,000 baht on visitors caught feeding bananas to them purchased from their manhout.

Thailand from a political upset to a down right dangerous situation

2010-05-14T09:00:00.001+07:00

Yesterday the UK closed it Embassy in Bangkok but still has it's hot line open. Tomorrow, Friday 5/14 the US will closes its facility due to the potential of serious violence between the govenment forces and the protestors.

I am back in the states now, so if you have any first hand knowledge of this situation please send it along and I'll post it for you.

So how about those red shirts in Bangkok -Stickman gets up close and personal and the latest from the BBC

2010-04-22T03:11:00.004+07:00

Stickman writes a blog, mostly on Bangkok's night but, as in this piece, gets out on the streets to offer his first hand look at what the red shirts are about. click on following link
http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/BangkokRedShirtProtest/BangkokRedShirtProtest5.htm

A very complete look at Thailand's present political goings on. This piece lends credence to the idea that new talks may be forth coming. As the government and the red shirts seek a peaceful solution in resolving the present situation.
Click this for the latest from the BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8633893.stm

Eighteen killed in Bangkok protest clashes

2010-04-11T11:13:00.004+07:00

Looks as though our worst fears are now reality as Thai protesters go up against the Thai army in there quest for democracy.

The military coup in 2006 forcing Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawata from power and then a rewrite the the Thai Constitution, dis banding his political party is what is to blame for this mess in what was know as the land of smiles.

The present situation wouldn't have happened if the promises the military made after the coup were kept or better yet if they hadn't pulled the coup at all.

The following is a link to Reuters on the current situation as of Sunday 11/4/2010:

Eighteen killed in Bangkok protest clashes

Thai government becomes impatient with disruption cased by protesters

2010-04-07T19:05:00.004+07:00

What to do next, government ponders it options as protesters continue there demonstrations.

For four hour the red shirted protesters lay siege to the Election Committee headquarters. Demanding the an inquiry be made into the legality of Abhisit Vwjjahiva party. Once reassured that it was being investigated they withdrew.

Last week a series of talks between the two sides lead no where so it seems more chaos in the streets of Bangkok is the order of the day. Army spokesman Samscern Kaewkamned told "The Nation" newspaper in Bangkok if they pushed the Red Shit leaders to hard violence would ensue.

The government announce 11 major intersection where protesters were banned from demonstrating. In response the demonstrators designated 9 major intersection where they were to establish mobile demonstrations at today. While Pm's office minister, Satit Wongnong stated - "the government will attempt to enforce restrictions on all (highway) routes", and that seems to mean that a state of emergency has been declared today after a protest at the Parliament.

With all the pushing and shoving going on now in Bangkok it is easy to loose scope as what this is all about. So here is a Doug quick moment in history-

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawata was elected to office with the highest number of votes on record in 2001. Though most of his following is in the countryside of Thailand, workers/ red shirts. While major cities like Bangkok are home to fewer people than in the countryside they have the money guys and societies movers and shakers who run the show, while the country side has mostly workers. So with in this lays fertile ground for political problems.

Thaksin was one of the only politicians to court the vote of the workers outside Bangkok. Once in office he passed legislation for health care covering the poorest of the poor, created mini grants to help create new income opportunities for the poor and along with those social changes balanced the countries budget.

In 2003 he attached Thailand's drug problem with gusto , maybe with a bit too much gusto according to some accounts, as in 8 months it was reported up to 2000 drug guys were killed and 51,000 arrested.

Meanwhile, he was accused of corruption in his own business dealings and after the coup pulled him from office was convicted in absenteeism for corruption while in office.

He was over thrown by a military in a bloodless coup in 2006 while out of the country on state business and the military took control. After a period of time elections were held for a new government but before the election Thaksin's party was forced to disband. Resulting in the opposition party of Abhisit Vwjjahiva, backed by the military and the King winning the election and gaining control of the government.

Which brings us to the reason the Red Shirts are protesting for a new election as they believe that the election that put Abhisit Vwjjahiva's party in power was illegal.

US to spend millions to help Muslims in the south of Thailand

2010-04-03T00:26:00.002+07:00

Since 2004 4000 have died at the hands of Muslim in the south of Thailand, bombings, beheading, ambushes and drive by shooting.  There primary targets are teachers and Buddhists in there war against Thai society. You see A little over a century ago Thailand annexed this area and now the Muslim have decided they want it to once again to be Muslim for Muslim.

Now the US is coming in with a program to help the improve the young Muslin's self image and with the idea that then they will see the error in there ways and stop killing people.

OK, maybe this is a good investment of time and money but I'm thinking we shouldn't be messing in another country's problems and hey, couldn't we put that money to use at home.  After all, maybe I'm the only one to notice but the US isn't doing so hot in dealing with Muslim's in Iraq and Afghanistan and Iran so what the hell are we doing messing around in the south of Thailand.

Probably won't know for a long while how this program will work out, maybe then extend it to the Philippians, Somalia and parts of Europe. American's really don't need Social Security, Medicare or the country's deteriorating infrastructure fixed.

Meanwhile, Muslim terrorists are bombing, kidnapping and pretty much doing what ever they please.  America's money that could have went to finance Social Security and Medicare, and hey how about New Orleans we still haven't got that fixed, will be used to help a group of terrorists with there anger issues.

I'm thinking they won and the US goverment just don't know it yet.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/04/thailand-jihadists-ambush-murder-six-buddhist-villagers.html

Mui Ne, Vietnam

2010-03-28T20:48:00.002+07:00

That's our bus parked at one of the rest stops on the way to Mui Ne

It's between a 5 and 6 hour trip from Saigon to Mui NE. They say it used to be a 3 hours trip but due to safety concerns the bus drivers take it slower now. OK , that works for me.

Several non government bus and tour companies offer service to Mui Ne and on ward bound, departing from the Pham Nu Lao / backpackers area of Saigon. Sinh cafe or now Sinh Travel is probably the most popular with foreign backpackers. So I decided to try one of bus lines popular with the Vietnamese, Phuong Trang.

All went fine, OK bus though better looking on the outside than on the inside. Seeing they cater to Vietnamese, no one seemed to speak English and it made it a confusing trying to figure out what was going on, especially at rest stops. I make a mental note of somebody that easy to identify and shadow them.

The bus fare seems to be the same cheap price for what ever bus company you use. To Mui Ne the fare each way was 90,000 dong or around 5.00 US. They offer a choice of three morning buses 7:30. 8:30 and 9:00 while the other guys mostly offer about the same with one evening bus leaving at 4:30 PM.

Probably the smart thing to do, especially if traveling alone, is to reserve two seats and it's still a damn cheap ride. You get a little extra room and can carry your bags on board.

fisherman's basket boat Canary Beach Resort, about $ 45.00 and up per night

========================================================

- Beach side boat repair -

======================================================

Not much going on in Mui Ne, just a lovely beach. My thinking is that to really enjoy it you need to get a hotel on beach. You see there is really only one road here, one side is the beach and ocean and the other it's inexpensive guest houses and tourist services, like restaurants, small shops selling pop beer and water and rental motorbikes.

Note: As an option to concider is that if your on a tight budget, you might stay in a inexpensive guest house like the Duy An (200,000 dong a night) nhanghiduyan@yahoo.com.vn across the street from where I stayed and buy a $3.50 day pass to use the pool and beach. You can probably do this at most of the resorts.

I was going to rent a motorbike but as I'm talking with the rental lady a series of jumbo buses and trucks roared past, my question about insurance drew a blank with her, as I'm thinking of the distance to medical facility. So I swallowed my pride, plunked done 10,000 dong, (about 50 cents) for a rentail on the ladies, pink, girls style bike. Oh ya, just for reference, lots of folks rent bikes and walk away unscaved, it's not expensive, somewhere between $6 - 10.00 US dollars.

OK, you got the fisherman's, clamers, boat builders, cows and not so many people on the beach as you see in these photos taken around the hotels beach.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canary Beach Resort - cheap but very good

My room, hotel pool area and views from my balcony

=======================================================

sunset off Mui Ne beach

Thai stress test - relax - it's only politics

2010-03-26T16:57:00.001+07:00

The Thai Department of Mental health published the following advise to help Thai's in these times of political turmoil.

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Department of Mental Health has encouraged all Thais to check their mental health via an easy test of five questions and find ways for stress reduction accordingly upon the ongoing political tension.

Mental Health Department Director-General, MD Chatri Banchuen, stated that Thai people should beware of their own minds and not fall as victims of stress and tension.

He then recommended all Thais to take a mini-test to see if they are prone to stress leading to violent expressions or not.

The questions ask respondents to see if they are certain with five statements or not. The statements are as follows:
1) I am always frustrated upon political discussion.
2) I must argue with those having different political opinions.

3) I am engrossed in political issues more than personal ones.

4) I am always afraid of potential violent incidents in Thailand.

5) I always try to persuade others to agree with my political opinions.

Respondents will receive every two points for answering ‘yes’, one point for answering ‘uncertain’, and zero point for answering ‘no’.

Respondents scoring a total of 0-2 points can be interpreted as having normal political emotion and eligible to learn information from all sides.

Respondents with 3-5 points can be interpreted as having a moderate level of political emotion with own political stance, and able to accept different opinions.

However, they are prone to stress if they are too engrossed in politics, and so are advised to relax more.

Respondents with 6-10 points can be interpreted as having a strong level of political emotion and are at risk to high levels of stress. They are suggested to avoid any provoking situation or people and relax more.

The director-general stressed that mental health must be given priority during both normal and crisis periods. He said good mental health, serenity, and peace could be created if mental health is well managed.

MD Chatri said any people feeling uncomfortable or requiring mental health assistance can dial 1323 hotline around the clock.

Note from Doug: Considering all the political stuff going on the USA it might be recommended for us to also follow these guide lines also.. Na probably not!

-- NNT 2010-03-26

2 more blasts hit Thailand

2010-03-25T15:25:00.000+07:00

2 more blasts hit Thailand

Hydrofoil - Saigon to the beach at Vung Tau for the day

2010-03-24T17:53:00.002+07:00

Note: all photos are clickable for best viewing

Your in Saigon, tired of dodging motor bikes and the constant hum of activity the city generates. So hop on down to the Saigon river, plunk down 160,000 dong and in a flash, OK, an hour and a half and your in Vung Tau. A pleasant little town on the sea with beaches and lovely ocean views. A cheaper option would be to get a bus at the station across from Ben Thanh Market but it takes around three and a half hours. I've never taken the bus over there but know that from other experiences, its a good way to get a look at life in Vietnam but can be very uncomfortable.

A couple weeks ago a Vietnamese friend and her niece made a trip out there with me on the Hydrofoil. I really enjoyed the ride, while you can't see much from inside, as its enclosed and air-conditioned but there are a couple areas mid ship where you can poke your head out. Gives you a up close look at the goings on of the harbor, tugs, ocean going container ships, strange little motorized barges, ferries, small and large fishing boats along with all the shore side activities. While my excitement wasn't shared with my Vietnamese friend, she said she felt sick the whole way. While her nice, unaffected by my exuberance and her aunts ills, slept.

The boats are pretty ratty looking when you see them up close, thinking there probably Russian built in the 1970's. It's pretty obvious not much has been invested in maintaining there appearance. You see that a lot here in Vietnam.

There are two boat company's Vina and Petro Express but the boats and fares are the same. Though there schedules are a little different with about 6 departures a day.

Yup, lovely ocean views to be had, just don't look to close as the beaches are awash with trash. Really sad as it wouldn't take much to make em great but the visiting Vietnamese don't seem effected by it. There are bath houses where you can change and shower off the after your swim for a nominal fee. They also offer liquid to clean the tar off you feet .

Thai folks (red shirts) vs the government - update

2010-03-22T22:43:00.004+07:00

I need some new photos

The protest by the United front for Democracy (UDD) / Red Shirts rolls into its second week. With little results to show in its quest to remove prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and force the formation of a new government in Thailand.

Vejjajiva has barricaded himself in a fortified army barracks, refusing direct talks with Red Shirt leaders. He travels when needed by helicopter so he can stay untouchable by the protesters.

The Red Shirts position is that Vejjajiva and his party gained power unconstitutionally in 2008 when the government dissolved Mr. Thaksin's party and so the present government is illegal. Though they seek non violent change but are willing to give there blood for the cause. Latterly drawing there own blood and using it in there protests.

Last Saturdays protest dew an estimated 65,000 protesters as the Red Shirts attempted to draw from the rank and file in Bangkok.

Today the government extended the Internal Security act and will use armed solders at check points, government buildings and military bases. Up to now the 30,000 plus security forces were unarmed but due to a couple of gernade incidents this has changed.

On a different topic, I'm writing this in Saigon where the Vietnamese government has blocked access to Facebook. Though my postings on Blogger show up there. I can get at Facebook via a proxy server but can't add or edit content. Governments - can't live with them and can't live with out them.

Lunar New Year, Viertnam's Tet - second part

2010-03-15T23:39:00.004+07:00

Large open trucks transport troops of young acrobats, dressed in dragon costumes, for impromptu performances on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City.

I'm not sure what this is all about but these guys risk their necks and really put on a show. Not sure if my photos make it clear but many of the dragon dances are performed with one guy standing on another's shoulders. They hustle through there acrobatic routines then haul each other back into the bed of the transport truck and are off.

Nguyen Hue street in downtown Saigon is transformed into a stylised, Vietnamese country side setting for the New Year. Many women dress up in traditional ao dai's, as in the above photo, for the occation.

so what's up in Bangkok now - protests, protests

2010-03-15T20:44:00.000+07:00

An M-79 grenade fired into a battalion, injuring 2 soldiers

BANGKOK: -- Two soldiers were injured on Monday after an M-79 grenade was fired into an army battalion opposite National Broadcast Television (NBT) station near the Victory Monument. The soldiers were now being treated at the Phra Mongkul Hospital.
-- The Nation 2010-03-15

Lets see, wondering how you know the kind of grenade that blows up in front of you and why it didn't do more damage? Though I'm glad it didn't take any lives, it just seems a might strange.

Red shirts threaten to deface Government House with their own blood

BANGKOK: -- Natthawut Saikua, a red-shirt leader, announced at 1:40 pm Monday threatened to pour 1 million cc of blood of 100,000 red-shirt people around the Government House.

Natthawut said the red-shirt people would collect their blood and pour the blood at every gate of the Government House at 6pm.
-- The Nation 2010-03-15

I'm wondering about this report also, think its lacking context. Just seems to portray the red shirts as crazes, which they ain't.

