On the bus to Can Tho, Mekong Delta

my bus

That mighty Mekong River is calling. So I'm heading down to Can Tho, one of the major cities in the Mekong region. Once there I'll check into my hotel and head across town to Ninh Kiew Quay looking for a small long tail boat to hire for some day tripping on the river. 

Spring Hotel, Can Thao

I'm overnighting at the Spring Hotel in Kuan Khanh ward, probably not the best chose, not because it's a bad place but it's location is a long way from the water front area where the boats tie up. The Spring Hotel is a small, quirky kind of place with a friendly owner/manager who not surprisingly is a bit quirky herself. Her quirkiness combined with her exuberant but limited English skills can make for some very interesting and confusing conversations. There room rate is $ 22.00 a night which gets ya a clean and quiet, air-conditioned room, cable TV, an in-suite bathroom with hot water and a bathtub/shower combo. 

Many visitors in Saigon when they decide to visit the Mekong head over to the Pham Nu Lao backpackers area and sign up for one of the inexpensive package tours offered by one of the many travel agents in the area. These trips are an efficient chose and are no brainier means to get a look at the Mekong.

and your seat on the bus

However, it's possible to travel independently also at a modest cost and leave the herd behind. You start by booking your own transport out of HCMC. In this case I booked an 110,000 dong ($5.30 us) ticket on one of Phuong Trang's spiffy Orange buses. Bus's headed south from Saigon, which would be the Mekong Delta, leave from Men Tay bus station ( Ben Xe Mien Tay) every hour or two.  

Ben Xe Mien Tay 5:30 am

Once away it's about a three and a half hours to Can Tho. Though, for me I also had the travel time to motorbike over to Phuong Trang’s remote bus station on Le Van Luong Street, district 7 where I picked up my ticket and then they shuttled me over to Ben Xe Mien Tay. Once at the bus station there was about a 20 minute wait before boarding and so in total my travel time was about four and a half hours. You can also take city bus # 2 from dist 1 to Ben Xe Mien Tay, either from the bus station across from Ben Tham Market or flag a bus down on the street by Zen Plaza. It should say Ben Xe Mien Tay on the bus but you never know so always look for the number. Bus fare is 4,000 dong, or about 19 cents US. Of course for those less adventurist souls there is always the taxi. 

alfresco coffee bar

My 20 minutes waiting at the station was spent mostly worrying about the bus leaving without me as all the announcements are in Vietnamese.  So to loosen up my mind I wondered over to the alfresco coffee bar, plopped down into those weathered and gritty, plastic lawn chairs and slid it up to a matching decrepit table, careful not to disturb two dogs sleeping underneath and gave them a little kick to make sure that they really were sleeping and not dead. Even with the half light of the unknown to me time of 5:30 am the eating area looked like the poster child for food borne illnesses. So passed on the noodle soup and went for a 17,000 dong, Vietnamese iced coffee (ca phe sua da) and a fresh loaf of French bread out of loosely, packed plastic bag from a passing bread vending lady and headed over to stand around by what I thought might be my bus. 

Phoung Trang buses offer a comfortable ride which is helped by the good job Vietnam does of taking care of this stretch of main road. After all, this route is where most of Vietnam's rice, vegetables and fruit grown in the Mekong heads to Saigon and points north to keep the nation fed. 

morning in the Mekong 1

morning in the Mekong 3

morning in the Mekong 2

Made a stop in Ben Ze Vinh Long but just long enough to drop off and pick up passengers and then stopped for a 15 minute break at Phuong Trang's facility, an hour or so from Can Thao. We pulled out of Ben Xe Mien Tay in Saigon at 6:10 am and arrived at the station in Can Tho at 9:30 am.  From the gaggle of motorbike taxi’s I hired one to get me over to my hotel, dropped my bag in the room and head back out and across town to the water front looking for a boat to hire. Good trip so far.

 

As Always your hero
is here for you.

 

 

Two days in the Mekong, - My Tho

on the Mekong

Riding the bus, photo makes it look better
than it is.

