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

- 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.

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

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

18 July 07 Phnom Penh - In 3o minutes I'll board the Mekong Express bus to Saigon:
This is my second leg of what they bill as the limousine bus, guess its all a mater of interpretation. For example on the first leg from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh a young Cambodian dressed in a traditional Cambodian silk shirt handed out cellophane wrapped wipes (they called towels) with tongs from tray, served a sandwich in a plastic blister pack and passed out warm bottles of water. They advertise extra soft seating which turn out to be polyester (very hot to sit on) cushions originally designed to be slipped over metal folding chair backs, cannibalized from the kiddie movie promotion of "The New Sea Story" what ever that was. It also seemed these seats were smaller with less legroom than on the normal bus. Anyway, on this last leg I won't have to have a very large Cambodian lady with her 7 year old son ridding on her lap in the seat next to mine as on the bus from Siem Reap. Actually I shouldn't complain, because it was only for a short duration as a tiny Cambodian lady gave up her front row seat and moved back with me so I would have more room.

Phnom Penh, hot and humid with crazy traffic and desperately poor people living on the streets, droves of motorbike and tuk tuk drivers, beggars of all ilks who invade your space like a swam of bees. I'm way over stimulated, always have been easily distracted but all the activity and noise here makes it really tough for me to keep my self together.

I never got around to seeing much the famous Phnom Penh night life but spent an enjoyable evening at a place by the river named the Riverside Bistro. Started raining so I popped in for food and a drink until the rain stooped. Then ended up spending the evening drinking with guy from Holland who just finished building a greenhouse project in Australia and a cute young Cambodian bar tender named Molly. For reference, loads of gorgeous wait staff here and excellent European food. The breaded pork chops are the best ever!!

The past few times I've stayed at The Bright Lotus guest house, centrally located a block from the river, over looking the National Museum and the Palace. Corner room is the best bet at $ 18.00 a night, it has a little sitting area outside, AC, hot water, cable TV, frig and decent beds but you have to request a top sheet. Down side is the stairs are steep and narrow and its noisy. Good Internet cafe across the street with high speed Internet access, Vietnamese Pho restaurant also close along with a used book store with a good selection of English language paper backs.

15 July 07 - Getting out of Siem Reap, Cambodia :
I've done it, tomorrow I have a seat on the Mekong Express limo bus, sounds pretty classy doesn't it, especially for $20.00 total Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and on to Saigon, we will see. Couldn't get a through bus to Saigon so I'm staying in Phnom Penh for 2 nights. Now the search begins for a hotel, lots of them there so its no problem getting a roof over my head but I would like something nice but at a reasonable price. Yup, feeling kinda picky.

Have a on going bus connection from Phnom Penh to Saigon but rain into a couple of fellow Californians and they suggested I check Asia Air . Good tip as I found they were offering a one way flight to Bangkok for twenty some dollars. So I thinking about dumping the bus ticket and heading to Bangkok.

The motorbike guys and hawkers here are getting to me, had to have a little talk with my self to cool down and chill out. Earlier I snapped at the guy selling me the Bangkok Post and a writing tablet when he gave me one price then raised it. They do that all the time. Don't really think they are trying to cheat, they just aren't sure what they are doing and a long with thinking all of us foreigner guys are rich so what does it matter if they ask for more money.

Cambodia got the best of me, it's not in me to go on to Thailand as I already have a bus ticket from Phnom Phenh to Saigon. So I'll head back to my room in Saigon and recharge my spirit and then head over to Thailand in a few weeks. Anyway, I'm not good at traveling multiple country's, one or maybe two at a time is enough for me. More than that their are just to many things to figure out and keep track of.
To be continued -

Travel links to Vietnam and beyond from my site Vietnam-now.com :
Viet Nam time line 1930 - 2004 BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1243686.stm

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam – Country profile
United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office (CFO)
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1019061877785
http://www.montagnard-foundation.org/about-degar.html

Travel advisories - US State Department
http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html

Vietnam's English language newspaper http://www.saigontimesweekly.saigonnet.vn/

The Consulate General of Vietnam - San Francisco
http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/frontpage.html

The Vietnamese Embassy - Washington, DC
http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/consular/visainfo.php3

Vietnam Administration of Tourism
http://www.vietnamtourism.com/

Victory (Thang Loi) Guest House: A friendly, hidden spot in Saigon's city centre where I stayed last time
http://victoryhouse.4t.com/ e-mail: mailto:victoryhouse@hcm.vnn.vn
http://www.sinhcafevn.com/

Vietnam has a narrow gauge railroad running from Saigon up to Hanoi – on to Haiphong or up to the Chinese boarder across from Lao Cai This will give you the schedules, costs and type of car service offered. The train is A lovely, interesting, however slow alterative to traveling via the friendly skies or on the chaotic highways. Excellent unofficial site - http//www.seat61.com/Vietnam.htm Vietnamese Official site - http://www.vr.com.vn/english/index.html

Primmer on Mini van travel costs: http://www.pmgeiser.ch/vietnam/transport/minibus.htm


Hydrofoil schedule - Bach Dang Wharf (foot of Nguyen Hue) Saigon to Vung Tao

http://bariavungtautourism.com/english/other_services/hydrofoil.php

Loads of inside information on Vietnam and other interesting stuff http://www.vnexpat.com/.