Sorry though still no first hand information on the goings on in Bangkok from Victor, I'm thinking kidnapped. But not to worry about Victor - I'm sure the Thai lady or ladies, like Vietnamese and Cambodian ones will bring him back minus the camera money a little tired but looking very relaxed.

So what's up in Bangkok now?

2010-03-14T20:51:00.002+07:00

The red shirts have arrived in Bangkok, maybe not a million but ten's of thousands. No violence so far, which is no surprise to me, most Thia's are just not like that, especially in the countryside.

Now the government that's another story, they have a military and volience is what military do. However, Thai vs Thai physical violence is hard to picture.

My concern is the "United Front for Democracy" wants Abhist Vejjajiva to step down and open a new election and what goes down when it doesn't happen. We have the elitists of Bangkok vs the workers from the countryside, what would Mao do in a situation like this and that is worrisome.

I've dispatched my best and only man, Victor, who is actually a fellow crazy who also hangs out here and is now in Bangkok, to buy a camera and get us photos. At the moment he reports all is well on Sukumvit but he is ever vigilant and has shifted to a bar stool near the door.

Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year - part 1

2010-03-09T23:27:00.005+07:00

As another Tet holiday, welcoming in the Lunar New year slides past as life gets back to the normal craziness, here in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tet is the biggest of all holiday's ever in Vietnam; something like combining all the US holidays into one big event and then still celebrated all of them again as they came up at their regular time.

Vietnam has also caught onto Christmas, embracing the social aspects of it, if not the religious parts, as another opportunity for gift giving, special decorations and holiday music. Also, the western New Year’s is celebrated, much the same as we do in the states, fireworks, parties and all that. Though, Tet still remains the mother of all holidays.

One of the components of Tet is the concept of "Lucky money". This is where special red colored New Year’s envelopes with small denomination of money inside, say - 20,000 dong, are given to younger /older Vietnamese and helpers on New Year’s eve or New Year’s day, by people like me. The enclosed bills must be crisp and clean, probably symbolizing the fresh start of the New Year. I've read that this practice is so popular it has caused shortages of currency at the banks. While I don't fully understand the reasoning behind "lucky money" I'm here to tell you – if you want to create a stir, hand out some of those red envelopes, that’ll do it.

Getting the New Year off to a good start is first and foremost in the minds of most Vietnamese. New clothes are bought, food is stored for the three days of the holiday, houses are cleaned and the spruced up, as my landlord repainted the entrance way to our building a couple days before Tet it is good form to make an attempt at resolving any personal disagreements to halt bad feelings following you into the New Year.

Cleaning is done before Tet to insure that good luck is not inadvertently swept out while cleaning during Tet. Vietnamese believe that digging and drawing water should not be done during Tet to allow the ground and water a chance to enjoy the holiday.

Tet can be very boring for foreigners, many of the stores and restaurants are closed and the streets were deserted here in Saigon. Many people that live and work in the city are from the countryside, Tet is a time for families and many have long holidays over the period so they head home. More affluent Vietnamese may take this time to travel to a holiday destination in country or to another country.

In Tet you have the gift giving, decorating and preparation components, much like Christmas in the USA but much bigger. Officially it’s a three day holiday but many people are given a week off and many restaurants and stores close for three days and some stay closed for the whole week.

I’m lucky, as I have Vietnamese friends who look after me and take me along to family celebrations and meals. So for me the Tet weekend is a great time to be in Saigon, lots of good meals, beautiful flower markets, Tet displays like the one on Nguyen Hue St. to visit, a fantastic fireworks display on New Years Eve and the streets are just about peaceful.

THAILAND

2010-03-09T12:18:00.001+07:00

Thailand considers invoking the Internal Security Act (March 9, 2010)

The UDD (United Front for Democracy) or mostly know as the Red Shirts due to their signature red shirts, are calling for the resignation of the present Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and new elections. Many of the group support ex Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawata, now in self imposed exile after the coup of 2006.

To this end they will rally in Bangkok on Sunday, involving up to a million people, mostly from the outlying areas of Thailand. Starting on Friday (12/03/10) they will arrive in Bangkok aboard buses, trucks, farm tractors and on foot for Sunday's demonstrations. The group has the potential of choking off Bangkok's roads and shutting down travel in and around the city.

The Thai government is rolling out the troops, up to 100,000 to enforce the peace. Though the red shirts have proclaimed their intent is for a peaceful protest but with this many people massed together in such an emotional charged atmosphere, who knows what might happen. Though in general Thai's are a peaceful sort and are respectful of outsiders so farang shouldn’t be in danger. Though the wise person is always aware of their surrounding and should skirt around any trouble spots.

The government is expected to invoke the Internal Security Act today, which as close as I can figure is a nice way of saying Marshal Law. Schools in some areas in Bangkok will be closed as of Thursday.

All this has the potential of effecting serious political change in Thailand or maybe turn out as in the old saying -“same, same but different”.

Bangkok, Thailand supreme court's ruling on Thaksin's assets

2010-02-27T14:31:00.004+07:00

The Thai Supreme Court has handed down in decision on ex Primer Thanksin Shinawata's assets still held in Thailand. It will seize 1.4 billion out of the 2.2 billion total assets .

Thailand had mobilized 20,000 security forces, with 6,000 of them placed on guard in Bangkok, along with 168 security check points but so far there hasn't been a need to put them in action.

Dr. Weng Tojiraken one of the leaders of the United Front for Democracy (UDD) mostly represented by the red shirts put off the talked about demonstration and announced: "I'm not fighting for Mr. Thaksin, I'm fighting for my country to be a genuine democratic system."

Thai politics can be a bit confusing and ever changing so guess we will wait and see what happens next.

Thaksin Shinawata vs Thai government - Doug

2010-02-24T20:16:00.014+07:00

Remember way back last April when the red shirts in their protesting fervor shut down Suvambhumi International Airport in Bangkok. OK, red shirts who are you, Thai supporters of ousted primer Thaksin Shinawata - officially representing the "United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship"party. Which was also the "Thai rack Thai" party till the present Thai government abolished the it afer the coup that tossed Thksin from office.

Friday, tomorrow (2/26) will be a big new red shirts protest, in the past these rotests have drawn up to 100,000 people.

Tomorrow could even be a bigger deal as the Thai Supreme Court is due to hand a ruling on, if the government can confiscate Thaksin's total 2.2 billion of assets still in Thailand.

Now all this might seem a little scary, especially if your a tourist getting ready to visit Thailand. Not to worry, foreigners are not normally drawn into the fray and the action is focused in specific parts of town and so easy to stay away from.. I was in Bangkok last year just as the protests were winding down and I didn't see any evidence of violence. Doug

Odds and Ends from ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

2010-02-24T16:18:00.012+07:00

What's a communist country in SE Asia like Vietnam to do when your country is over flowing with people and your looking around for things to do - so you strengthen ties with North Korea, aid Lao with police and military matters, add new investments in Cambodia and help in redrawing those pesky boarder lines. Wonder what the long range plan is?

The Vietnamese Bank for Social Policy has announced a new loan program to help the poor - 8,000,000 dong ($430. us) and 10 years to pay it back at 3% interest.

Last Month the Vietnamese Communist Party celebrated its 80 th birthday - Happy Birthday!

So your thinking - hey, would have got that flu shot but was just a bit short on cash last month. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. The US is in the process of providing 7.9 million in flue vaccine aid to Vietnam, so there you are.

My laundry is included into the monthly price of my room as everyone that knows me knows, along with "they even iron my boxers". Though if your staying in the Pham Nhu Lao backpackers area here in Saigon and aren't like me and have laundry that needs - according to the sign posted in front of a shop I saw, it will cost you 7,000 dong (.38 us) a kilo. Now does that include ironed boxers?

Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Just liked the name.

A new section of a highway in Tien Gieng Provence, still uncompleted, was opened to help with Tet's heavy traffic, here are the rules -

maintain speed of over 70 km per hour

slow trucks or trucks larger than 4.2 x 2.8 m not allowed

Not sure who enforces the speeds and measures the trucks but just in case there are rules. The highway is 8 lanes and 62 km long, to handle speeds up to 120 km an hour at a cost of 535 million US...

More on the road theme - as in most coutures, major holidays and here its Tet, are the most dangerous time to be on the roads. I pulled these figures from the "Vietnam Today" newspaper, their wording:

killed about 300

injured more than 400

unreported accidents with victims being hospitalized 14,000

An old Vietnamese saying I pulled out of the same paper from an article on corruption - "A clean fast is better than a dirty breakfast"

A new look at Pattaya

2010-02-12T17:43:00.027+07:00

It was back in the 1960's when I first heard of Pattaya, it was all about a seaside R&R (rest and relaxation)spot in Thailand packed full of bars with hot and cold ruining Thai girls. The Vietnam War was rocking on and we were the American GI rockers and to keep us rocking the military set it up so during our one year tour we got two separate R&R's. Myself I picked Hong Kong and on the second one to Singapore.

While my hut mate, Swartz, a sex starved 20 year old from Jersey took both of his in Pattaya. Guess the Jersey shore didn't do much to prepare Swartz for what he found, both times, upon his return he needed treatment by the medics for what they diagnosed as over exertion. He jokingly would talk about his treatment saying the medics said if it had been any other appendage he did that much damage to - it would have been casted. My last memory of him, after recovering from his last Pattaya trip, was his endless goings on about how Thailand changed his life and figuring out ways to get back.

Not sure if Swartz ever made it back . Lost track of him after Nam but over the past 8 years I've retracted my steps and my quest took me to Pattaya and that's how I got thinking of Swartz.

Ka damn, 43 years since Swartz made his last visit to what is now billed as the international Thai sea side resort city of Pattaya. Pattaya is no longer a sleepy little fishing village where a bunch of bars popped up by the beach to entertain the visiting American GI's. These guys, mostly young had been away from the fun things in life now had a week to make up for lost time and forget all the crap going on back in Nam. So I’m guessing it was a pretty rough and tumble place, where as now it's a fully fledged international resort. You’ll see a diversified international group of visitors from Russia, Japan, Chinese, and Europeans’ of all nationalities though no GI"s but the place still maintains its American flavor, 60’s rock music blaring out of the beer bars, its own Hard Rock Café and resort, Holiday Inn, 7/11, A&W, a couple of US pizza chains and Star bucks.

In parts of Pattaya as you see in my photos, international resort or whatever, its still back to back beer bars stuffed full off friendly and sexy hostesses. Though as Mr. Dillon said "the times they are a changing" in area like walking street the girls and beer bars are still the norm while the city is trying hard at upgrading its offering in other areas.

For Example I stayed at the Sabi Wing at a reasonable forty something dollars a night, including a full breakfast, and a balcony overlooking the pool. It’s located on soi 2 and about a 10 minute walk from the beach. Out of my week I spent a couple nights out bar hopping but it was easy for me to avoid all the craziness on the nights I stayed out of the bars.

As just about anywhere in Pattaya you can spend a lot on meals but also inexpensive, street side bar-b-q can be had for less than a buck or inexpensive restaurants are available where you can get by for $3.00-6.00 a meal. In the restaurants they offer so many international based menus it hard at times to find Thai food.

While Pattaya beach is a long way from your “Adventures in Paradise” tropical beach you may have fantasized about. Though you’ve still got your basic swaying palm trees, golden sand – well later in day, maybe not so golden, surf lapping at the shore - but watch out for those power boats breaking through it. Of course always that beautiful tropical Thai sun and 10 bazillion beach umbrellas lording over sling canvas beach chairs, renting out for 20 or 30 baht a setting, for your beach going lounging.

Most your bodily needs can be met by wondering food and beverage vendors, pedaling everything from peeled and cut up mangos, packed in film covered Styrofoam trays, sea food, sodas, water, beer, coffee and so on. Oh ya and then there are the sun tan lotion appliers. Yup that’s right, no oily fingers here, anyway for the lounging beach goers, there are people for that. You see them walking around with judges of lotion for sale by the application. An example of this was a bald guy just up from me that I think had one on retainer. Every time I looked up from my book he was getting a new anti-sun lube job.

Pattaya has become a retirement haven for farang (Thai slang for foreigner) and I would say it looks like more fun than Miami for us old guys and at about half the price. Though cost wise, a few years ago when the baht was yielding 46 to one dollar instead of the 33 now, it was even a better deal. However, it still looks as if you can find a pretty nice furnished place to rent for six to seven hundred dollars a month.

The beach is comprised of a narrow sliver of sand backed up to a low retaining wall with lines up to a paved walk way adjacent to Beach road with shops filling the opposite side. The beach is broken up into north, central and south areas. I was staying in the north part which is pretty tame, while from central on down to the infamous Walking Street can get pretty crazy. In the central area as you look down the so’s off of Beach road you’ll see a loads of bars but once you get to the south on Walking Street that’s all it is. Open air affairs overflowing with all shapes and sizes of Thai girls – cooing “welcome, please come in” and now, after all these years I have a better understanding of Swartz’s affliction.

Ho Chi Minh City - Tet 2010

2010-02-08T19:18:00.019+07:00

Tet flower Market in the park

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Ho Chi Minh City Photos - January 2010

Peoples Committee building

street side fruit vendor

Saigon Police forming up to patrol the flower and plant Market

Park Tet display

construction on Hguyen Hue New Year Tet dislay

Tet shoppers sort through street side used clothing stash

alley birds - a little old school Saigon

Sorry about the messy way this layed out - I'm working on it!

Beggar crack down in Bangkok

2010-02-07T16:39:00.004+07:00

20/01/2010 "The NATION" - Crack down in Bangkok on panhandlers and beggar's Over a two week period netted 570 illegal Cambodian immigrants, which 200 of them were children. It seems that they are all part of a well organized ring, operating out of properties owned by the leaders who smuggled them out of Cambodia.

The Thai government will repatriate them back to Cambodia. It's sad that this kind of human miss use can go on, especially against children.

The ongoing strangeness of Myanmar

2010-02-04T11:16:00.011+07:00

News from Myanmar - Lets see, What does a military junta do when the thrill of renaming Burma to Myanmar is gone and gets tired of old school Ragon/Yangon as the countries administrative capital. Well, first it's the name thing, so you pick a catchy new name, in this case -Naypyidaw - "Abode of the Kings".

Then from scratch, you build your new modern capital city so you will have drinkable water and electricity that stays on hours a day and best yet you build in a remote area where the land is like a blank canvas awaiting your creation. Also, it's inland, not on the coast like Ragon, so the US can't attach you from the sea and at the new place you can dig lots of tunnels in case of an air attach or maybe it was just advice from the state fortune teller.