Every tour company in Saigon offers super cheap bus tours to the Mekong lasting anywhere from one to three days.  However, if your the independent type you can create your own tour as we did to My Tho using the Vietnamese public bus system,  our own lodging arrangements and in this case a local boat operator that got us out on the Mekong and a ride up into a canal.

Walked a couple blocks from my room in Saigon to a bus stop close to Zen Plaza and picked up Saigon City bus #2 to Xa Laing Mien Tay, bus station for Mekong bound buses, the ticket across town was 4,000 dong or $.19 US. On this trip I'm not traveling alone, my friend Gary is with me and is a great help as he has make this trip and many other trips into the Mekong independently.  We arrive at Mien Tay about 25 minutes before the bus departs, it seems there are plenty of buses heading down to My Tho so you shouldn't have to worry about connecting with a bus. The ticket to My Tho was 30,000 dong or a whopping US $1.45. When you arrive at the My Tho bus station you are a ways from the water front and the center of town where the hotels are but as you climb off the bus as usual there are  motorbike guys waiting to whisk you a way. A little bargaining and 20,000 each got us into town.

Let me step back a bit and write about the buses.  Cross town city buses are raggedy, crowded and as all public stuff in Vietnam filled with interesting people.  As I watch the the little girl empty her stomach on the floor, dad just moves them in the seat so they are away from the mess, it happens again and then somebody hands across a plastic bag but dad can't get it right and then they are gone.  Meanwhile, an overly friendly older, like around my age type Vietnamese guy, wearing an aged pink, imitation fur trimmed coat a size too small is intent on reaching across the bus to make me his new best friend.  A cute girl across the isle wearing a mask, like many do but outside to block the sun and filter the air, her eyes dancing as she peers at me over the top and then she is gone.  Who ever thought thirty minutes could offer that much.

Shouter, eyes the roadside
for new passengers 

When you arrive at Mien Tay station you look for a walk up window that has destination posted on each window, buy you ticket and walk out to the boarding area.  Where someone will grab you and try to take part of your ticket and load you on your bus, you can go along or ignore him if you know you have time till the departing.  These buses are really raggedy and the seat area is really small so try to stake out two seats, I've paid for two seats before but you have to be really hard to keep them.  You see they search out new passengers and never turn anyone away no matter how full the bus is. Each bus has what I call a shouter who hangs in the open door shouting at anyone he thinks has the potential to become a passenger.  However. other than the shouter our crowd of passengers were pretty mellow going and coming and the bus was not crowded, we left Saigon around 11:00 and returned the next day around 1:00pm.

Okay, on with my story - My Tho is the first major city you come to when traveling from Saigon down into the Mekong Delta.  Kind of a sleepy, medium sized town, government seat of  Tien Giang Provence.  A center for food distribution out of the delta and in the central city market you will see a good supply of commercial fishing tackle and cordage supplies shops. If you get here make sure you walk through the fish market and if your lucky you can get into the action as Gary did when he corralled a run away catfish. Smiles all around at his success.


Vietnam is ranked the second largest rice producer in the world behind Thailand  and most of this rice production comes out of the Mekong. Also, fruits and vegetables grow with very little encouragement here.

Using a small electified net to zap fish. 
In the background a barge load of rice. 

Our hotel was the Song Tien which is on the banks of the Bao Dinh Channel a few blocks from the water front.   Really nice place, clean with modernly furnished rooms, AC, cable TV, in suite bathroom with a hot shower all for $21.00 a night.   Also included was breakfast and I made an excellent chose of an omelet braced with an iced coffee and handled by very cute and friendly Vietnamese ladies.

There are several islands in the Mekong and if you take a packaged tour they run you through them, you see coconut candy being made and it's most impressive to see how those Vietnamese women can package those little pieces of Candy so fast, rice wine production and a traditional Vietnamese music display.  Though on your own you can do all this but probably not as cheap an the Saigon travel guys do it with a bus load of tourists but you don't have the bus load of new best friends. 

The Mekong is honeycombed with channels and we took a look at that on our boat ride, can't imagine soldiering in there.  First just finding your way around the maze and for a military operation, the whole place looks like an ambush waiting to happen.