Vietnam Venture Group, Inc., Enterprise Service Providers and Handicraft Traders in Thailand and Vietnam

American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress
- An Approach to Dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) in Vietnam Veterans - by Daryl S. Paulson http://www.aaets.org/arts/art27.htm

The Legacy of Valor - Vietnam era helicopter images and artifacts http://vhpamuseum.org/

The guys guide to hanging in Cambodia – an expats life in Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh , nightlife, lodging, teaching English and a bunch of assorted tales from the folks who have been there doing it.

Ever wonder about land mines? If so, this sight will blow your mind! http://www.mag.org.uk/index.htm

Capital Guest House and tour – the guys with the boats from Chao Doc up to Phnom Penh - overall they seem to be the big guys in Cambodia budget tours – Seem to have to large a monopoly for my taste - http://.bigpond.com.kh/users/capital

on the road with Doug in Hue

11 July 07 Bus to Seam Reap, Cambodia from Saigon:
Found my bus in Pham Nu Lao at Spaco Tourist, cost $12.00. Left at 6:30 am for Phnom Penh, nice bus, toilet on board, they served us a sandwich and a bottle of water made one stop other than at the boarder. Vietnam Cambodia crossing was easy, paid the drivers helper $24.00 and gave him my passport, he filled out the paper work for my Cambodia visa and I passed through customs and immigrations for Vietnam than Cambodia with out a hitch. Didn't even have to take my bags off the bus or talk to any government agents.

Arrived in Phnom Penh at 12:10 PM and bought a ticket for the leg to Seim Reap, it left at 1:30PM. cost $6.00. The bus station in Phnom Penh is behind the old market, outside with walk up windows, two rows of concrete bench's under a p/e tarp. A noisy, congested and dirty place.

Seim Reap is a big tourist trap, Ankor Watt is really fascinating but jammed with hawkers and tourists. Bought lunch for me and my motor bike driver, one large bottle of Ankor beer two waters, a sandwich and rice and something for the driver- costed a little over $12.00. I want out, wanted to head on to Bangkok but can't figure out how to do it at a resonal price, bus seems to be too complicated and air is too expensive at $175.00 (US)one way. Thinking of heading back to Saigon on Monday if I can find a way that is economical and comfortable.

I'm staying at a friendly enough place here in Siem Reap, very clean but also very worn. named the Bakong Lodge. It's the kind of place you think to your self "this has a lot of unrealized potential" but mean while it reminds you of a hotel out of a movie set in old Mexico.

Everything is expensive here, not California type expensive but for SE Asia. Though there are a lot of bars for the tourist to toss there dollars and after a few drinks cost isn't all that important. Well. that is until the next day. Funny the Riel is Cambodia's currency but everything is in dollars (4,000 rl = $ 1.00 dollar). One afternoon I gave a beggar a the street some Cambodian money only to have him hand it back and show me a dollar, man they are tough here. Seriously though there are some real sad cases here, poverty is endemic and as always hits the children and physical handicapped the hardest. Speaking of handicapped people, the US probably is some what at fault here. Cambodia has more undetected land mines that just about any other country in the world and we, the US government played a big part in that, either in supplying the mines or having a hand in planting them. Sure don't see any US presence helping to fix the mess the started back in the 1970's but I do see Japan, France, Australia and many others at work here.
To be continued -

On visiting Bangkok:
Firstly - don't race through the City of Angles on your way to somewhere else - At first introduction, all the traffic and crowds in Bangkok can be intimidating but don't be standoffish, jump in and become part of the action.

Hop on the BTS (the skytrain) ride from one end till you either see an interesting spot and hop off or ride to the end look around and head back. If nothing else it's super air conditioned and very 21 st century.

Get your self down to the Chao Phraya River and hop on a express boat (reua duan). Pick up a tourist map or something like the "Rough Guide to Bangkok" to find the top spots to visit or just ride the water born bus watching the sights go by. You can connect from the skytrain at central Pier (was Saphan Taksin station) flat fair on the boats is 10 - 15 Baht . There are also tourist boats - look about the same but fly blue flags, offer running commentaries and head for designated tourist spots like Banglamphu at B75 for an all day ticket, also good on the express boats.

Instead of walking down that long soi grab one of those official motorbike taxi guys. You've seen em, the guys with the red vests, hanging on the corners, get a price first before jumping on. If you’re really a thrill junky, get one to run you through mid town during rush hour. Once while trying to catch a the night train to Chiang Mai my taxi was gridlocked the driver finely just shut off the engine and motioned me to a motorbike taxi at the corner. The motorbike taxi guy must have been used to this because before I could get out of the cab and pull on my pack he was there waiting. Guaranteeing to get me to the train on time at a price (still cheaper than a taxi). Nothing was off limits on our quest - sidewalks, dirt paths, alleys, squeezing beside and cutting across in the front of cars we roared on and catch my train. A little shaken and stiff from my ride I boarded my train on time.