You know how important your government is so you build a lot of impressive government buildings, for the wealthy visitors that will come you add 7 resort style 5 star hotels and some western style shopping malls. You know people like golf as much as you do and to show Myanmar always thinks of it's people,5 golf courses go in. Roads and good ones, maybe a freeway or two are all in progress.

You may be a bit short of modern construction equipment but not a problem because you have a good part of the counties population at your disposal as a labor source.

In fact this story is really a bit of old news - they started construction in 1995 and were supposed to have it all up and running in 2006. I've never visited so really don't know first hand where they are at with the project now.

It would be interesting to see first hand what is going on there. Though, visiting countries run by military junta's, especially with the human rights record of Burma, isn't high on my list. Seems, it might be a place where guys like me just disappear.

2010-02-03T15:06:00.013+07:00

Klong Saen Saep good way to get from the Banglampoo/Wat Sakhel area of bangkok to the Central shopping area - half way is the Jim Thompson house and museum.

The Klong has a probably well deserved reputation for being polluted so when that cute Thai lady sitting between you and the rail cozies up to you, she might be just getting away from the spray coming over the gunwale or maybe she is using that as an excuse to get close. There is also a tarp curtain they pull up on the sides to hold out any spray, making it very hard to watch the passing landscape. Though, for 8 baht (.25 US) it's a cheap and exciting experience. Oh ya, this is kind of unnerving - somewhere along the way the boat pulls in (about 15 minutes into the trip) to a docke and every one climbs out, runs up the dock and jumps into another boat which speeds off. It happens real fast so be aware.

I'm trying to remember, think it's about the third boat taxi stop from the Bangalapoo/Wat Sakhel area is Jim Thompson's house and museum. Real interesting and talented American, born 1906 in Greenville Delaware, was a practicing architect before severed in Europe with the army during World War II. After the war he was posted to Asia, fell in love with Thailand. Up on his release decided to make Bangkok his home and became one of the major forces in the development of the Thai silk industry.

The guy knew how to live, his home was constructed of six different, traditional Thai buildings. Each was disassembled, moved and reassembled at his compound with all the Thai traditional religious rituals. So in the spring of 1959 after consulting with astrologers, he and his art collection moved in.

Sorry, had some great photos of this, not his moving in but of the compound on my camera that I erased by accident. So you will have to trust me when I say this is a real special place and a must see. Though, I bet when he lived there long before Bangkok was all built up as it is now, it was really awesome.

Less than 10 years later at the age of 61 he went missing in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia and to date his disappearance is a mystery.. Maybe ex CIA or a freelancer, what do you think?

2010-02-03T13:53:00.003+07:00

Tuesday, February 2, 2010
You be the judge - is Vietnam truely in a struggle against 'hostile forces' as party boss, Nong Duc Manh says or..
03/02/2010
Bangkok Post

Vietnam will prevent "hostile forces" from exploiting democracy and human rights to sabotage the country's revolution, the Communist Party leader , pictured in 2009, said Tuesday.
Vietnam will prevent "hostile forces" from exploiting democracy and human rights to sabotage the country's revolution, the Communist Party leader said Tuesday.

Nong Duc Manh made the comments at a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the Indochina Communist Party founded in Hong Kong by Ho Chi Minh on February 3, 1930.

"We are trying hard to maintain political stability and we struggle against all the manoeuvres of hostile forces by preventing them from profiting from matters such as democracy, human rights, multipartyism and pluralism to sabotage the Vietnamese revolution," said Manh, the country's most powerful political figure.

His comments follow the controversial jailing of four dissidents for trying to overthrow the regime. The case highlighted a climate of increasingly harsh political repression in Vietnam, New York-based Human Rights Watch said.

Manh added that the state guarantees religious liberty, but religious activity must be conducted according to law.

"We severely forbid all abuse of religious liberties to attack national security and public interests," he said.

Last month a court in Ho Chi Minh City jailed four democracy activists for between five and 16 years for trying to overthrow the regime, in a case criticised by the European Union, the United States and Britain.

Some observers see a link to next year's Communist Party Congress when high-ranking leadership posts will be determined, while one analyst said "law and order advocates" may be gaining ground among authorities in the one-party state.

The European Parliament and the US embassy have also expressed concern over Vietnam's treatment of followers of Thich Nhat Hanh, a French-based Zen master who is one of the world's most influential Buddhist monks.

Manh said the party and country are facing great challenges.

"We notably have to struggle against bureaucracy, corruption, waste and other negative phenomena. We also struggle against a moral and ideological degradation within the population."

Ho Chi Minh, the country's revered revolutionary leader, died in 1969 while his forces were still battling American troops. Vietnam was reunified in 1975 after decades of war against both the US, and French colonisers.

About half of Vietnam's population of about 86 million is under the age of 30, giving them no memory of the war years.

State television broadcast Manh's speech live after actors dramatised the country's liberation struggle while black-and-white combat footage played and the communist hammer-and-sickle flag flew.

top 10 direst hotels in Asia

2010-01-29T14:41:00.004+07:00

A few places I've recently stayed at in Thailand that aren't scruffy but fit into my "inexpensive but good" category. The rates are what I payed, booking through Agoda. With The exchange rate being around 32 baht = 1 dollar. I keep thinking about the old days, before 2008 when it used to be in the 40's to a dollar,these places were really a steal then.

Yes, that's the Doug above reading the latest of a series of John Burdedt's detective stores based on the goings on of the fictional Bangkok detective Sonchai Jitpleecheap. Just finished it, "The Godfather of Katmandu" and before that it was "Tattoo" and "Bangkok 8" all of them are the kind of stories that draw you in and make you feel a part of the action.

Bangkok:
Sukhumvit area
St James Hotel 18 Soi Sukhumvit 26
$33.00 without breakfast $44.00 with breakfast Breakfast, which is a tad on the expensive side but excellent and wonderful service that makes you fel like the special person you are.

Bangalapoo - Khaosan Rd/Grand Palace area

Siamese Views Lodge
211/21-23 soi Damneon Klang Nuea
Ratchadamneon Klang Road, Note: Hidden down a short soi have your taxi guy call then at (+66) 2 629 1441 $37.00 - $50.00 including breakfast

Chiang Mai - close to the action and night markets

Raming Lodge17-19 Loikroh.rd.
T. Chanag Klan A. Muang ...............$37.00 including breakfast

Vieng Mantra Hotel
9 Ratchadamneon
Soi 1 Tam bon Sri Phume
Amphur Muang............................$46.00 including breakfast

Note: Check back in a few days and I'll add some photos...

OK, so this is what made you look - Tripadvisory.com's - The Top 10 dirtiest hotels in Asia,

More odds ends from the road

2010-01-27T21:42:00.003+07:00

To and from Pattaya-

Taxi from Bangalapu area of Bangkok to the eastern bus station (Ekemai) – costs approximately 300 BT and takes about 40 minutes. They rush you through at the ticket window, so ask for that primo seat quickly and check your ticket to see what you’ve ended up with.

Buses to Pattaya and other southeastern cities leave from Ekemai station Pattaya ones leave every 20 minutes at a cost of 113 BT. They are clean, modern and comfortable so it should be a very pleasant 2 hour ride. Note: use the toilet before boarding.

I needed to get to Suvarnabhumi International airport in Bangkok on my return from Pattaya and had a couple options. Option One, private bus leaving from the Pattaya bus station – 2 hours and I’m thinking around 250 BT. Option Two, 850 BT for a taxi, hotel pickup and directly to the airport in 2 hours, my taxi guy said “if needed he could do the trip in an hour, maybe less”.

For a taxi to pick you up on arrival at Suvarnabhumi or to get you there from Pattaya contact Pang supat_200022000@yahoo.com she is in Pattaya phone 083 555 4578. She is not only a dependable business women but very cute.

Word on the street in Saigon is that cyclo’s have a month till they are history. The government has been messing with them for years. Originally cyclo guys were comprised of South Vietnam ex military officers who had their citizen rights pulled by the Communists after the war and to this day are an independent lot.

Saigon now has a franchised Hard Rock café. This is the real deal too, not like the other one where an enterprising beer bar owner stuck a picture of a guitar and a name board with the proclamation “Hard Rock Café”

The sidewalks they were rebuilding in Saigon are just about all done but are all being used for motorbike parking – so walking is still an adventurous pursuit.

Saigon, is not Saigon any more, just too many changes, so maybe Ho Chi Minh City works now. Though I've got a feeling uncle Ho wouldn't appreciate the direction his name sake city has taken. From what I know of Ho's life he wasn't much of a glitz kind of guy and the city centers sole is being lost to glitz and conspicuous consumption. Simple restaurants and shops are being pulled down to make way for designer's name stores and expensive western style eating establishments. The hostess bars and Saigon's infamous taxi girls are but a memory as establishments like the Hard Rock café swing into action.

Facebook is not assessable from locations with in Vietnam.. However, it can be assessed via proxy server but postings aren't passable, anyway I can't get it to work.

Exchange rate official rate is 18,000 head for a jewelry store (gold shop) with units of 100 dollars and get 19,000 plus. Note: Bills have to be in great shape, no cuts, marks, etc. Whats up with all that?

odds and ends from the road

2010-01-25T14:14:00.006+07:00

Arrive at San Francisco International on a Delta commuter flight from Sacramento, you know one of those 30 some passenger, turbo prop jobs. Anyway, there we sit, terminal with in shouting distence, 40 minutes pass - "a few more minutes and we will have a gate" we hear again over the pa, as the stewardess flits around making busy. Keep in mind, our flying time was less than we now have spent waiting to get off. Meanwhile, all I can think about is missing my connecting flight and having to wait a day or so for another one. Along with that I'm rehashing the news story, where a plane load of people were held captive for days or years - ok, maybe hours, aboard a plane in similar conditions. Also remembering from an old movie, the main character after being pushed around by the system, stopped and shouted for all to hear "I'm mad as hell and I'm not taking it any more." and so was I.

I decided, one hour, that's my limit for sitting here. We are parked close enough to the terminal that I can see inside. So even with out a gate to park at they should be able to arrange for us to deplane, pull our bags, and escort us into the terminal.

Called the stewardess over and informed her, "I wasn't concerned about missing my connecting flight", she smiled but it soon faded as I went on to say "the boys (pilots) had 20 more minutes or I was taking charge and letting my self and the rest of the passengers off".

She was shocked, looked at me unbelievably and asked if I was new to flying, threatened to have me arrested, told me not to talk so loud, requested my name and finely with a head flip headed off to the cockpit. In the end we got to a gate with in my time frame, though a far flung one, so they probably got me after all.

I'm not sure if I would have really had the cajonies to pull that aircraft door release but I do know I am as the man in the movie "getting mad as hell and not going to take it any more", or just another crazy old guy, you judge.

Cool thing to do in Bangkok visit Jim Thompson's house and if your coming from the Kho San Road - Bangalapoo area or the Central shopping district use the cheap but interesting river taxi on Klong Saen Saep to get there.

Cheap but good rice wine but not for the faint of heart - I test drove some iced "40 degree" with Jack a new friend I made in Bangkok.

Internet rates at a Internet shop in Bangkok - around 30 baht an hour - min 20 minutes.

The Bangkok to Chiang Mai flight is a little over an hour long -air fare Bangkok - Chiang Mai via Air Asia 2,340 baht(approx 32.us=1 baht)+good seat fee 250 BT, insurance 74.90 BT, not sure about this one - convenience fee 50 BT and also a baggage fee may apply.

air fare Chiang Mai - Bangkok via Bangkok Airways Special rate 2,255 baht Classy airline, passengers get the use of there lounge and all and all they are just nice to the passengers.

air fare Bangkok - Saigon via Air Asia 2,195. baht = good seat charge 250. BT luggage overage (up to 30 kg) 1285. BT, insurance 90. BT, combo meal 80. BT, convenience fee - still don't know what this one is 50. BT = total cost 4650.BT

Full body Thai massage Chiang Mai an hour and a half 400 BT - double that if you want a happy ending - guys only.. Recomend Darlin's Massage, close to Tha Phae gate - 29 Kotchasarn Rd

A passing bus had an advertisement for this Nokhonchair Air what seems to be a super VIP bus running from Bangkok to Chiang Mai 02 936 009 BKK number

Taxi fare Suvarnabhumi airport to downtown Bangkok between 350 and 400 BT unless you driver gets lost and it costs you 700 BT

A few things -

2009-12-01T12:07:00.010+07:00

Yup, looking good for my January departure - I’ll fly Cathay to BKK via San Francisco and Hong Kong on my way to Vietnam. Haven't set up anything for my stay in Thailand but have my old room at Thao's lined up in Saigon, once I get to Vietnam.

Speaking of Saigon, the name has become source of great irritation to me. Saigon has been officially Ho Chi Minh City for about 40 years now which is longer than many of the people who have the need to mention it have been around. While I am not sanctioned as a government spokesperson, you can trust me when I write either name works, no explanation needed and enough said.

Which brings up another thing, I’m so tired of reading about Saigon's traffic, it's just old news, it's been that way forever. However, mentioning the dangers of street crossing, along with successful crossing techniques is something I never tire of.

Also regarding traffic, a mention of the number of taxis prowling around might be part of the problem, because it is, would be kind of new news. Because ten years ago that taxis just weren’t there, all the city had were a few enterprising guys with cars for hire running around the city.

The buzz on line about how the Vietnamese government has blocked access to Facebook.com appears to be true. Why, maybe because they could, works, it is communist state no matter what it looks to the backpacker just passing through.

SE asia airline deals

2009-10-24T06:41:00.003+07:00

Here are some air travel deals in in and around Vietnam to keep an eye on -

VNBusinessNews.com - Domestic and foreign airlines in Vietnam are rushing to offer lower airfares and cut operating costs in a bid to cope with shrinking air travel demand.

Airlines have been subjected to massive losses since the global economic crisis led companies to curb travel and shipping and customers reconsider their travel plans.

The world’s airlines lost US$6 billion in first half of this year and are set to lose at least $9 billion for the entire 2009, according to the International Air Transport Association.

As an attempt to stimulate air travel, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines early this month launched a 20-day sale promotion for domestic and international tickets. Prices have been lowered by 40 to 70 percent, the biggest ticket sale in the history of the carrier.

The Thanh, a resident in Ho Chi Minh City, was able to book a return air ticket to Thailand next month for only VND2.1 million (US$117.71) (tax included) the same rate offered by budget carrier AirAsia.

More than 100 air tickets were sold within the first morning of the airline’s sale promotion on October 1.

Malaysian flag carrier Malaysia Airlines also halved its return airfares, tax not included, on the route between HCMC and Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur from $284 (plus tax) to $103 (plus tax) each.

