HCMC-20180406: Driving a scooter in Vietnam

Driving a scooter here is not that hard, as it sounds. And it is very rewarding.
Of course it depends on, where you drive. And it also depends in your attitude.

I have done now couple trips on my own, with the scooter. I can also go and come back from Hoi An city, when ever I want to. This is a freedom to the vacation. If I would always need a taxi or I would use hotel's shuttle bus, I would be more bind to those. And I do see more. On my way to Hai Van Pass, I was able to stop all the nice places and scenery besides the road, on my way to the height of clouds.

I have not driven in Ho Chi Minh City or in Hanoi, but I have driven in Da Nang, on the beach and serpent roads and a bit at sand roads too (don't tell the renting family!).
Yesterday I did a trip to Hai Van Pass, from Hoi An. That made over 130 km (a bit of wondering, because I wanted to visit the Buddhist temple, which made something like 15 - 25 km side step.

Traffic in beach roads is quite easy and the traffic circles and crossroads are not that hard to handle. Well turning left can sometimes be a bit hazard, but using your turning signal helps (if it keeps beeping, even better ;).

Driving in cities is a totally another thing. The crowds of 30 to 40 scooters around you, slowing the speed to crawling speed (which did get a bit hard for me to keep the old two wheeler up, it might now be easier with new Honda Vision, that I am driving now) before the traffic lights. Knowing who will go to which direction and so on, should get your daily adrenaline dose, if you are looking for it. I know I would get used to it, if I would do it daily, but it's like 4 years ago, when I have been driving a scooter last time (it was at Greece with Riku).

I do drive fast also, but only on main roads and during day time. At night time I drive much slower. Not that roads would be so much safer on the day time, but I can react much better on day time. In the night time it's harder to see all cats, cows and crazy people running to the streets. And there are people driving without lights during night time.

Mutual respect is the key. Don't think you own the road - you won't - but road may own you.

I did see a situation, where the road from Cam An to Hoi An was partly blocked by road makers. Then a bus started to pass the whole line and when it couldn't pass anymore, it tried to come back to the line, which was already totally full and the line didn't move at all. So bus tried to make room for opposite traffic to pass the big bus and then hit a personal car so that it had a several damage. What the heck was the bus driver thinking? He could make it faster by bus, than people with scooters and cars do?

Dangers:

1. Passing buses (had several situations, where they are passing a car and driving on opposite lane, causing a lot of dangerous situations)
2. City traffic (slowing traffic to the lights and 30 to 40 scooters around you)
3. People backing their cars or scooters from parks or sideways to the road (or in worst case, backing in to the lights in a crossing)
4. People driving the wrong way (coming straight at you)
5. Animals (cats, dogs, cows, crab (not really dangerous, but they crawl surprisingly fast :))

HCMC-20180406: A perfect day

Laitappa taustalle soimaan Lou Reedin Perfect Day.

9.4.2018 - A perfect day

Heräät aamulla vaimon vierestä bungalowissa, mukavasti nukkuneena ja katsot ulos tähän maisemaan.
Otatte chillisti aamun kuviot ja talssitte kymmenisen metriä, uima-altaan ohi, ihanalle aamupalalle. Siellä nautitte kevyen lämpimästä aamusta, syöden omeletin, leipää, pannukakkuja, hedelmiä ja hieman myös vihreitäkin (doctor's orders).

Sopivasti lisää virtaa ahtaneena, suunnittelette päivän ohjelmaa ja päätätte ottaa hotellin spa-osastolla hieronnan. Suihkun kautta rannalle sijaitsevaan mökkiin. Siellä nautitaan tunnin hieronta. Nyt kun on pää ihan tokkurassa, loistavan hieronnan jälkeen, tulee hieman järjestää päätä rentouttavalla uinnilla. Otatte uimakamppeet ja tallustatte 5 metriä bungalowista altaalle. Siellä mukavaa uiskentelua altaassa ja lököttelyä aurinkotuolissa lähes tajuttomuuteen asti. Jottei nyt heti alkulomasta tule auringonpolttamia, pitää kuitenkin hieman varoa ja mennä sopivan köllöttelyn jälkeen bungalowiin sammumaan. Kunnon tehokkaat päikkärit, oman kullan kanssa, ilmastoidussa makkarissa - vieläpä päivän kuumimpaan aikaan, on kyllä paikallaan.

Päikkärien jälkeen on aika valua lounaalle. Kävellen hiekkatietä kohti ravintoloita, samalla shoppaamalla postikortit ja ihmetellen erillaisia ruokavaihtoehtoja. Lounaalta tallustellen takaisin hotellille ja kirjoittamaan kortteja.

Keskustelua respan kanssa, mitä tulevina päivinä voitaisiin tehdä. Päätettiin buukata taxi pohjoiseen seuraavaksi päiväksi ja snorkkelireissu pohjoiseen päin sitä seuraavalle päivälle.

Myöhemmin illalla katsotaan TripAdvisorin "ennusteet" päivällisestä. Katsottiin paikkaa So True, joten lähdettiin kävelemään hiekkatietä uudestaan ja löydettiinkin paikka helposti. Tämä helmi tarjosi aivan upean päivällisen ja varsinkin "eggplant in claypot" oli fantastinen.
Mahtavan päivällisen jälkeen takaisin hotellille ja vähän Asian Food Channelin tuijottamisen jälkeen onkin taju jo lähdössä.

Sitten nukkumaan, kauniin vaimon viereen ja unelmoimaan mitä huominen tuo tullessaan.

HCMC-20180406: Second day

Sunday in Ho Chi Minh City and flight to Phu Quoc

This has been a fantastic day, even as it is only two o'clock so far.
We checked out from hotel, after a wonderful breakfast.

Concierge showed the Saigon Center shopping mall, ben thanh market and couple other locations on map. We strolled there and enjoyed this wonderful, but sweating weather. We almost made some negotiations at ben thanh market, but were mostly checking the offerings. Fish heads and pig brains in metal bowls always give a little shivering. :-)

We had a poshy moment in Runam Boutique for a tea moment with sweets. Sweetened ginger chip was quite a bite.
For a lunch we checked TripAdvisor's number 1 restaurant if Ho Chi Minh City - Poke Saigon. Certainly wasn't easy to find. A "secret", dark corridor and then stairs to the third floor. Small place, but so awesome! Lunch costed 340 000 dongs (about 13,5 €) for two with a coconut for a drink (and I took an extra scoop of fish for 30 000 dong).

It is so nice to walk here and just enjoy and relax.

Now we will go to hotel and then start a flight to Phu Quoc with Vietnam Airlines.