Finally we’ve reached the proper start of our holiday. We spent the night in an airport hotel across the road from the international terminal at Sydney. That turned out to be a good idea – we were able to go and check our bags in and then go back to the hotel for breakfast and to relax.
We’ve joked about the universe telling us to chill – but even the airport was telling us the same thing:
The flight with Vietnam Airlines was unexpectedly good – the cabin crew were lovely, and very concerned that 190cm of me was being squeezed into a centre seat apparently designed for a child, so they moved me to a seat with a bit more room. They were also very solicitous with Annette who can’t sit for too long before her back starts hurting. Food was great, too.
We’d. been told that Ho Chi Minh’s airport was incredibly busy but that you could pay a small fee (US$30 each) to go through a fast track lane, so we did that and boy, was it worth it! We were through from touchdown to arriving at the hotel in just under an hour. People tell us that it can normally take two hours to get through passport control alone under normal circumstances.
So first impressions of Ho Chi Minh? Wow,busy busy busy! Motorbikes and cars in vast numbers, moving in every direction. But when we arrived at our hotel (Maison President by M Village) it seemed a little haven of peace in the midst of all the busy-ness. We were welcomed into a large glass reception area where we urged to make ourselves comfortable and enjoy a welcome drink of iced tea while they went through the check in formalities. The room is lovely, with a view out of one window of a giant banyan tree, and just a few steps from the swimming pool.
Having sorted ourselves out, we decided to go and find an ATM to get some cash. By this time, the sun had set (actually it doesn’t so much set as drop like a stone below) the horizon with indecent haste. But that meant as we walked out into the courtyard of the hotel we could see what a charming place we’d ended up at:
As soon as you step outside the gate, you’re back in the busy life of the city. To be honest we were a bit worried about crossing the busy streets but somehow the cars and bikes seemed to go round you.
Mission accomplished – we found the ATM and now we have some Vietnamese dong… so we’re set for exploring.
Oh yes, we ARE going to chill.
