Hello from Vietnam!

Hi the flights were good a total of around 6 hours leaving as you know at 01.45 and arriving here around 10.00 but getting through the queue for the visa was a bit of a delay so finally got through and cleared at 10.45. The time difference here is not a lot different from Sri Lanka so I just need to stay awake the whole day having only had a few mins sleep on the planes.

I needed to get some cash so found an ATM and asked for 20,000VND and received the correct amount but my receipt said 40.000 withdrawn, I spoke to a girl in a booth next to the bank ATM and stupidly did it again, this time only requesting 10.000VND and being debited for 30.000. Would you believe it, not only was I done but I allowed it to happen again! The guy that should have been manning the bank booth was not there, she said he is often off out, I wonder whose money he is spending!? Anyway although it sounds a fortune there are approx 28.000 VND to one pound so the experience has not been too costly, however I will try to track him down on my return.

So I went through to the meeting area and have never seen such a massive crowd all thrusting poles in the air with name and hotel written on a paper attached to the top of the pole. Unbelievable I could not see one from another. Eventually I spied my name and a very nice Vietnamese took my case for me and told me to follow him to the car..that is when he could find it!
We drove for approx 30 mins through what are generally well kept roads, some of which are very wide. However they are all choc-a-bloc with scooters, not a toot-toot in sight but literally hundreds of scooters and yes they also drive on their hooters all the time. The telegraph poles that line the streets are heavily laden, and I do mean heavily, with a mass of wires, one would never be able to effect a repair without bringing the whole lot down and untangling the mess.
Arriving at the hotel, where I am to stay for two nights, my case was carried in and I was invited to have a cool drink of mango/lemon and something else that they were unable to translate. Very nice too.
Then my next problem.....he only has the small room at the top (5th floor) no lifts so would I not prefer to stay at his brothers hotel just for one night then I can come back to this one! Well I don't need to offer the detail of the following 20 mins conversation, I did look at the room after taking a large dose of oxygen half way up, to find it was a double bed anyway when I had the booking in writing for a twin with private en-suite. I had booked this room in October last year so you can understand why I stood my ground. I was then offered free internet and a cup of tea, hence I am writing this, the maid was dispatched to a room on the 3rd floor, a twin room, for which I now have the key.
So begins a couple of days in HCM city.

Now a well deserved shower..

XX