In the distance is the new suspension bridge
that replaced the ferries

My Tho has a lot of river traffic and is a port for the fishing industry -

       

Channel traffic

 

Bao Dinh Channel

                                                                          

boat traffic Bao Dinh Channel

     fishing boats at rest     





                                                                                                                                                             

just got back from the market -

morning fresh catch

A trip to the market in Vietnam is an experience not to be missed. This morning walked over to Thai Binh Market on Pham Ngu Lao and the photo shows my mornings finds -  chuoi xanh (small sweet bannas), thom (pinnapple), lao Thai lan (like a small granny smith apple).  Total cost 17,000 dong or      $.82 (US).

Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and beyond: Staying in Saigon and what it costs..12. 2012

Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and beyond: Staying in Saigon and what it costs..12. 2012

Staying in Saigon and what it costs..12. 2012

Vietnamese grape fruit-buoi

When visiting Saigon your lodging can be your biggest expense. Though, you can probably find a gritty, windowless, guesthouse room for $ 10.00 a night or less in the Pham Nu Lao backpacker’s area. Yup and even this crusty and densely packed tourist ghetto is going up-scale with modern mini hotels in the $20.00 to $45.00 range. However make note, even the cheapest guesthouse will normally include a breakfast in the rate.

I really have no experience with staying in any of the newer upscale hotels in the Dong Khoi area. Places like Park Hyatt Saigon, around $350.00 /night, the Intercontinental Asiana around $200.00 or the Sheraton Saigon at $225.00. Guess this falls in the category, if you got it and truly want to flaunt it; you truly need to book a room in one of these upscale digs.

Though, if you look for lodging outside these extremes you should be able to find a place in the $35.00-$50.00 a night range.

Then if you decide to hang around you can find a room for rent, like where I stay for $ 370.00 a month. This, for me anyway -includes AC, cable TV, fast Internet, frig, laundry and regular room cleaning, like having a room in someone’s house and this can be good or bad. Good, as there is always someone around, bad, as there is always someone around. If you come in at night after they lock up and in Vietnam it's not very late when they do this and locking stuff up, pad locks, chains, double metal sliding doors, is serious stuff. After lock up you have to ring a buzzer and wait till whoever has the duty to get up, identifies you, then unlocks the maze of locks and stuff so you can get in. As you stumble up the stairs, everything is locked down again. I always feel a little guilty while going through this process; guess it reminds me of coming home late when I was a kid and facing mom.

Now if you can stay out of the Vietnamese government created tourist areas, for example -Dong Khoi or the Ben Thanh Market area at night eats are still pretty cheap.

I made some notes on my eating costs for one day:

· Breakfast was ate at an old style open air, charcoal fired kitchen serving Pho Bo (broth with noodles, vegetables and thinly sliced beef) from the very early morning till the broth runs out, need to be there before 9:30 am. Backed up with iced Vietnamese coffee (ca phe sua da) procured from the motorbike seat repair shop a couple doors down. 42,000 dong or about the equivalent of one US dollar. In case you want to stop by Pho 32 Le Thi Reing, Ben Thanh Ward, Dist 1, HCMC. No English or menu, just point at the soup and sit down.

· Lunch at Stella's, a sort of an expat hang out in the Pham Nu Lao backpacker’s area. Before we talk food, English language "Vietnamese News" papers to read, free iced water and cute friendly Vietnamese waitress. What may sound like breakfast as it consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, beget and coffee.... 114,000 dong or about $5.50 US.

· Dinner outside in the parking lot of the hotel around the corner from my alley - pork ribs Russia style, small salad, French fries and two Saigon beers.. 94,000 dong or about $ 4.55 US.

On my way back to the room I bought two 1.5 Lt bottles of Aquafina water at 9000 dong or US $.43 ea, two twist top cokes at 6,500 dong or $.31ea, a small bag of chips for 13,000 dong or $.63 US and Saigon beer 16,000 dong or $.76 ea US.

 

As always, your hero (Doug)
is here for you.

 

 

Welcome,to the wonders of Thailand no matter what you read

Welcome to Thailand

Your thinking, Thailand, but a long flight away and hey how about that political unrest I've read about.

Okay, with regards to flying to Thailand it's always going to be long, around 15 hours to Hong Kong or Inchon, Korea, then a plane change, about 3 more hours to Suvarnabhumi international, Bangkok and then it takes another half an hour to get you into Bangkok.

