.. back

.. it was a crazy trip to Saigon, and from it, i had much stronger determination to learn Vietnamese now. Though most people i see does not require me to speak english that much, i realized i would have major difficulties with the taxi drivers, since they are going to be my main method of transportation soon.

.. visitors to Vietnam, beware !! These taxi drivers, young or old, even though they drive with the meter, they would figure out ways of increasing the fare. One lesson is more than enough for me, which ended up in an argument by the roadside between me and the taxi driver at a busy junction.

.. I asked to be sent to Saigon's Chinatown, of which i have already located on a virtual map on my phone. Fare would be at max 40,000 Dongs, but somehow, he took me for a round trip around District 5 (where Chinatown is), which ended up me having a fare of 135,000 Dongs. The building which i was headed to was within sight all the time .. on my left side to me precise (Vietnam is left hand drive, and i think the driver has all intention of hiding that building from my sight), i queried him, and he said he wanted to send me to the building front cause we're on a one way street .. OK !! Fine !! .. when he stopped, i refused to pay him the full amount, and we started arguing .. @#*&%$!@, to cut long story short .. in the end i halved it.

.. that really shows that these taxi drivers prey on tourists and expats alone, knowing we have cash, and no knowledge of their streets and language. You would never never get lost in the main cities, the whole city is laid out like a checker board, and the whole stretch, from top to bottom, is one street name, with premises having odds numbers on on side, and even numbers on the other. These taxi drivers understand the checkered maze well enough, they will go round and round .. instead of a straight line which would definitely get you to your destination faster at much lower costs.

.. more updates soon enough, i am just too tired to continue with anything, it has been a hectic two days, with lots of appointment and very little sleep. My journey back to Hanoi was unpleasant as well because some Korean mother left her 5 year old kid running all over the plane, which in the end, that kid emptied his in flight meal of rice, soya chicken stew, vegetables, red bean pudding and coke, spewing forth every thing in such glory it would look like as if it is a scene from Poltergeist, leaving that poor chap right next to him covered with samples of food.

.. it happened 3 feet away from me, leaving a stench so unbearable i had to leave my seat and go disturb the gorgeous air hostess ( .. wink wink) for the remaining 40 minutes of my flight.

.. good night all.