Lower fares are also being found on long-distance flights from Vietnam and the U.S and some European destinations.

U.S.-based Northwest Airlines is offering an economy-class round trip between Ho Chi Minh City and Los Angeles for $721 (plus taxes) while South Korea's flag carrier, Korean Air is selling return air ticket on the same route for $980 (tax included).

Malaysia Airlines is promoting economy-class ticket fares of $800 (tax include) for a return flight to Australia and some European destinations, a $200 discount on the regular fares.

Thailand’s national carrier Thai International Airways is also selling tickets to Australia, South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and New Zealand with prices cheaper by $200 each.

Industry insiders said carriers are looking for ways to cut operating costs in hopes that lower air fares would stimulate air travel demand.

Some have resorted to selling tickets online to avoid paying commission to agents, while others changed menus and food containers to reduce catering expenses and the weight of the aircraft.

Low-cost Irish carrier, Ryan Air, even toyed with charging passengers to use aircraft restrooms.

Industry insiders said the sector is not likely to recover until 2011.

Vietnam travel plan -

2009-10-23T15:56:00.009+07:00

Do you ever have problems, as I do, in bringing your travel plans to life? Every trip to Vietnam it’s always the visa problem, scoring plane tickets at a reasonable price and a good, inexpensive place to stay in Saigon. Then there are my helpers, everyone wants to help at once but things don’t seem to get done. Though, due to these helpers, I’v always ended up with a visa and a place to stay in Saigon that’s more or less what I wanted. So some might say part of the problem, especially with regard to helpers, is not them but probably with me.

On this up coming trip I’m out ahead of where I'm usually at, because as of today I’ve successfully booked my plane tickets, at what I think was a reasonable price, seat is further back than I would like but still on the aisle and I have a couple months till take off.

The visa thing in the past few years has been taken care of by a friend in Saigon, who would obtain a visa approval letter there and I would just pick up the visa in San Francisco at the Vietnamese consulate. Vietnam is trying to restrict visas to 3 months or less for non business types and I wanted a 6 month one like I’v had in the past. So I’m going to try giving it a shot from here on my own. Visa’s are normally issued as one or three month tourist visa or a 6 month (what they call) a business visa. Now they are trying to make the 6 month a true business visa and so require you to document your business contact, think I figured how to do this without a business, we will see.

Now the room thing, I need some divine intervention with that one. The past couple years I’ve been renting a room just off of Le Thi Rieng St. with great Pho just around the corner and several other good eating spots close in. Room was newer, had a balcony, hot water bathroom with shower stall, daily cleaning most of the time, great job with laundry, dsl and cable TV, all for $350.00 a month. The only real downside was, as in all rented rooms in Vietnam, lack of privacy,along with having to buzz for entrance at night and having a friend sleep over was a very serious issue.

I’ll try to be patient with these issues and will get through this as I have done with my other visits over the past 8 years. I'll keep you posted -

Thailand train accident

2009-10-05T11:12:00.002+07:00

TRAIN ACCIDENT
Train derails in Hua Hin, killing at least 7 passengers

A train bounding for Bangkok from Trang derailed in Prachuab Khiri Khan on Monday morning, killing at least seven passengers and injuring many others.

The accident happened at about 4.45am at Khao Tao station in the province's Hua Hin district.

A Nation reporter at the scene said that ten of 15 compartments derailed.
He said that initial investigation showed that at least seven passengers; all women, were killed and about 61 passengers injured. The injured passengers were transferred to hospitals nearby including Pran Buri Hospital.

A doctor said four victims were found outside the compartments while three others were still trapped inside the compartments.
This is the first time that such fatal accident happened in the province.
Reports said that the No 84 train was arriving at Khao Tao station amidst heavy rains.

-- The Nation 2009/10/05

2009-10-04T05:13:00.002+07:00

Typhoon Lekima kills 12 in Southeast Asia
4 Oct 2007 06:27:14 GMT

Source: Reuters

KY ANH, Vietnam, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Typhoon Lekima lashed Vietnam and southern China with torrential rains and high winds, killing at least seven people, damaging hundreds of homes and disrupting air, sea and train travel, officials said on Thursday.

The storm, which killed at least five people in the Philippines last weekend, swept into central Vietnam from the sea on Wednesday night, blowing roofs off houses, sinking scores of fishing vessels and grounding flights before moving to Laos.

The typhoon raised rivers to dangerous levels in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces, but the damage caused was not as serious as feared.
"Thanks to good preparatory work the damage from the storm is not large," Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, supervising the response to the storm, told Reuters TV in Ky Anh in Ha Tinh.

Trees were felled and electricity cut off in the provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh where residents returned to clean up debris after evacuating on Wednesday.

A Vietnamese government report said many areas reported blackouts due to Lekima, the Vietnamese name of a local fruit.

The national weather centre in Hanoi warned residents to take precautions against flash floods and landslides.

It said the centre of the storm passed through Quang Binh, crossed Laos on Wednesday night and advanced into northern Thailand where it weakened into a depression.

Vietnam is hit by up to 10 storms a year, causing millions of dollars in damage and sometimes killing hundreds of people.

Lekima, the fifth storm of 2007, killed 7 people, while 3 others were missing, officials said.

The storm hit China's beach resort of Sanya on Hainan island on Tuesday, trapping tourists and forcing the evacuation of 225,000 people. Vietnamese authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people before the storm hit.

Three cargo vessels capsized while taking shelter at a port in Quang Binh, a Reuters reporter travelling in the region said.
National carrier Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines, the second-largest airliner, cancelled flights to the central cities of Vinh, Hue and Danang on Wednesday.

The southern Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi were hit with heavy rain and strong winds.

Most shipping and rail services linking Hainan with the mainland resumed late on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency said. (Additional reporting by Nguyen Van Vinh)
Source: Reuters

2009-09-15T06:24:00.003+07:00

Vietnamese government cracks down on Blogger's

BBC News Monday, 14 September 2009

A Vietnamese blogger detained by police has said she was freed after promising she would quit writing her blog, which has been critical of the government.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh is the last of three bloggers recently detained and then released by police.

A Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said the three had been arrested legally for national security reasons.

Analysts say the authorities want to prevent blogs becoming a news source and a tool for opposition groups.

On 27 August, blogger Bui Thanh Hieu, also known as Nguoi Buon Gio, was arrested in Hanoi.

A day later journalist Pham Doan Trang, who worked for one of the most visited semi-official news websites in the country - VietnamNet, was also detained by the security police. She too ran a well-read personal blog.
Blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh was arrested on 2 September in the central city of Nha Trang. All three have now been released.

Internet popularity

As official media generally stay silent on any subjects deemed sensitive and controversial by the ruling Communist Party, many Vietnamese have turned to the internet to share information and discuss topics of interest.

Analysts say the communist government fears it can not control the more than two million personal blogs in Vietnam as they become increasingly popular as an information medium.

"The Vietnam Communist Party and its security apparatus cannot tolerate matters they do not control. Territorial surveillance, bloc wardens and informers work when suspects are territorially based," says Vietnam analyst, Carlyle Thayer, from the Australian Defence Force Academy.

"Cyberspace represents a more formidable challenge because anonymous citizens can post their views and exchange ideas with others both inside and outside Vietnam."

Territorial disputes with Beijing over the Paracel and Spratly islands, alongside corruption and religious freedom, are among the most talked about topics.

The Vietnamese government does not want anti-China sentiments to get out of hand, but this is not the only reason for the authorities' concern.
Some people inside the country point out that blogs can also serve as a networking tool for groups with a different agenda from the Communist Party to organise face-to-face meetings.

"Online activities may make the authorities wary, but offline ones are what they're disturbed about," says a Ho Chi Minh City-based journalist who wishes to remain anonymous.

"They cannot control the internet, but they can and will punish whoever wants to act on the ideas they consider reactionary," the journalist says.
In his opinion, the latest developments might be part of the ongoing crackdown on political dissidents that saw dozens interrogated and detained in the last couple of months.

Among them are human rights lawyer Le Cong Dinh, businessman Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and democracy activist Nguyen Tien Trung.

Are you in Vietnam? What do you think about the way the authorities are dealing with sensitive content on the internet? Send us your experiences and views using the form below.

A Good spot to stay and eat in Chiang Mai

2009-07-17T06:59:00.019+07:00

My friend Jan's guesthouse - to start she has 3 single rooms available and is working on expanding this.

Prices at 200 bath /night - BB 300 /night. Food is available: from mixed fruit at 40 baht to sandwiches at 60-70 baht - breakfast 60-115 b - Band Thai food from 40-60 B

Contact Jan -Jan's Bann Dtonsoi, 98 Ratchiangsean 1 Road, T .HaiyaMueang, Chiangmai, Thailand 50200

e-mail - lanna_chiangmai@hotmail.com

More good news for Thailand's tourist industry

2009-07-14T10:00:00.005+07:00

INFLUENZA - 2009
Health experts tell people to avoid public places
BANGKOK:

As the type-A (H1N1) virus spreads and claims more victims, the chorus to halt all forms of public life seems to be growing more strident.

"The transmission rate of the new flu virus from humans to humans will be drastically decreased if people across the country, including patients with flu-like symptoms, stay home and do not participate in any social gathering for two weeks," said Dr Tippawan Nagchinta, a health expert from the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tippawan, who is a consultant from the CDC to the Field Epidemiology Training Programme, urged the government to tell people to avoid crowded places in order to slow down the increase in the H1N1 virus' fatality and infection rates.She was speaking after a meeting with top-level health officers and experts from the country's leading medical schools in Bangkok at the Public Health Ministry.

If the government shuts down public spaces where people meet and hang out, including schools, cinemas and theatres, morbidity would immediately decrease, she said.This lesson has already been borne out in the US, where infections among students were reduced rapidly after the CDC ordered some schools, where infected cases were found, to stop operating for two weeks, she said.If the government could not ban all public areas, it should pick those places with the most cases, she said.

Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart also said he personally believes it was now time to call off all classes to control the spread of the 2009 flu."The suspension should last two to four weeks during which a major clean-up operation would be conducted," he said."After that, the schools can resume classes and arrange make-up sessions later."Sanan chairs the committee dealing with the disease. He also thought about promoting the use of facemasks.

"The Public Health Ministry plans to allocate Bt10 million for purchasing face masks," he said."All Cabinet members will wear face masks at their meeting to lead by example."Sanan plans to seek Bt70 million from the Cabinet today for public campaigns on how to guard against the pandemic.

Former public health minister Suchai Charoenratana-kul also advised the govern-ment to close all schools for one week."All entertainment events should be withheld during the same period, too," he said.The new flu is a real threat because its death toll here is the highest in Asia and the sixth highest in the world.The government should also be cautious about the use of antiviral vaccine for the H1N1 flu, he said."Any rush may bring unwanted deaths and paralysis," he said.

The Nation
2009-07-14

Travel Channel's " Bite Me with Dr. Mike" does Vietnam

2009-07-06T07:05:00.006+07:00

The new Travel Channel series "Bite Me with Dr. Mike" will do Vietnam this Tuesday, July 7 Th, at 10:00 pm.

Along with a new group of critters he will visit Cuc Phuong National Park, a Vietnamese barber shop, take a peak at Cu Chi Tunnels, and investigate a rice paddy field in the Vietnamese country side.

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bite_Me_with_Dr_Mike

June 27 th update on Thai politics

2009-06-28T09:46:00.008+07:00

I'm in the states now but a part of me is always in SE Asia. Just ran across the following update on political action in Thailand, so I'm passing it along. June 27, 2009 - Straits Times, Singapore

18,000 'Red Shirts' gather

Red-clad demonstrators arrived in jubilant spirits from mid-afternoon in the historic quarter of the city, staying put to listen to rousing speeches and sing songs in the evening despite heavy rains.

MORE than 18,000 'Red Shirt' protesters loyal to fugitive premier Thaksin Shinawatra gathered in Bangkok Saturday for the biggest anti-government rally since bloody riots two months ago.

Red-clad demonstrators arrived in jubilant spirits from mid-afternoon in the historic quarter of the city, staying put to listen to rousing speeches and sing songs in the evening despite heavy rains.

Protest leader Jatuporn Prompan urged supporters not to leave the rally site and reiterated the group's demands for premier Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve the house and call fresh elections.

Red shirt people, you're being put to the test. Weather should not prevent us from overthowing this government,' he said. 'Abhisit must dissolve the house and return power to the people immediately.

Mr Jatuporn berated key royal advisor Prem Tinsulanonda who the Red Shirts accuse of instigating the coup that ousted Thaksin in 2006. 'Prem is still our enemy number one. He's the enemy of this country,' he told protesters. The group have said they would stay at the site until dawn on Sunday but have promised a peaceful demonstration.

The government has vowed to take a tough stance on any trouble and police said more than 3,000 officers and 1,000 soldiers were on hand to guard government offices and search the crowd for trouble-makers.
Many of the protesters at the site held up placards with slogans attacking the government and pictures of their hero Thaksin.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has placed the national police chief in control of security but said he had drafted a document to invoke an internal security law that gives more power to the army in case the rally turns sour. Major General Suporn Phansua told AFP that police estimated 30,000 to 50,000 protesters, mostly from Bangkok and surrounding provinces, could show.

Thaksin, currently living in Dubai to escape a jail sentence for corruption, is due to telephone Saturday's rally at around 8.30pm (9.30pm Singapore time).

'Thaksin... will talk about the government's failure to solve the economic crisis and may rebut the government's allegation (that the red shirts) plan to incite violence in the city,' Mr Jatuporn added. -- AFP

Wild times in Thailand

2009-04-13T16:04:00.004+07:00

Last week it was the Asian Summit in Pattaya when the "United Front for Democracy against dictatorship", other wise known as the red shirts converged on Pattaya. There demonstrations forcing the closure of the summit with the world leaders in attendance being heloed away.

To regain control a state of emergency was declared by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva which in effect pushed the demonstrators back to Bangkok.

Protesters and police have clashed a new in Bangkok, reports of anywhere from 44 to 70 people injured. Reports of streets being blocked, bus and train service halted but my Air Asia flight is still on for Wednesday. I tried to push back my flight but they have set 48 hours as the minimum time frame to change flights and I arrived 45 hours before and was told - "we have our rules so either use the flight or lossthe ticket".

Link to the latest news -news.yahoo.com/

2009-04-13T15:35:00.007+07:00

Something else to think about before deciding to rent one of those spiffy little motorbikes :

Foreign drivers must cooperate with traffic police: officer
April 12, 2009 about News, Social

Ho Chi Minh City police will not tolerate resistance from foreign drivers found flouting traffic rules without a driverâ€™s license, a police official said.