Though, if you've heard about recent political unrest in Thailand not to worry.  The protest by the Patik Siam, lead by retired general Boonlet Kaewprasit directed at undermining the leadership of prime minister Yinluck, fizzled.  The turn out of 10,000 was no where in size to past protests of a 100,000 plus.  The general, a self proclaimed royalist leader is said to have been so dejected by the size of the turn out he dissolved the organization and walked a way from the movement. 

Meanwhile, the Prime minister Yinluck Shirawatra, the younger sister of exiled prime minister Taksin Shirawatra who was removed from office  in the coup of 2006 is by most accounts doing a great job.  Yinluck running on the Puea Thai party ticket was elected prime minister by a land slide in the 2011 election and became the 28 Th prime minister of Thailand. However, other than having a brother in politics had  no previous political experience. So some were unsure that while in office that she wouldn't be any more than a surrogate for her exiled brother.  All though time has proved her meddle and her leadership abilities and has maintaining a political stable Thailand since election.  She survived a no confidence vote by the Thai Parliament of 308 - 159. 

BTS Sky Train over Sukhumvit

So you still have that long airplane ride but once in the kingdom your life will be safe and that wonderful Thai way is a waiting you.

 

 

 

As always, your hero (Doug)
is here for you.

Odds an ends from Saigon

Linh presenting me with a birthday cake
commemorating my 68 Th birthday
at Thao's in Saigon, where I rent a room.

Always find it interesting reading the "Vietnam News" the only news source in English published in Vietnam.  Gives a guy a look into the governance in action.  

 

Item 1. 

 

Lets take a look at government organizations and there names -  Reading an article on prostitution you have the Deputy Head, HCM Cities, Social Evils Fighting and Prevention Department and as close as I could figure these are the guys who look for prostitutes.  Then you have the "Ministry of labor, Invalids and Social affairs"that track and direct the police.

 

With the net result of 1000 arrested, 700 convicted and 7 that they weren't sure if they had broke the law.  No mention of the time period, the sentences of the convicted and hey what's the deal with the 7 they were unsure of whether they were prostitutes or not.

 

Item 2.

 

Vietnam attended a UN meeting of the "International Telecom Union" in Dubai about Internet control.  Vietnam, along with Russia and unmentioned  other countries are seeking international control of the Internet. 

 

According to the "Vietnam News" most of the Union's ideas are secret but it was leaked that Russia is pushing to give individual countries the rights to control Internet content and accessibility. While the Arab nations are seeking a rule that Internet users are be registered and identified..  On a some what positive note, the US was against all this.

 

Item 3.                                        





                                                                         



Yup, that's a heliport on the side of the middle building
and there haven't been any choppers here since the
US pulled out 30 some years ago.

                                                                                           

 

 

About the slow down in housing sales. I have this quote "Prices (housing) are not high, incomes are low. 

As always, your hero (Doug)
is here for you.

December 2012 Saigon streets

Walking around Saigon's Ben Thanh Ward, Dist. 1 

 




Just add a new wire,
ya, that will fix it.
Poster extolling the evils
of drugs. 



curbside recycling Vietnamese style




 

Ever present street side food vendors

Drive-in fruit market

Always stuff going on



what can be said

 

Pizza to go

Ready to ride, until the white haired guy
with the camera showed up.

fresh sugar cane

Hand pained art, see the artist at work
on the left inside.

and we are out of here 2

We are out of here 1

owner supervised motorbike repair

  OSHA spec. flip flops

You brake em we fix em.
These guys really enjoyed have there photo taken

You dirty them we'll clean em at a
very reasonable price and quickly.

Fresh load of tourists, off to see Vietnam,
by the numbers.

Tourists who broke off from the bus tour
what now?



Police maintaining park rules while having a chat

Park 23-9 rules, on the flip side
in Vietnamese.

Hand and hose watering all day

street side take away

t-shirts



Streets always crammed with cars, buses, trucks, bikes and
what have you.  Even saw an older lady wheeling her self
through rush hour traffic in a chair.
 

Our hero (Doug), I'm outa here.