What I believe to be highly underrated in our modern, fast pace world is just walking around. While at it do a lot of rubber necking and to thwart dehydration beer breaks with street vendors are a must and to keep the strength up, a bit to eat from a street vendor as you watch the world flow by.

Last leg of flights to Vietnam:

Made it back from Kowloon with time to spare, got my carry on bag back from the Left Luggage place, slid through security once again and started looking for the gate to board my 2:15 flight on Vietnam Airlines to Saigon.

Vietnam Airlines is growing, it used to be the last leg into Vietnam was shown on your ticket as aboard Vietnam Airlines but in fact it was in name only. While in fact the original carrier supplied the flight, but on this one I boarded an actual Vietnam Airlines piece of equipment.

I've flown Vietnam Airlines numerous times and they are better than a few years ago but I'm not comfortable flying them, even with free beer. It's nothing specific, but it's how the details are handled by the flight crew, they get things a little botched up. For example on this flight, they did a sloppy job on the pre flight safety presentation, food was OK but the fruit and salad were dried out as if it had sitting out too long. So being the worrier I am, I'm left to wondering what other details were glossed over or missed that I'm not aware of. Another thing is on this flight as with other Vietnam Airways flights I have flown, it seems the the plane was filled with very unfriendly people. OK, I know the airline can't stop booking tickets to the unfriendly folk but their cabin staff should be able to modify this though the cabin attendants seem to be taking directions from the Vietnamese passengers. No matter my feelings we arrived on time at 4:15 pm, and my bags were waiting for me on the carousel. So what do I really have to really grumble about.

Vietnamese immigrations is very efficient now a days, long gone is the need to slip a fiver into your passport for speedy entry. Customs is hassle free also but some Vietnamese are very impatient and will cut in front of you or pull your bag aside and push theirs through. After clearing customs, you walk trough a seemingly deserted terminal until you get to the open terminal exit and on the outside of this opening you see a semicircle of people packed 10 or 20 deep, then a layer of taxi cab drivers and sundry other folk their for who knows what. I always stand looking at this for a moment, catch myself and step into the mass, always smiles as the crowd make way for me and my luggage. As I stepping out into the crowd and as the hot, humid air washed over Gia My and Van materialized and stuffed me into a taxi they had already staked out.

Off to SE Asia once again:
As I finely get on my way I'm reminded of the skipper who never makes way from port, awaiting the right conditions to sail off. I've been making these trips to SE Asia for years but as my age increases the harder it gets to leave the comforts of home. In thinking about this I came to better understand the hold a familiar place can have as with the harbor locked sailor. So after many excuses and false starts, the time had come to just get on with it or surrender to endless afternoons of Oprah. Never an Oprah fan I pushed into the crowded summer travel season. Gave up on waiting for air fare deals, tossed my fate to a travel agent and had her book me a ticket to Saigon with an open return. Convinced friends in Saigon to help in finding me a new place to rent a room in the city center, district 1. They came through again, a dandy little guest house, offering me a nice sized room at a reasonable price with a 24/7 dsl Internet connection, cable TV, frig, balcony and best of all my laundry (even iron my boxers) done.

My son Ian drove me out to the Sacramento airport to catch a United Express/Skywest, 45 minute flight to San Francisco. Some might scoff at the extravagance of flying such a short distance but beats the heck out of driving the traffic chocked Hwy 80. Anyway, I couldn't talk anyone into driving me to San Francisco International so really didn't have much of a choice. Of note - their was the bummer of a 6 hour wait at San Francisco for the Cathy flight to Hong Kong.


Once my Cathay flight arrived at Hong Kong International their was another bummer of a layover of 7 hours before heading on to Saigon. What do you do with long lay overs? San Francisco was a no brainier, eat dinner, watch people and let the adrenalin carry me along but on arrival in Hong Kong I needed a bit more. 13 plus hours in a plane even if you did as I did and finagled an upgrade to business, will suck the adrenalin out the best day dreamers.

At 7:30, armed with my visa application, completed on the plane, I easily pass through immigrations and customs, that is after an interminable wait in one of those lines that seem to snake on and on for ever. I quickly located the Left Luggage and checked my carry on. For reference its located to your right after entering the terminal from customs and the going rate for a single piece of luggage is $50.00 (hk) for up to 24 hours. Then walk across the terminal lobby and ante up $90.00 HK dollars for my train ticket and waited to board the next Airport Express Train to Kowloon, trains leave every 12 minutes or something like that, so its a short wait even if you just missed a train. An important point for us brain dead, marathon travelers using the train is a true no brainier. They only go in two directions, one to downtown Hong Kong and other direction back, making only three stops on the way from the airport - Tsing Yi, Kowloon and downtown Hong Kong, which is about about 20 minutes and the reverse to return. They are very modern, high tech and high speed trains, offering a very peaceful ride. With even a quite car where no cell phones are allowed, and all are squeaky clean with loads of room and comfy seats to watch the country side pass by.