Ho Chi Minh

A couple more photos from the boat trip first...

From one of the museums, War room stuff

The 'Combat duty bedroom of the President'

In case you are unfamiliar with such things

Claire!

6am we roll into town, get a taxi and head towards where Sam stayed last time he was here. As soon as we are out of the car, a lady walks up and insists we stay at her place. Cos we only need it for the day not the night we get a bit of a discount. Thinnest stairwell ever, and we are on the top floor. Out for breakfast then we plan to follow the Lonely Planets 1 day walking tour around the city. I get to wear my new shoes, and socks! Ho-ly, socks! What a  treat. First time in 4 weeks. My old trusty sandals fell off my feet in Nha Trang, and I had to get some jandals (awesome ones) but they still need some breaking in time, and for the walking we planned on doing it didn't seem like a good idea to wear them. Didn't matter anyway, we ended up getting on them biking men seat things and they took us around the sights, which was good cos I couldn't be bothered walking, but was bad cos they overcharged us at the end, and while we didn't pay the ridiculous amount they asked for, it wasn't  what they said at the beginning, we still paid too much I reckon. Moral of that lesson, when they tell you a price but then say no no you pay later, pay it then or theres probably some extra thing they will try chuck on at the end.

 I didn't go to the War History Museum, annnd I'm kinda glad, we went to a few others and the photos and short videos we saw there were enough for me at the time, sick and sad as it is. Went to the market, plastered a not-fussed look on my face as we waded through people grabbing us, shoving clothes at us, pleading with us to buy just one thing lady, just one thing, it's so awkward the way they try corner you and grab your arm to stop you walking to look at something you really don't want. I've still yet to find a stretch on gold strap, gold face old man watch, tho I allllmost did buy one that was cheap just cos it was Rolex and the small novelty that it was $5. I'll keep looking. Shoulda bought that one in Hoi An. I did finally get some perfume, also immitation but it smells nice and was $7 and I don't have any so what the heck.

 Right time to go to the airport. Taxi driver says it's going to take maybe an hour in this traffic. WTF. Uh-Oh. And I double check the email...I did read it wrong, we have 25 mintues to get there. Oh dear. And it has just started to piss down. We run into the airport, pick left, run all the way left, don't find out desk, as a lady and she looks at us sympathetically and points to the other end. It's not a very big terminal, but jees. In the end, we are 5 minutes too late, when we finally find AirAsias unsignposted desk. Gut-ted. I want to smash the guy in the face, if they had a sign maybe we would have made it. And they are the two most unhelpful people in the world, I can hardly tell when they stop talking to us, as there are questions still hanging in the air they've just chosen to ignore, and knsJSDNFGKJ ELKJ'ekj  jf delfgj 'slkjgsdfgsdgdf . Brief intermission of me sulking and being all angry. And the storm picks up a notch to thunder and lightening too. Then calm old Sam to the rescue, we'll find more flights and blah blah. Thai airways is $448 each. No thanks. AirAsia is tomorrow. Turkish Airlines is $273 each for business class. Im busy having a moan to Mum on skype, while Sam, bless him, sorts this stuff out for us. I think I'm a bit too hot-headed in situations like this. But Mum is good to talk to, with the ever present mother motto, 'Shit happens Lan, shit happens! Get over it!' So I do, and when Sam is back with the tickets we get to go to the fancy Rose lounge for drinks and food and I can help but notice when we walk in - me with a tie-dye t-shirt, short shorts, greasy hair and sneakers, Sam much the same minus the short shorts (hahhah) - that the business people are like what the hell are these two upto. Meh. I have far too many spring rolls, fancy french red wine and a cheese sandwhich and then it's off to the plane.

We walk past a second tunnel on the way on and once we are seated - seat A1, the beginning of the beginning of the plane - we realise business class get their own tunnel. And we didn't use it. Waa. Theres so much room I could do gymnastics if I knew how, theres a lil t.v. thing, a handset for seat controls, it goes everyway possible. And they actually bring out hot towels. Too hot infact, I have to hold the corner till it cools down a bit. We get blankets and pillows, and 10 minutes in the lady comes, opens our tray tables for us, put down a friggin tablecloth and bring outs sammies and muffins and coke and beer. Oh how I wish I was rich. Im watching Ever After on the t.v. hahaha. Gutted tho, it turned off right before Angelica Huston was about to get her come-uppance. Oh to be 14 again. Anywho, fun experience, totally took my mind off the fact it ate up 50% of the rest of my money. And we are in Bangkok again. Can't find the place we made a reservation with, Oh I hope they don't charge me still, so we go back to good old Imm Fusion, from the beginnng. Lets hope things go nicely from now on!