The Ho Chi Minh City police department set up a task force to oversee the observation of traffic regulations by foreigners late last month. The move followed a crackdown on foreigners and overseas Vietnamese caught breaking traffic regulations last December. English-fluent traffic police have been dispatched mostly to District 1 to handle foreigner-related traffic infringements.

Any violating foreign driver will have their bikes impounded if they cannot present a driverâ€™s license, said lieutenant-colonel Nguyen Ngoc Loan, head of the Traffic Police Task Force No.1 at the city police department.
Foreign drivers who were uncooperative with traffic police would face additional fines of VND1.5 million, Loan said.

Loan also said the city police department would consider printing traffic violation tickets in English to make it easier for foreign drivers to read and sign.

Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Police Deputy Chief Lieutenant-Colonel Tran Thanh Tra said the current fines for the owners of rented motorbikes were not enough of a deterrent. Owners of motorbikes rented by foreigners face fines of VND100,000-200,000 ($5.90-11.80) if their customers break traffic regulations.

Tra said the fines should be higher.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A VIETNAMESE DRIVING LICENSE:
Foreigners eligible for driving licenses in Vietnam include those who have lived, worked or studied in Vietnam for at least three months and have legitimate driving licenses granted by their home countries.

To apply for a Vietnamese driving license foreigners need to submit the following documents:

An application letter certified by their Vietnamese employer or agency;
A copy of their driving license from their home country and a Vietnamese translation;
A copy of their passport. Those under diplomatic immunity must present an introduction letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Three passport photos.

License applications, which should be processed within five days, can be made at HCMC Department of Transport offices at:
252 Ly Chinh Thang, Ward 9, District 3; 8 Nguyen Anh Thu, Trung My Tay Ward, District 12; or 111 Tan Son Nhi, Tan Son Nhi Ward, Tan Phu District.

In Hanoi, the documents can be submitted at the Hanoi Department of Transport offices at: 16 Cao Ba Quat, Ba Dinh District; or 2 Phung Hung Street, Ha Dong Town.

Reported by Dam Huy

Red, yellow and now blue shirts in Thai politics - plus update

2009-04-10T17:11:00.008+07:00

Thaksin Shinawater has had a rough few years, while out of the country in September of 2006 a bloodless coup deposed him as prime minister. As a result he went into a self imposed exile with his wife, ending up in London, I'm guessing with time on his hands, so he bought the soccer team, Manchester United.

Meanwhile, his opponents in Thailand where prosecuting him and his wife in the courts on corruption charges and attempted to have him extradited. In his absence they continued with the proceedings, convicting him and his wife. Shortly their afterward he and his wife divorced, he gave up Manchester United and is said to be using all his time and energy in Thai politics. The power and support behind the red shirts, who are now protesting for a new election.

Q+A-Where is political unrest in Thailand heading?
Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:52am BST - Reuters UK

update 04/11/09 Blue shirts are now involved in the ongoing Thai political protests. Blues represent locale Pattaya residents who are attempting to block red shirts protests. The Nation

Watch out for buses in HCMC

2009-04-01T13:31:00.004+07:00

Serious stuff getting out on the streets in Saigon - 38 bus related traffic accidents last year = 38 deaths. Read about the carnage in the last month in following article-

City orders bus driver clampdown after accident fatalities

A public bus picking up passengers in District 1.
The Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee Tuesday ordered a clampdown on bus drivers following a horror spate of fatal accidents this month.
The committee requested the cityâs Transport Department and Public Passenger Transport Management and Operation Center to tighten control over public bus operators and ensure bus drivers follow traffic safety rules.
It asked the HCMC police department to instruct the traffic and district police to get heavy on bus drivers who flouted the rules.
Nguyen Ngoc Tuong from the committee said many bus drivers were a danger to public safety as they drove carelessly, sped and dropped off and picked up passengers haphazardly.

Tuesday, driver Phan Van Toai drove over the leg of an alighting passenger, 71-year-old Tran Ngoc. The bus dropped Ngoc on Le Dai Hanh Street, District 11, and swung back onto the road before the driver was alerted by other passengers that he had run over the old woman.
Ngoc was rushed to Cho Ray Hospital for urgent surgery. So far no action has been taken against the driver.

On Monday, bus driver Nguyen Van Phuoc turned sharply to stop at a bus stop, causing an accident that killed a man engaged to be married this Sunday.

Last Thursday bus driver Ho Van Tay went the wrong way on a roundabout and crashed into a motorbike in District 8, killing the male motorbike driver and his nephew instantly while the manâs 12-year-old daughter died Friday in hospital. Tay was arrested and police have said they will press charges against him.

HCMC public buses last year caused 38 traffic accidents that killed 38 people, the city road traffic police reported earlier this month.

Reported by: Dinh Muoi â Thanh Tung

Busing it - Saigon to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2009-03-29T21:57:00.022+07:00

The bus route between Phnom Penh has become big business; several bus companies ply the route. One of the original companies is Sapaco Tourist and the is the one I picked again.

I’ve written about Sapaco before, they still have nice buses, some with toilets and a somewhat professional staff. A one way ticket is still $ 10.00 US and I always try to book one way tickets. The price is the same as buying a round trip and buying a one way gives you flexibility to return when ever. Though, in this case they said the return date could be changed, but it is one thing to say and another to do.

To enter Cambodia a visa is required and for $ 24.00 the bus company’s also handle this for you. Really not a bad deal as they fill out the forms and get you your visa at the border for you. However if you’re the hands on type a visa can be got on your own for $ 20.00 but it takes a few days on line through the Cambodia e-visa site. A visa can also be got through travel agents in Saigon but again it takes a few days and probably costs about the same as what the bus company charges.

Sapaco has buses leaving Saigon at 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00 11:30 AM and 1:00, 2:00 PM with two stops, one at the border and another for a food break. In Saigon they are located on Pham Ngu Lao adjacent to the backpacker area of district 1, along with the other bus companies working the Cambodia route. Your hotel or guest house can probably handle your bus reservation and set it up so you can be picked up, how ever you book your ticket it's best to book a couple days in advance to can get that primo front seat. Oh ya, the company also tosses in a sandwich and a bottle of water for the 5 hour trek.

My ride over was uneventful, border crossing took about 30 minutes, a short wait for a ferry across river at Neak Loeing and a food break at one of the nameless highways places buses in every third world country stop at. The bus was clean and nice looking but lacked a toilet and had this rolling ride like running in an off shore swell aboard a boat.

Cambodian kids

Family outing - Cambodia style

Bus tire repair, driver and helper

Cambodian police guard market

tut-tut cruises by grand palace

Phnom Penh is an interesting town, crowded, dirty and poor but interesting. Reminding me of some people I've met in my life, I'm drawn to them but I'm not sure why.

For example you will find loads of bars and girls looking for work on street 116, just around the corner from the upscale riverside cafés. On street 116 places with names like the Oasis bar, 69, Candy bar and Banana bar are the norm. If you meet the lady of your dreams and make that cosmic connection or just feel like messing around, pay the $ 5.00 bar fine and she is yours for the evening and another $ 20.00 gets you a sleep over.

Now if you’re the sort that needs a bit of very personal afternoon attention, The Walkabout is your spot, $ 15.00 gets you a new best friend for an hour plus an additional $2.00 for a spot to get personal, overstay your hour and the room went up to $4.00.

US dollars work great in most places even though the KHR (riel) is Cambodia’s official currency 4,100 KHR = 1 US dollar. At our food stop I exchanged some US dollars at the bank across the road but after a couple days ended up trading them back for dollars. It's just easier to use dollars most places.

I booked my hotel room through agoda on line at the Cara hotel, a little bit away from the action, located on No. 18, Street 47& 84, Sangkat Chork, Khanh Doun Penh though has a real classy disco across the street and taxi’s and tuk-tuk's right outside the front door to carry you away. Great place at a good price $35.00 a night, including breakfast. Has a bank of top quality computers for guests to use at no charge. Rooms are large and quite because of the big windows being double glazed , no mildew in the bathrooms and excellent cable TV.

The bus ride back to Saigon took a lot longer than expected. Somewhere out in the Cambodian countryside the bus blew out the tandem back left tires. Sure made a loud boom and the bus was all shaking and making strange noises until the driver got it stopped. Luckily we weren't going very fast; Cambodian roads aren't made for speed anyway. It took the driver and crew a long time to get both those tires off, crank down the spare and mount it.

Then we headed to a tire guy, a shoeless man dressed only in shorts, working out of a dirt floored shed with the help of a sledge hammer and some well placed shims, pulled the tires off the rimes. Inserted new tubes from the spares aboard, remounted the tires and we were rolling again.

One of the real freaky things about Phnom Penh are all the new expensive cars clogging the streets. Can you say Lexus, Mercedes and BMW? It makes a strange contrast with people around so poor they can't afford shoes – what’s up with that? Also loads of new construction going on and I'm thinking who is moving into all those new buildings?

Yup, an interesting place where change is charging in but still with still a bit of the old rough side left to make things interesting .

cost of hanging out in Saigon -

2009-03-25T22:00:00.004+07:00

4/2010 prices of common items you might need while in Saigon - (approx. 19,000 dong = 1 US dollar)
Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) ......11,000 - 35,000 dong
can of coke at the market.................................6,500 dong
can of soda water -market................................4,000 dong
Aquafina 1.5 l of mineral water market......... 8,000 dong
iced coffee with milk - ca-phe sua da...5,000 - 35,000 dong
Ba Ba Ba beer in the market.......................... 10,000 dong
Tiger beer in the market.................................12,000 dong
Heineken beer in the market............................14,500 dong
Budweiser beer - market ..................................21,000 dong
Filipino Tondena rum gold -750 ml bottle..... 92,000 dong
Havana Club Anejo 3 Anos, Cuban rum -750 ml bottle. 250,000 dong
Vietnamese Ruou rhum 650 ml - Ben Tham Mkt . 40,000 dong
Rex Goliath California wine..................................258,000 dong
Ruou Dalat red wine.............................................82,000 dong
Peter Pan, jar (chunky) peanut butter................50,000 dong
Sardines, can (packed in olive oil).......................46,200 dong
Spam, can..................................................................63,000 dong
tray for freezing ice cubes for my rhum and co-ca. 14,000 dong
nice dinner for two at a Vietnamese restaurant... 160,000 dong
omelet and coffee in the Pham Nu Lao area...........40,000 -70,000 dong
hair cut, shampoo, face wash with chair massage. 160,000 dong
Gillet foamy shaving cream - med. size can...............49,000 dong
Knock off polo shirt....................................................85,000 dong
xe om - motorbike taxi in city center............ 20,000 - 50,000 dong
Guest house monthly stay ................... $ 250-370.00 USD per month including cable TV, AC, hot water private bath, and laundry
Hotel room ................................. $ 35.00 - 250.00 USD a night
Air fare to Bangkok from Saigon...$ 200.00 USD round trip
Air fare to Hanoi from Saigon....... $ 150.00 USD round trip
Hydrofoil to Vung Tau from Sgn......160,000 dong each way
Direct bus Saigon to Siem Reap, Cambodia.... .$ 20.00 USD one way
Cambodian Visa................................$ 24.00
Serviced apt- fully furnished ........... $ 800.00 USD and up per month
Mars dark chocolate bar . Zen Plaza................ 14,000 dong
Breakfast Pho Pho 24, and coffee with milk.. 70,000 dong
Khoai tay chin small bag (potato chips) mkt.... 14,000 dong
One hour of computer use at a Saigon Internet shop..... 4,000 dong
cost of a pet Bull dog bred imported from Australia.......$800. USD on up
cost of a pet Pug pure bred dog imported from Austrialia......$300.00 USD up
restored 1950's -1960's Vespa...$ 2,000 - $ 6,000 USD
new motorbike ....... starting at... $1500.00 USD
disposable rain poncho bought on the street.....2,500 dong
copy MS Office Pro 2007................................50,000 dong

Let me know if you would like something added to the list.

Saigon sets the Bench Mark for bad days -

2009-02-22T23:29:00.008+07:00

As most I have good and bad days wherever I am but my bad days in Saigon set a new bench mark for badness. If you have a minute I'll take you a long on my last and worst yet day.

It all starts yesterday morning when I trip, navigating my way down those black, narrow, spiral stairs from my room. Recovering from my misstep with no peril to myself or the stairs I stumbled over to change into my street shoes.

I’m rolling now with time to spare to get down to Pho 32 before they sell of their morning Pho and close. Pull open the iron security door to the alley and bang into a motorbike parked up close. Slide out the door and around him only to step out into the path of another motorbike on the move down the alley, he veers around me, with a passing dirty look.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but dirty looks; well they’re just dirty” I try to imply with my reply look.

However, I’m starting to feel more, more uneasy with every step; it just seemed that I was out of step with the world around me. Maybe you've had that kind of feeling, you know when no matter how you try what ever you do just doesn't seem right.

I pass on down my alley and see the food selling is in full swing, which means tables set up on both side of the alley allowing about a 2 – 3 ft space for people and motor bikes to pass through.

Along with the tables on the sides you have the food prep going on, dirty dishes being washed in strategically placed metal and plastic tubs. The open middle is not just to allow people like me to pass through but for the customer’s coming to eat and the food servers. Then there are the ever present motor bikes forcing their way through the middle section, not just locale alley dwellers but the two way traffic variety tying to beat traffic of the main street.

Three times a motorbikes honked at me to get out of the way and all three time it scared the bajesus out of me and two of the three times I knocked into a dinners trying to eat. All responding with that look that says - “who the hell do you think you are”. Sometimes I’m a bit self-conscious anyway, as a 65 year old, grey haired stocky, white guy in the land of little dark haired, mostly young folk but I try hard to keep it in control but today it’s not working.

Now I’m around the corner, about 20 foot from my breakfast spot, Pho 32 and step out into the street to pass around some side of the road goings-on as the loud blast of a passing bus shakes me out of my sandals. It’s a slow day in Pho 31 so I slide into a corner table and hunker down to my noodles and coffee. For a change when I finish eating I actually offer up the correct amount of money for the bill, so as I step back on the street I’m thinking a little more positive.

After breakfest pho I’m on my way over to the riverside area to check on the boat service from HCM to Can Tho City. I cut across the park and around behind the Ben Than bus station, then down the back streets to Nguyen Hue and over to the riverside. In order to check on the boats I need to cross Ton Duc Thang. A four lane road with no crossing area and jam, chucked full with trucks hauling goods from the harbor, cross town buses, taxis and the ever present motorbikes. Close to a forty minute walk and I can’t get across the damn street, grumbling I start my walk back.

