That's it....I just can't sleep any more.... yes, I'm dead tired.... but too much going on in my head.... too many young gorgeous Vietnamese men are robbing me of my sleep..... I wish, LOL.
4:15
A call to Grandmother.... she sounds chipper
An e-mail from Alan.... he might be in Quy Nhon for a conference in July !
a 15 minute nap...
5:45
Martin & Theresa show up on my terrace...... I could sit and chat with them all day..... but I MUST leave...... ;-(
The taxi is not there at 6:14.... the German in me awakes, I call and wake Lisa.... but the taxi shows up at 6:15....
I nap a bit during the drive....I wake up and have to pee..... Khong nhan lenh, nhung dung xe oto boi vi toi muon di o ngoai va sssshhhh
8:30
My flight is delayed.... boarding is delayed by 45 minutes??? I could have slept longer !
A thought enters my head....screw it all and just stay here ?......life would be so much simpler and more pleasant...... but Grandma would be sad..... and that German sense of duty still prevails.... this time at least....
I sleep through half the flight, even though the seat pitch of short-distance Vietnam Airlines flights is not really conducive to sleeping...
The 152 bus shows up just when I exit the building..... good luck.... but I make the mistake of sitting by the window, right under the A/C outlet.... must take the aisle seat next time..... because it's the 152, I get to walk the entirety of Bui Vien.... and I'm revolted.... I haven't seen that many stupid white people in 3 weeks (with the exception of the flaky lady at Lisa's place).....
One-eyed Tay is there... he understands my toi nay uong ruou only the second time I say it but he grins from ear to ear jumps towards me and shakes both my hands....
I have to ask Huyen for help when the new receptionist can't find my BAG.....
I also wait for 40 mins for my room....when I come up, blonde cutie is still cleaning but I only leave my stuff.... and he even asks an com chua?
coopmart for wine & shirt and shorts
19:00
uong ruou voi Thay for a short while
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| Quoc at work .... |
21:45
I didn't take my shirts and I didn't take my book.... I never expected to travel TOO lightly one day!
6:00
putter putter putter....more sink laundry... let's hope it'll be dry by departure time!
9:00
OK, so I've just paid for four nights (now and in January) in my triple bed penthouse in the centre of Saigon.... sounds expensive? Nope, the TOTAL came to US$ 100
Time to buy my January flight back to the beach..... OH NO.... the IWOFLY site is just not up to par .... they don't ask for a billing address for the credit card.... I'm sure that's going to backfire.... payment declined AND credit card blocked.... I know the paranoid Canadian CC system by now...
Nope.... it actually worked.....
putter putter putter
12:00
shit, time flies....I buy some smokes for around here.... do I really still want to eat Bun Cha ? Or should I eat at the airport ?
I decide to eat Bun Cha... but 5 minutes before the place opens, the line-up is already SO HUGE that I go back to the hotel..... bloody FOODIES have taken over my regular restaurant ;-(
I check out Lisa's bungalow on TripAdvisor & Booking.com & Google.....1st of all: she is SOLD OUT today......
and the 9 ratings she has received already are all 10/10 or 5/5 or whatever.....
13:00
Echt jetzt????
14:00
OK, on y va.....
15:30
Pandemonium at the check-in counter.... WHAT exactly are Vietnamese expats taking to the US in those HUGE boxes..... the 4 people 2 spots in front would actually have forgotten to check in the luggage on their 4th cart if we hadn't reminded them....
I finally make it to the front of the line and I get an aisle seats for both flights ;-)
16:00
Still sitting outside in the balmy Saigon afternoon air....
17:10
the official boarding time..... but the plane is still being loaded..... it's amazing how much SHIT people take on a plane..... let's hope the plane isn't going to be exceedingly late again and that they leave my backpack in Taipei again...
23:00 Taiwan Time
TPE is going to the dogs.... first we have to circle for 15 minutes because of heavy traffic.... then I find that they closed the smoking lounge closest to my gate.... I finally find another one.... and find that the airport Wifi is almost non functional....
At least they managed to open many new Duty-Free stores and are still remodeling to open more....
The plane leaves on time..... and I manage to fall asleep
18:00
Easy immigration, Easy customs, Easy taxi ride (it's Sunday) and I have the driver put in a stop at the liquor store.... no point in being thirsty early tomorrow morning....
The Christmas shock is overwhelming.... Stupid snow-white LED lights on all the trees.... stores packed with useless Christmas-red-and-green CRAP.....people eating at Denny's with full red shopping bags and they're even wearing mini Santa Claus hats....
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| Denny's Food: it tastes about as yucky as it looks ;-( |
21:00
Let's try to sleep... thoughts of Pretty Boy (I almost wish Tam hadn't told me) almost prevent that...
22:15
Awake again.....
I realize that I don't have any spoons in my room.... HOW am I going to eat my take-out left-overs.... Rainbow at Reception informs me "NOT AVAILABLE".... CHEAP BASTARDS....! I get some take-out cutlery at Denny's.... Good thing I'm living just around the corner ;-)