Get back to the room, take a nap and hang out till friends come by for dinner. That evening I decide to take a walk and de-stress myself. My walk has me feeling better so as I pass my favorite bar I decide to stop for a beer and peanuts.

Then on my way home, at about the half way point my stomach starts feeling bad and its getting progressively more uncomfortable as I walk along. I just make it up to my room, step in the john and everything comes up and out, not just once but at least 10 times. It was so bad I brought the stool from the room in to sit on because I was getting worn out from running back and forth.

Finely my system had pitched and flushed out all the bad stuff and I dropped into bed exhausted to dream of better days to come.

Since, I have recovered and took a couple days for my body and mind to regroup but all is fine now. Even made it across the busy street to the riverside and checked on the boat to Can Tho.

Saigon's Dam Sen Park - The water side

2009-02-19T12:39:00.011+07:00

You’re tired of wondering around Saigon and you feel like some water fun, what’s a guy or gal to do, get out to Dam Sen Water Park. So toss you swim suit, towel and whatever you need in your bag and you’re on your way.

You can get there on your own by one of the buses originating from the bus terminal; you know the place where you see all the city buses on the other side of the traffic circle in front of Ben Thanh market.

To get over there you have a lot of traffic to walk through so torque up your courage and head out. I’ve written about this before, in passing through motorbike traffic walk slowly so they can navigate around you but with buses, trucks and cars just try to stay out of their way.

Once at the terminal walk around to the back side, looking for the bus with a placard in the window stating Ben Thanh – Dam Sen.

Riding any public bus in Vietnam is always an adventure but the bus your taking terminates at Dam Sen Park so no worries, just get off when the bus stops. Cheap also, 3,000 dong, standard fare on Saigon buses and you purchase your ticket on the bus from the drivers assistant. Oh ya and she makes change.

Dam Sen is really two parks, one is your standard Disneyesk and the other is of the water type. I believe you have to pay separately for each but this time I went just to the water park, the ticket cost of 80,000 dong. However, if you’re over 60 it’s no charge but you get strange looks when you request it, Oh ya and have to prove it. I wouldn’t have tried it on my own but it was my Vietnamese friend idea.
I’m not sure of the parks hours but most public places here open early and stay open late. Probably a visit during the week is best; guessing the weekends tend to be really crowded.
The park has all the standard water park stuff, wave pool, fax river to float on, small slides up to the mega ones. Kiddy area, lots of shaded areas with chairs and plenty of food vendors but you might not have much luck finding hot dogs and Hamburg’s. There is a changing area with showers and lockers for rent in the same area. The changing areas are close to the entrance but if need to be pointed in the right direction ask and if that doesn’t seem to work use a little sign language, like wave your swim suit around and soon someone will point you in the right direction.

Vietnamese are pretty conservative, so guys wear dark blue/black swim trunks or just shorts and t shirts – women also in t shirts with shorts or light weight pants, maybe an old school type swim suit, no bikinis. Anyway, it ain’t no Venice Beach.

The water was pretty chilly the day I visited but the air temp was the normal Saigon day of 90 plus. So it should be a good place to literally chill out and if you have kids they will love it.

Saigon and Tet 2009

2009-02-13T22:22:00.018+07:00

Arrived back in Saigon a few days before the official start of Tet but the craziness had already begun. Streets filled with motorbikes, so what’s new; ya, but it seemed even more of them than normal and all in a rush, and again – OK, the same rush but this scene now had most bikes laden down with plants, flowers, cases of beer and all kinds of treats and gifts for the holiday. This getting ready for Tet is big stuff – parks are filled with flowers, trees and all kinds of special stuff for hearth and home. Street vendors increase in density and diversify, lit plastic devil horns where an especially hot item along with colored light gadgets you hold.

It can be hard for foreigners to appereciate all this effort required to get the holiday going and some may not understand why the Tet New Year is celebrated on a different day every year. Because as we all know the first of January as the start of the New year sp wjar'ts thos all about. Well, strange as it may seem there was civilized life before us, even a different calendar was established by the Chinese. This Chinese calander was pretty complicated and heady stuff, moon phases and all that were used as the bases for keeping track of the passing of time. Hence the lunar Year was created and the celebration of this in Vietnam is called Tet.

I don’t know about the rest of Vietnam but HCM City puts on a super duper show. The most dramtic event is the blocking off Nguyen Hue to motorized traffic and turning it into a giant walk through display of exotic tropical trees and flowers. Among all this living beauty are sculptured traditional characters and objects depicting the characters related to Tet, all this is lit in a fantastic show of show of lights and with traditional music cascading out.

The main street Le Loi, which terminates into Nguyen Hue is draped with lights and interwoven with artistic renditions of flowers creating a breath taking canopy over the entire boulevard. Bright red wrappings wound with more colored lights cover the trees lining the sides of the boulevard, giving a dramatic approach to the main show on Nguyen Hue.

It seems the celebration of Tet lasts about a week and during this many businesses close and so travel is big for Vietnamese during the period. Either heading back to the country side, Mekong, Hanoi, heading out for a holiday or just around town on your motorbike, Vietnam is in motion. While this is an interesting time, filled with tradition, so very interesting to us foreigners but traveling is just about impossible and many places of business are closed, even eating can be a challenge.

The opportunity for a new start is taken pretty serious, houses are cleaned from top to bottom, new clothes are bought and friends and family are visited and treated politely, gifts are given to insure transgression are over looked and things get off to a good start for the New Year.

Which leads us to Lucky money, my thinking is it’s kind of a karma thing coupled with the trickle down theory of economics carried out with in a little red envelope. So here is - a little red envelope with a crisp small denomination dong note inside, it’s passed from elders down or maybe hung with no money inside from a decorative Tet tree in the house where visitors are allowed to pluck one off for good luck. It’s really not about the value of what is inside but the concept of sharing your wealth for a New Year.

For me, after surviving the celebration of two new years, I know 2009, the year of the buffalo, is going to be a good one.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi

On my way to Saigon - January 09

2009-02-10T21:34:00.012+07:00

Lumpini Park - Bangkok noi

I’m passing through Bangkok on my way to Saigon from California. I saved enough money by using Bangkok as my gateway to covered the cost of a round trip ticket from Bangkok to Saigon.

The legacy carriers such as Air France, Thai Air, and United used to control the corridor between BKK and SGN until discounters like Air Asia came along. The new discounted fares are great but it seems Southeast Asia is trying to make their money on your baggage instead of your seat. It’s possible to pay more for the luggage you’re dragging around with you than your ticket. To save a few bucks they offer an option to prepay for your overage at a discount if you do it when you book the flight in person or on line. Though for guys like me that is a tough one, I don’t carry a scale and anyway I’m still stuffing things in my bag on the way to the airport

Another little get sha, - open seating is standard but for 20 bucks you can get pre boarding and snag that primo seat or have a good shot at it.

Air France was discounting BKK to SGN but the tab was still about a 40% premium over Air Asia. I took a ticket just because I didn’t want to deal with Air Asia but on check in found they also have a strict baggage allowance, per person a checked bag, 22 kg and 1 carry on, 8 kg. My checked came at 28 kg, with a big smile I started getting loud and acting a little crazy (they hate that) and digging stuff out of my checked bag and stuffing it into my carry on. They were so glad to have me gone they didn’t bother checking what I was carrying on, other than making me put my motorcycle helmet back in the checked bag. So in retrospect I’m not so sure if flying through BKK to save a buck is such a good deal but there are other reasons to pass through Bangkok.

One of those reasons are night spots like Soi Cowboy. Down the soi you'll find bar’s like Spicy Girls, Sheba, and Dun Dee, which all most likely evolved from days of old when this was a primo R&R spot for Vietnam War weary solders. The solders are now history only to be replaced by Indian’s, Japanese, Brits, and Australians on holiday and of course Doug.

As I sit on my bar stool taking advantage of happy hour, OK, happy two hour – 6:30 to 8:30, 40 – 80 baht a beer depending on the bar. It’s around 8:00 and the soi (alley) is a buzz with motor bikes ferrying the girls in for the night. As I watch this I can’t help but make the comparison between their start up ritual and bus tours I’ve been on, the bus finely arrives and we are rushed aboard, it races away only to stop shortly thereafter for gas. Much the same with the girls as they girls race down the soi side saddle astride motor bikes to their bar positions, hurriedly get dressed and apply their makeup, only to plop down, break out the chop sticks and top off the tank with a heaping plate of noddles. Pay attention as we will have a Q & A later, meet me at Soi Nana, you’re buying.

A few beers, a long day of sunny walking a little dizzy from watching all the hot chicks pass only to be shaken by a series of loud shirks. As a full grown elephant comes into view, like a couple feet from my outpost with his trainer riding atop as an assistant try’s to peddle food for folks to feed to the behemoth. I’ve seen baby elephants paraded around Bangkok before but this was a first for the jumbo variety. The authorities and animal rights groups are trying to discourage this kind of thing, they say it’s not fair to the animal and it could possible be hazardous to all. Yes, I’ll buy all that and I’m to cheap to get into feeding elephants. Anyway, between all the girls and I'm trying to imagine with all the traffic in Bangkok, along with it being illegal how the heck did they get this giant animal into the middle of the Bangkok?

Still have a few days more to go so I’m going to pace myself and head back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.

2009-02-05T18:00:00.001+07:00

Saigon is now Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon is now Ho Chi Minh City and you’re thinking old news, ok, but not so fast. Saigon has changed so drastically over the past few decades it deserves a new name and Ho Chi Minh City is as good as any. After all uncle Hoe, as he is affectionately known, is the man behind the unification of North and South into one Vietnam.

The change in the city was slow and stumbling at first but in the last few years it has accelerated at a mind numbing pace. HCM now has a complete medley of designer shops – ranging from Gucci to Louis Vuitton, along with Tag Heuer, Bally and a Chloe boutique in the new Rex Hotel annex.
The Rex was the Hotel where higher up military were billeted during the war years and its roof top bar offering a great vantage point for the viewing of night skirmishes going on between Uncle Hoe’s guys and us.

Personally I hate change so it’s more than a little frustrating to head out to one of my favorite spots and find a vacant lot or instead of a Pho shop or a high end place specializing in Brazillion beef or some other exotic fare. Though to be fair all the changes aren’t just up scaling everything, there is the fairly new Pho 24 chain with its squeaky clean, hermetically sealed super efficient restaurants, while still offering Pho at a reasonable price -– kind of like the McDonald's of Pho.

They still haven’t completely forced out all the old Saigon, you can still find the odd street vendor and if you step off the tourist tract or away from the foreigner haunts you’ll find the basic street sellers of old. Complete with those little plastic kiddy chairs where good and cheap noodles are still available at a buck or less.

-coconut juice sellers Lam Son Square -

While pursing markets like Ben Thanh is fun but if you’re on a mission it can be frustrating, even for Vietnamese. So the new Uncle Hoe city has a multitude of 7/11 style, super cooled, buffed and polished mini marts opening all over the place. There prices seem to be in line with the market but without the haggling. Large department stores like Zen Plaza and retail areas like Saigon Center and the Tax Mart offer US style goods from hair care products to California wine and locale products all at fair prices. Today I noticed several newly opened Circle K mini marts to offer more help to meeting our shopping needs.

I’ve even seen some infrastructure improvements, like new sidewalks and traffic signals. I read about big plans the city has to provide potable water, low cost housing for the workers, even a subway but I’m thinking the government moves a bit slower than the private sector.

Even with all the changes, inside its still Saigon and you can still call it that if you want and no one will care. To celebrate the future we will call Saigon Ho Chi Minh City or whatever other name that is decided on.

2008-10-16T03:35:00.000+07:00

Thia's making the best of political change process

Back in the US now so all I know about the political turmoil going on in Thailand is what I read. Every thing I picked up made the political goings on sound very serious and the country seem to be a scary place, which goes against my Thai experience. With the exception of ex Thai girlfriends who lead several aggressive protests against me and my behavior. Other than that I've always found Thia's to be peaceful, understanding and flexible in their acceptance of things. So hearing about the ongoing protests against the government which in the process even managed to shut down two airports and even railroad service for a for a short while, I was shocked. However, as you'll see in the photos the Thai personality and love of snook (fun) shines through even in these troubled times of change.

After mentioning this to my Thai friend Mati she sent these photos.

2008-07-23T12:28:00.000+07:00

Doug, Victor and friends in Chiang Mai

2008-06-14T06:48:00.001+07:00

The past few months has been pretty calm maybe even a little boring, which is OK from time to time. I arrived back home to my apartment here in California the end of May. In time to enjoy some of that great California spring weather. I can't believe how time fly's, it fall now and I'm just getting around to editing this.

California's dry hot and days and cool nights were a welcome relive from the hot, hot weather washed down with the sudden rains of Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. 90's with rain showers has you in stifling humidity as soon as you step a way from the luxury of an air-conditioned room.

On the 13 Th of May after a sleepless night I climbed on the back of my friend Gia My's motorbike and we heading over to get my visa extended. All night I had been up most of the night with serious heart burn so I asked her to drop me at Columbia Asia Clinic to get a bit of doctorly advise. I've used the clinic before, good service at a reasonable price and in this case a beautiful Vietnamese doctor to boot. Her verdict after an EKG and blood tests was that I had the makings of a heart attach. Next thing I know I'm bouncing my way through Saigon laying in the back of a van masquerading as an ambulance. Arriving at Tham Duc cardiology hospital they wasted no time and rolled me directly into the operating room for an angioplasty procedure, resulting in a stint in my right carteo artery and the information that my left artery was about 80% blocked. A week or so later my air evac insurance guys - International SOS decided to speed things up and air evaced me to Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital in Bangkok for another surgery to open the remaining blocked arteries. I'm doing pretty well now, physically anyway but mentally it's hard admitting I can break and that my life may have an end. Of course dealing with the insurance company and US bank’s World Perks Visa Signature card’s Nazi customer service hasn’t done much for my mental state either.

Just for reference to have an angioplasty and a stent inserted in Saigon takes about a weeks hospital stay and costs $ 6,500.00 (US). While the complicated procedures to open two arteries, with hospital stay in Bangkok was about $ 13,000.00. A room at Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok is about $ 200.00 a night (US) – all rooms are single even in intensive care. While Tham Duc Cardiology Hospital offers an open bed intensive care of about 18 beds and shared rooms at $ 35.00 (US) and private rooms at $ 50.00 a night. Samitivej Hospital billed my insurance company – Blue Cross Blue Shield – direct but the Vietnamese hospital wanted the money up front.

2008-05-11T21:34:00.001+07:00

It happened again, this morning walking along side the road, more on the sidewalk than on the road and I was hit from behind by a motorbike. Two silly Vietnamese girls abroad a Honda something or other clipped me on my right side, lost control of the bike, bounced over a cage where a hamster or some little rat looking creature was being housed. Then the out of control motorbike, silly girls still hanging on paused against a tree where a couple of security men from the building we were in front of, grabbed the controls and shut the thing down.

Interesting – the folks gathered around kind of gave me a look of apology and concern but not the driver. I’ve been through things like this before and it seems some Vietnamese care less about the damage they cause than the damage sustained to their image.

It’s become so crazy that it isn’t just foreigners who are at risk; I’ve seen locals get clipped also, one by a bus, along with seeing a bunch of close calls. The traffic is getting so thick that motorbikes are not only being parked on the side walk but are using the walks as an extension of the roadways, which as you can imagine really increases the hazards for walkers. Recently I’ve even read about concerns by the government because of traffic police being injured by motorbikes running into them.

2008-05-08T22:22:00.000+07:00

It’s 5:30 pm in Bangkok as I’m polishing off a couple beer Chang’s and a plate of chicken and rice at Mikes Corner bar and Restaurant. Mikes is an open air spot at the end of soi 18, Sukhumvit Road. I’ve been here before, for no other reason than I just end up here. As before I’m looking at the “Maxims Inn” sign – proclaiming “quality, budget accommodations and good food” and wondering if I’m really in Mikes or Maxims? Kind of like when you see a cat staring at the wall and you wonder what they are thinking, that’s me on beer chang.

The cat analogy fits well because at the time a cat was messing around under my chair. This is Thailand and maybe a Buddhist thing but cats and dogs seem to be welcome everywhere and of course restaurants are especially popular hangouts for them. In the process of disentangling the cat I glanced across to the Tequila Dragon Bar and lost interest in the sign dilemma and the cat and to see 8 bar girls sitting out in front of the bar. Preparing for the evening with a bar set up off bottles of Mekong whisky and cokes. My beer Chang drained I wonder over to be greeted with “Welcome, please come in”, and my night begins.

Sukhumvit is one of the main roads in Bangkok and off of it on the soi’s is where the action is. A soi is like a side street off a main road but instead of having individual names, are numbered, odd on one side and even on the other. The main action spots are on Soi’s but are not know by name, Soi Nanna and soi Cowboy but wonder down most and you’ll find some thing happening.

2008-05-06T17:17:00.000+07:00

It’s been reported to be the most expensive city in the world for expats to live. A little island where the lack of land area has its residents living in towering apartment buildings, dwarfing the skyline of the city center.

Hong Kong Special Administration Region (SAR) is its official name since the 1997 take over by the Chinese. Yes and still expensive, crowded, a little crazy but much like all large Asian cities and Chinese Communist or not still one of my favorite spots.

Clean and organized but not the Disney LANDesk feel of Singapore. You see smoking bans in parks, restaurants and curb side ash trays, and yes people cleaning them out along with sweeping the sidewalks. Signs posted warning of a $ 600.00 (hk$) ($77 US) fine for violators and enforced by special officers.

Excellent public transportation, subway, tams, buses, ferries and taxi’s get you easily anywhere you want to be. If you’re visiting for a few days, purchasing an Octopus Card is a good bet. Allowing the use of most mass transit options by just a swipe of the card and eliminating those embarrassing moments of trying to figure out the system on the fly.

Kawloon and shopping you bet – Mon Kok where the locals shop clothing, bags, computers and other everyday items. Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui - bargain basement nick knacks to original Chinese art with all kinds of electronic stuff in between. Hong Kong - hunt for antiques on Hollywood road in center; take a peak in the Rolls show room or just window shop all the interesting shops.

I remember back in the day Hong Kong was the premo place to shop for electronic bargains but the Internet has em beat now a day. Actually, Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City might even have better deals on clothing and the other sundry items us travelers look for. But Hong Kong is still great and such a wonderful experience.

Hop a ferry to one of the outlying islands such as Lamma. What we did was take a ferry to Yung Shue Wan and then hiked the 4 km “family trail” to Sok Kwu Wan for lunch and a return ferry. Great fresh seafood served in open air restaurants over looking the harbor.

Take buses over to Stanley, shop the Stanley market for cool stuff at bargain prices and lunch at one of the many outdoor cafes over looking the waterfront. Being a sailor I really enjoyed the Hong Kong Maritime museum located in the beautifully restored Murray House built in 1846. Especially cool where the models showing the evolution of Chinese sailing craft and the junk.

All this sight seeing and shopping can make a guy darn thirsty and a little hungry. Depending on your budget and the social level you feel most comfortable at, Hong Kong has your back. You have Lang Kwi fong in Central and SoHo in the same general area but take the mid level escalator for the got a new Am ex Card and I want to enjoy it crowd. For the pub crawler sort grab some street vendor chow while heading over to the sting of places on Lockhart Rd. in Wan Chi. The area looks much the same as it did when I took an R&R to Hong Kong in 1967. Lock and Load!

2008-04-24T19:04:00.000+07:00

I've been away for close to three weeks and this is my first post. Oh no, don't worry your not going to forced to read through three weeks of my ramblings in one sitting. I'll get my posts up to date over the next few weeks.

I'm typing this in Chaing Mai Thailand at an internet shop, which is slow going but next week I'll have my laptop to work on again in my room in Saigon.

Trying to do my share for the green effort, on 4/7/08 took Amtrak from Sacramento to Richmond and then the BART to SFO . Darn cheap, Amtrak's Capital corridor train cost $20.00 less my senior discount = $16.00 and Bart was only a couple bucks on top of that. Felt kind of dumb lugging all my luggage around but other that that it was a nice ride especially on Amtrak. Think it took around 2 hours plus.

The flight to Hong Kong, "can you say cramped" and so many non English speaking Chinese along with a bazillion kids.

People always ask - "OK, so how long is that light across the pacific" this time I paid attention and wrote it down. The flight was 13 hours and 56 minutes and it's 6,921 miles that's from SFO to Hong Kong international.

2008-03-25T03:01:00.000+07:00

Getting ready to head back to SE Asia. In a few weeks I'll be flying Cathay Pacific to Bangkok via Hong Kong and on ward to Saigon. Seems I hear a lot about air travel prices increasing but in shopping air fares for this trip it wasn't the case. Probably cheaper guys than Cathay but they are a good airline and allow stop overs in Hong Kong and open returns.

-

I use Sandra, a native Philipa, at Kinney travel in Sacramento as she normally can come up with good fares, especially on Cathay. Sandra is efficient and dependable - so if your planning a SE Asia visit check her out at - 1916-928-0434 /1-800-783-9634 Mention my name if you call - thanks!

-

Hong Kong has always been an expensive place to stay but as I work through my trip planning it doesn't seem any more expensive than before. The exchange rate has pretty much stayed the same - 7.75 Hk$ = 1 US dollar, which must be a big part of it.

-

On this visit as my last I used Hotel Club to find a room , I used them again and picked the Charter House in the Wan Chai distinct on Hong Kong Island. Looks like a pretty good deal, Charter House's web site lists a rate of $180.00 (US) a night, which I reserved through Hotel Club for $ 85.30 (US).

-

Now Bangkok is a surprise, normally super cheap but the dollar was worth more then. My stand by in Bangkok Jim's lodge room rate has increased from the low to mid thirty's US a night to the mid forty's. The exchange rate is mostly to blame, the room increased a couple hundred baht's present exchange rate of 31 baht to a US dollar, from the high 30's, yikes that hurts. Thank you George Bush!

2008-03-08T17:32:00.000+07:00

Cyclo guy Pham Ngu Lao - Saigon

cyclo guys endangered?

2008-03-08T12:07:00.001+07:00

Vietnamese government has announced that cyclo's and other pedal powervehicles will be banned after June. thanhnien news

Cyclo guys have always been a thorn in the side of the communists in Vietnam. A reminder of life before communism, as many of the original cyclo drivers where ex south Vietnamese military officers or other professionals prior to 1975.

Upon the defeat of the south the Hanoi government interned anywhere up to three million ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) military and civilians connected with the defeated government of the south or seving with the US, sending them to prison camps they deemed "reeducation camps" .

People were told they would be gone for a few days to upwards to a couple weeks depending on their prior position and to bring paper, pencils and personal items for their stay. Most, trying to do the right thing, surrendered voluntarily only to end up in forced labor camps or doing dangerous work such as clearing mine fields. Their stays ended up being years that is if they survived. On returning from the camps they were to be laborers and not live that life the life of a professional, so not by choice but by necessity many became cyclo drivers.

Officially the Hanoi government is saying the reason for outlawing cyclo's and other multi wheeled pedal vehicles is to help reduce the traffic problems. Granted Vietnam has a major traffic problem but I just don't see cyclo's or other pedal powered vehicles at the heart of it. However, jumbo buses, trucks, zillions of taxis and an ever expanding array of luxury sedans that scare the crap out of me as I attempt a street crossing might be.

2008-01-29T11:22:00.000+07:00

Over the past few years I read numerous tales of Vietnam's booming economy. But to me, a boots on the ground guy in Saigon, I didn't see it, especially in Saigon. That is in spite of the new construction projects building 5 star hotels, designer shops, suburban style North American neighborhoods and upscale city condos. Maybe I don't see it because I'm not up their with the deep pocket business folk but with the regular Vietnamese types walking or riding motorbikes. The same ones who work in shops, street side eating stands and bars. From my point of view they just aren't as smiley as they were and are working harder than ever for less money. Most are even too time pressed for a chat.

As I watch BMW's, Mercedes and even a Hummer or two roll down the street I can't help but notice and feel sad for the cyclo drivers milling around on the shaded corners of side streets, living on their cyclo's hoping to scrape enough dong together for a meal.

The small businesses I liked are disappearing, especially bad for me are the old style girl bars which are all just about gone. To establish this new Vietnam vision, the moral police chain up the entrance of bars in the middle of the night, in other bars they show up and sort through music library's, confiscating music not to their standards, other bars and small business are forced out by increased rents allowing opportunities for new businesses that share the government's vision. Many of these re styled business are targeted toward moneyed Vietnamese and high roller tourist trade the government expects. While most of the new ventures look pretty I don't see many customers.

The following link discusses some of the realities of Vietnam's new boom, inflation and the decreased purchasing power of workers and labor problems which have resulted in workers going out on strike.

http://www.reuters.com/article/inDepthNews/idUSSP16251620080128

Life in Hanoi and Saigon: Comparing Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh (well sort of)

2008-01-17T08:28:00.000+07:00

Life in Hanoi and Saigon: Comparing Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh (well sort of)

2007-12-31T04:18:00.000+07:00

2007-12-27T11:10:00.000+07:00

My Vietnamese friend proudly announced, "my country is the only country in the world to require every one on a motorbike to wear a helmet". Not sure about it being the only country in the world to have a mandatory helmet law but I do know that as Dec.15 it became a ticket able offence in Vietnam to be aboard a motorbike un helmeted. Being am American this seems amazing that seemingly overnight the government can instate a law like this with no resistance, no wonder we lost the war. For example. not long ago the same friend went to great lengths explaining why helmets were impractical and down right dangerous the way they restricted you. This wasn't just her I've heard the same thing from many Vietnamese who are now proudly wearing helmets in support of the government. Have to wonder what Uncle Ho would think about all these goings on in the new Vietnam.

Now for a few statistics - 65% of Vietnam's 84 million people use motorbikes as their primary mod of transport - in the past 11 months there were 12,000 highway fatalities and motorbikes were involved in 75% of the accidents according to the Vietnamese minister of transportation.

Then a few more - 150,000 dong ($9.35) fine for helmet less motorbike riders - helmets are available in colors, patterns and other creative designs like bears and cats - helmets cost riders around 200,000 dong ($12.50) - less than 70% of them passed impact tests, reported the Vietnamese press.

Doug says - if headed to Vietnam cover with your own DOT approved helmet or better yet, but not much fun, stay off motorbikes. If your like me you can't help wondering if enforced traffic laws and drivers training might save more lives than a $13.00 pink helmet. Anyway the law is the law my easy rider friend...

Some really cool photos of helmeted folks.... http://travelatvietnam.com/helmet.htm

2007-11-26T23:00:00.000+07:00

- Louis Vuitton Shop-

30 April 1975 South Vietnam falls to the Communists and days later Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh was the recognized leader of the communist North and adopted figure head of the communist government after his death in 1969. The name change has caused many to stumble over what to call the largest city in Vietnam.

Interesting enough Uncle Ho, as many Vietnamese affectionately call him, had many aliases through out the years. His real name was Nguyen Tat Thanh, now that would have made quite an interesting name for the city.

A couple years ago I read that due to all this confusion over the cities name the government decided to refer to the center of Ho Chi Minh City as Saigon.

For me Saigon is disappearing and the who city is becoming Ho Chi Minh City. On each visit I see more and more of the old Saigon being torn down to make room for new, modern, monoliths as the government reshapes the cities direction. Many of my favorite little shops, family run restaurants and yes, girly bars are now gone. I see designer shops at the head of Dong Koi street at Lam Son Square facing 5 star hotels and a newly painted (white) hotel Continental. New pedestrian ways have been added, and every thing is clean and tidy while most of the Vietnamese in evidence are workers or just passing through. That is for a few selected street folk that seem to tossed in for effect. The language here is English, Japanese and French and it's easier to find western food than Asian.

Anyway, it's neat, tidy and tourist friendly with a kind of Disney Worldesk feel to it. For my self I morn the loss of Saigon but catering to old Asian hands like me is not a growth industry.

2007-10-22T10:36:00.000+07:00

For those of you like me who jump over the Pacific to Asia from San Francisco, Cathay Pacific has added a second daily flight to Hong Kong and a direct flight to Guangzhou, China.

Other news from Cathay is that in May they embarked on a project to upgrade seating on their fleets aircraft.

The new refitting economy class will offer seats that recline in a less evasive manner than the present ones, newly designed head rests, individual TV monitors and an overall improved entertainment system. While business class will offer lay flat seating. http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_US/whatonboard/previewthenewseats

2007-10-10T22:07:00.000+07:00

On crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh City:

Walk slowly; the traffic will pass around you as you walk across the street. Ya, sure, if it's not one of the 400,000 plus automobiles now registered in the Ho Chi Minh City or one of those mega buses that ply the city, or a jumbo tractor-trailer hauling containers that are all out there on the city streets in modern Saigon. So the walk slowly strategy is old news - run, jump, or do what ever it takes to get out of the way of traffic as you cross the streets. However, as your doing that just try like hell not to jump in front of or run into one of the 3 million motor bikes buzzing around the city streets.

Four years ago I wrote "The motor bike way" and then their were very few taxi's and it was rare to see personal automobiles, no city buses (or very few) and just a smattering of trucks but it's all together different now. Back then I wrote, "Crossing the street was like swimming through a spool of fish, as you move into the mass they just slide by". Now days instead of sliding by, if you're not careful they'll roll right over the top of you. It's especially dangerous at night, when those two headlights you tried to step between turned out to be a Hummer.

So when you read in the guidebooks about not worrying when you cross the street just walk slowly, ignore it and worry a lot as you plan you crossing well before you step off that curb. Your curbside plan should should have you avoiding car, truck and bus confrontations and insight as to your track to the otherside.

If it looks, to scary walk on and look for another spot to cross at. Look for a traffic signal controlled intersection, but remember even if you do find one, pay attention when you cross and worry some more. Vietnamese don't always stop for lights and right and left turns on red seems to be OK. Oh and driving down the wrong way on a one way as long as it is by the curb seems OK also, so always look both directions before you step off that curb even on one way streets.

2007-10-07T14:45:00.000+07:00

So ya made some new friends in Ho Chi Minh City or your into international prank calls but calling just ain't worken. You get funny bleeps, maybe a cryptic Vietnamese message or your call gets bounced back to the US to hear "your call didn't go through, try again". You know this can't be "rocket science" so it's making you crazy.

Your right making calls to Vietnam or any international call isn't "rocket science" but with out the prefix codes it may as well be cause you ain't going no where with them.

For example calling a land line in Saigon - first you dial the code of the country your dialing from, GB 00, USA 011, Japan 010, Australia 0011, Then Vietnam's country code 84 - city or area code (HCMCity) 08 -all topped off by the phone number.

For a cell phone the city code is part of the phone number. Do as above, your country code + 84 (Vietnam's) drop the first 0 of the number and key the number in. For example my cell number is 0977469552, to call me from the USA, dial 011(USA country code) 84(Vietnam country code) drop the 0 and dial the number 977469552. 011-84-977469552

Now if your totally confused, need country codes or just have more time than money, - http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/dialing.html?p2=218 .

2007-10-05T16:42:00.000+07:00

On the 15 th, only a little over a week away, I'm back to the states again. Not sure if I should be excited, sad, happy or what. I've developed the same love hate relationship with Vietnam as I have with the US. However, I didn't know my relationship with the US was like this until I spent a lot time in Vietnam. My guess is this feeling is much like what a man with a wife and lover might have. The lover gives him a escape but then he misses the belonging that goes with the marriage. So he floats back and forth as I have been doing with Vietnam and the US over the past 6 years.

The good times in Ho Chi Minh City are great and then I am close to being run down by a motorbike, car, truck or a 40 passenger bus, seems that everyone with in a 100 meters of me what's something - "sir, you buy post card, book, wallet, my sister "(kidding just seeing if your still their) - "sir, where you go, motorbike" (with hand gestures of driving a motorbike in case I'm deaf) cyclo guy offering city tour, massage or his sister(again), nine people cut in front of me in the line at the bookstore, my tailor screws up my new shirts and when I complain, her reply "looks fine to me" as she gives me this smug look and my Vietnamese friends show up for dinner a couple hours late and give me a look "like what's your problem buddy" that's when I want my old life back.

Then the next day, I have no problems getting across the street, all the street vendors, motorbike and cyclo guys seem to vaporise or stop and just want to talk (one did), it rains and I have my umbrella, my Vietnamese friends came late but brought dinner with them, and best of all I couldn't get out the bar because my Vietnamese friends keep buying me beers.

2007-09-30T16:44:00.000+07:00

Welcome to Nha Trang

Nha Trang, Vietnam - city beach is a lovely spot as you can see. Though ready to pounce at any time are the beach side entrepreneurs selling everything from sunglasses to food. Though for 20,000 dong you can rent your self a little covered shelter which gives you a comfy spot where the vendors are less active.

The city beach is lined with palm trees like this with a green way between it and Tran Phu Boulevard. All the hotels and such are located either across the road or at the far ends of the beach. Though their are a few spiffy restaurants and bars like The Sailing Club along the beach, most places to eat and drink are located inland a few blocks away.

My last visit to Nha Trang was about 5 years ago and while the city its self hasn't changed much, the beach area sure has. The park that backs up the main beach has been transformed from a scrubby no man's land to a place as beautiful as the beach. Back in the day, the shadows of the palm trees at night were known to house ladies for rent who supplemented their rental fees by histing customers money before the rental agreement could be consummated. Tourist police and the new park design have made it harder for this things like this to happen but solo guys should still be wary.

I did some research on the Internet and decided on a double room at Perfume Grass Inn (Khach San Que Thao), 4A Biet Thu Street. A block or so from the beach and smack dab in the middle of all the tourist action so I wouldn't go hungry or get to thirsty. Along with that the reviews I read on line made it sound like it was a step above your basic guest house and all for $25 .00 a night, including breakfast and Internet access in the lobby. The place could have been great but it was chaos, the lobby filled with backpackers coming and going, front desk trying to converse in Vietnamese, English, Korean, Japanese and numerous European languages. Along with the numerous live in staff and there family's, including Grandma and kids living and eating in a couple rooms off the reception area. After we had the cigarette smoke flavored towels replaced on the first day and a day later they got the AC working properly and the frig. frigerating I was sad to leave because things were really starting to come together. That is except for the mildew around in the bath room and it was beyond repair. However, the room was nicely furnished and decorated, rustic wood floors and paneled walls with traditional Vietnamese wood furnishings. I feel in love with the wooden chase and am still trying to figure how to get one back to the states.

I had some time to kill on the day I was to head back to Saigon so I took a look at some other mini hotels. About a block away there is an alley off of Tran Phu Blvd. (64B). I looked at rooms in the Song Linh Hotel at 64B/15 Tran Phu - phone 0914014758 and the Hotel An Hoa 64B/6 Tran Phu, e-mail anhoahotel@yahoo.com both were very nice, supper clean especially the An Hoa and the managers were very friendly. Room rates were 8 - 10 dollars including breakfast and use of a computer in the lobby. Down this alley their is probably a half a dozen brand new places like these two.

2007-09-24T15:01:00.000+07:00

OK, lets make sure I've got this right, the train leaves at 06:15 and that's morning, right? You want me at the station a half hour early for boarding so now we're talking 05:45. Yikes, means getting up around 04:00, do taxi's even operate at that hour of the night? Just to make sure I stopped in to see the friendly neighborhood motorbike taxi guy. Sure enough the day of the trip at 05:25 he was ringing for me as I scrambled to get my pack together and downstairs to mount up on the back of his bike.

This trip I'm trying out the new 5 Star travel train operating between Ho Chi Minh city and Nha Trang via Phan Theit and Phang Rang. A joint venture of the Vietnam Railroads Corporation and private investors. Their are four levels of service running out of Ho Chi Minh City and return from Nha Trang, business class at 2,400,000 dong (ow) for a four person cabin, 5 star Club 450,000 dong (ow) and the one I chose, deluxe at 330,000 dong(ow) and standard at 220,000 dong (ow).

I took a peak at the business class cabins, very nice, wood interiors, nice couches and good sound proofing. My 5 star cub pick was OK, while the interior looked rather home made-ish with being bench seats out of laminate and cushions set on top. The staff, while not un friendly, didn't talk to me other than a few words it took to show me my seat and during the giving of the mini bottle of mineral water and the treasured cellophane wrapped, moist paper towels. Mostly during the trip they stayed pretty busy talking among them selves, napping and planning out how to be first off the train.

Good scenery along the way, from the back streets of Ho Chi Minh City to rural farm scape's and a bit of the coast, along with lots of varied country side. It's about an 8 hour trip so you have plenty of time to look out the window.

There are numerous prerecorded verbose announcements mostly as a station is passed or at the start or at the end of the journey. They are in both Vietnamese and very condescending sounding England type English or maybe it's not really condescending but just their way.

They have a dinning car serving breakfast and dinner. A bit pricey and disappointing that it was mostly western fair, including Lipton tea and even more strange strange because no one spoke much English. They also had a long list of unknown expensive wines to choose from and limited selection of beer which mine was served in a paper cup.

Had an omelet for breakfast, with iced Vietnamese coffee on the trip out, tab of 65,000 dong, Returning to Saigon I debated between deep fried tuna at 60,000 dong and steak with mustard sauce and fries at 160,000 dong. Ended up with the steak, it looked a bit strange but was tender and tasty, the mustard sauce turned out to be a side of mustard. With a Heineken to wash it down down my total tab was 160,000 dong.

The best part of the trip for me but probably not for the company was that I was one of 9 passengers aboard the 3 cars. I rearranged the cushions on my couch, stretched out with my book as the clackaty clack and the chugging of the engine lulled me away.

2007-09-10T17:34:00.000+07:00

A couple inches can mean a lot, no not that, aircraft seating. As in most things all seats are not created equal.

Which is more roomy aircraft Airbus or Boeing or does it make a difference? Why is it that some airplane seats seem to have more room, because they do. Maybe its not the manufacture that creates this difference but the way the airline has the cabin configured. http://www.smarttravelasia.com/economy.htm

2007-09-08T16:40:00.000+07:00

Back in Saigon and my new place:
I always get the same sensation as I pear out of the back seat of my taxi heading away from the Tan Son Nhat its that somehow it this all doesn't seem real. Maybe its such a sharp contrast of the motorbike, bus, truck and car clogged roadway, noise - blaring horns, load exhausts, from the comparatively well organized even though crowed freeways of California I just left. Here in Saigon not only are the roads jam packed but the sidewalk and edges of the road are filled with people doing their thing. Street side sellers, folks just lounging or even sleeping on there motorbikes, people walking or pushing carts and then the sidewalks are all filled with parked motorbikes or motorbikes being piloted around the jammed traffic on the road and maneuvering around hastily created shops of street sellers set up for the day or the evening.

It probably isn't that far in kilometers from the airport to the city center in district 1, but with the traffic and all its takes about a half hour in a taxi. A couple years ago I stated staying in guest houses instead of hotels. A guest house is a much cheaper alternative to a hotel, while a decent hotel price starts around $35.00 a night, a guest house starts around $300.00 a month. Most guest houses outside of the touristy areas rent out their rooms on a monthly basis but, say like in Pham Nu Lao backpackers area here in Saigon and where I am now you can rent a spot to sling your back pack and lay your head on a daily basis. A guest house is basically a home where they rent out some bedrooms, anyway that is what it was but now you'll find guest House that are more like family run, very basic mini hotels. The past couple years I had been staying in one that was a family's home where they had added on a few extra rooms they rented out. It was little to constricting for my taste, when I came in I had to walk through their living room and dinning room to get up to my room. Though some might like this as it offers an up close and personal look at Vietnamese home life and even become a surrogate member of the family.

This year I'm staying at a new place Gia My found for me, located down an alley, off a main road in district 1. A row house with 8 rooms, renting, mostly to long stay foreigners and run by a very sweat Vietnamese lady, Miss Thao and her lovely helper, Miss Hanh. It is set up more like a no frills family run hotel than the family's home I had been using. I like this new place, small balcony with plants, no view but allowing place to step outside, new traditional lacquer finish Vietnamese bedroom furniture, hot water in the bathroom (shower and sink) cable TV and decent TV, DSL connection 24/7, comfy king sized bed. an AC unit that can turn the place into a meat locker and included in the price is a fantastic 1 day turn around laundry service that even irons my boxer shorts. The only downside is that its a through alley and there are speeding motor bikes using it to beat the traffic light on the corner so its a might noisy at times. Rooms for Rent - 36/21 Le Thi Rieng Street, Ben Thanh Ward, Dist. 1, HCMC Miss Thao's e-mail address thanhthao775@yahoo.com Phone number: dial 84(country code) 8(city code) 925-3278 (number) In Saigon just dial 925-3278

Tip: also needed is the country code your dialing from - example: US 011, GB 00, Austrilia 0011 and Japan 010. A complete number, USA to Saigon 011-84-8-925-3278

2007-08-07T12:56:00.002+07:00

We walked over a couple blocks, turning the corner by Zen Plaza, stopped in the middle of the next block and waited. Me with my backpack on and Miss Hanh with that purse with all the Lacey flowers in one hand and a sack stuffed with her travel stuff in the other. Several cross town buses passed by, Miss Hanh sheltered under her floppy brimmed cotton hat, face mask and sunglasses, stood motionless as we waited. Soon another one melds out of the traffic, Miss Hanh flags it down and I follow Miss Hanh aboard and our trip to the Mekong starts. I had shown Miss Hanh's some photos I took of the countryside in Cambodia a couple weeks earlier. So she invited me along to visit with her countryside outside of My Tho.

I've ridden Saigon cross town buses before and they are OK, usually a bit worn but the AC works on most of them, not too crowded and all for about 2,000 dong but the price is going up I hear. I would probably use them more but I have trouble figuring which bus to take, where to catch and how to stop it to get off. Today I have a guide so all I have to do is follow Miss Hanh's lead. It's times like these when I wish I could speak more Vietnamese or could speak what I know better.

We arrive at Saigon's southern bus terminal, ben xe Mien Tay, where we will board another bus for the hour and a half ride to My Tho. All was going well, paid 40,000 dong for our two seats and then things started going bad. As we stepped from the counter we were whisked outside and pushed aboard a very raggedy looking, very full, mid sized bus. My back, corner widow seat was going to be tough on me. My legs locked again the seat back, holding my feet a few inches from the floor. My right shoulder locked against the buses side wall and corner of the window jam, while my left side was pressed firmly against Miss Hanh and our bags. We had just pulled out of the terminal when I was overcome by the feeling of panic. The suffocating heat combined with my cramped situation was just to much for me. I pushed past Miss. Hanh, mumbling about how I had to get out, climbing over the seats and people seated in front of me, pushing by the people lined up in the isle but the bus didn't slow. All I can think is that I have no idea where we are but I can't do this. Miss Hanh some how slides by me and gets the bus drivers helpers ear or uses some of that non verbal Vietnamese communication that always amazes me. Silently I am guided past the door by the helper and into the vacant seat next to the driver. The rush of air flowing from the open side window seemed to carry my panic away. Of course being able to move my legs and rest my feet on the floor helped. I sheepishly look over at the driver who ignores my existence as do my fellow passangers. While I see Miss Hanh smile from behind our bags as she slides back into our old spot in the rear of the bus.