One night in Saigon
Six weeks earlier...
I boarded the Mekong Express bus together with my friends and many other passengers on 31 December 2015 toward Ho Chi Minh city. We were hoping that it would take 5-6 hours maximum because of the bridge crossing the mighty Mekong means we didnt have to wait for ferry crossing. Yet the trip delayed about 2h as we waited for ages at the immigration at Vietnamese side; this made the trips somewhat took almost 8H. We finally arrived HCM at around 4.45pm. Finally found the location and checked in at the hotel, it was around 5.15pm. I was actually very excited as we planned to spend the last evening of 2015 watching water puppet show. We checked with hotel staff but they came back and sadden face, "sorry all tickets sold out as its new year times and very many tourists bought tickets way in advance." Never mind, we can do something else for the evening.
As it was almost dinner time, we decided to go for dinner. The favourite Pho shop came to mind and it never failed me with a bolw of Pho Bo. Just so yummy with a glass of Pepsi (sorry im not a coke fan). After the yummy dinner we decided to stroll the tourist section of district one just to see how HCM is like on 31 Dec. As we turned to the street one block after Pha Nguy Lao street, it surlrised me, almost shcoking. The street was totally packed with tourist and local strolling and on motorbike. So crowded, amd i meant it. As it is a tourist street there were so many restaurents pub amd drinking places. People dressed up for the evening. Some tourists already appeared drunk to me and i was thinking to yself oh gosh it was not yet 8pm Nd looked at how many Saigon beer they drank already. We enjoyed the street stroll as much as the crowd itself, all along moving with caustious. After severa.shots trying to catch a glimpse of HCM at night, we ended up at a second floor pup. I particular chose the place for the view to the street. Few other people shared the balcony section. Some young couple and later a western couple joined the section, making it a bit crowded. Ut it was much fun and nice music was played. This place seemed popular because so anystrollers often looked up to wave at us. We started with Saigon beer, first costs only 30,000vnd per bpttle. When i ordered my second one it cost 50,000vnd (???) The waiter explained, MISS NOW ITS PASS 9PM AND WE CHANGED MENU WITH NEW PRICE, heheheh i am learning new thing here. Never mind, its new year evening anyway... but there was someone coming by and asking to sit in the next chair...
She was alone, holding a bottle of Saigon beer just like us, And appear quiet. She looked our age but seem more mature the way she dress and her high heel... for party mood anyway. I was the firthest from her and my friend was next to her. They chatted a few thing here Nd there but i didnt pay attention. I am not at all good at talking to stranger. And because my friend knows me she not really disturbed me but one in a while turning to tell, OH HER NAME IS TAO. AND THIS IS SOCHEATA... OH Tao has been to cambodi! To Angkor. She looked like a friend. And there i could see that they did look similar, Tao and my friend's friend. Then she busy herself searching for foto to show how similar they are. And she did exclaimed how similar they looked. And without saying , i was asked to help take foto so my friend could tell her friend how she found another person in the middle of HCM that looks just like her. And seriously even the hairstyle also the same.
Tao was telling us that the city centre had more crowd waiting for the firework. Ma y of her frineds are there too but she couldnt be bothered so she rather wait for her friend here until they finished watching firework and came and join her. So we have a proposition, we wish to go to a nightclub, if she could take us there. And she said YES LETS DO IT... and that how it went...
We took a cap just to find that the cap moved slower than we walked. But because Tao wear high heel she prefered to be in turtle like cap. After 20mn we movedfor about 0.5km. AND THE NO VEHECLE GO zone. We had to walked and so we did. Walking across and open space to join such a big crowded waiting for firework. The section were decorated with sunflower amd other types of yellow flowers with electrical lighting. So catchy and beautiful...so many ordinary families came with a mat and so e snack waiting cheerfully for the coming firework. It was such a community kind of fun activity.
And finally we arrived the club. Tao not even certain thats the club we planned to come. She checked and finally confirmed, yes this is the one. Ticket is 200,000vnd as there would be special show. Thats what the ads outside said.
When we got it, ots feels like, OH MY GOSH as it was fully packed with people. We ended up with a section with some young upper class vietnamese (so i guess fro their interaction). There were four or five shows took place and then we were anxiously cou ting down for 2016. And my local guide was not even counting with us for she went to restroom to call her friends. Few more show coming to stage and before we knew it it was 1am. I urged my friend to leave as i was afraid we will be too late and no taxi. As i assumed we could find taxi. The firework just finished and people were leavjng to go home. To be honest i was a bit scared because we both dont speak vietnamese and its hard to ask for directuon. Taxi was very scarced and those we could catch they refused to take. I dont know why. We ended up walking back all the way to hote. Safe and sound.
But the next morning is the first day of 2016 and i had a terrible headache and so many things happened but one thing i remembered clearly is the sofa at the hotel was really soft and comfy and could cure all my illness after sleeping there for two hours (because we already checked out so cant get back to the room or don't want to pay more).
I boarded the Mekong Express bus together with my friends and many other passengers on 31 December 2015 toward Ho Chi Minh city. We were hoping that it would take 5-6 hours maximum because of the bridge crossing the mighty Mekong means we didnt have to wait for ferry crossing. Yet the trip delayed about 2h as we waited for ages at the immigration at Vietnamese side; this made the trips somewhat took almost 8H. We finally arrived HCM at around 4.45pm. Finally found the location and checked in at the hotel, it was around 5.15pm. I was actually very excited as we planned to spend the last evening of 2015 watching water puppet show. We checked with hotel staff but they came back and sadden face, "sorry all tickets sold out as its new year times and very many tourists bought tickets way in advance." Never mind, we can do something else for the evening.
As it was almost dinner time, we decided to go for dinner. The favourite Pho shop came to mind and it never failed me with a bolw of Pho Bo. Just so yummy with a glass of Pepsi (sorry im not a coke fan). After the yummy dinner we decided to stroll the tourist section of district one just to see how HCM is like on 31 Dec. As we turned to the street one block after Pha Nguy Lao street, it surlrised me, almost shcoking. The street was totally packed with tourist and local strolling and on motorbike. So crowded, amd i meant it. As it is a tourist street there were so many restaurents pub amd drinking places. People dressed up for the evening. Some tourists already appeared drunk to me and i was thinking to yself oh gosh it was not yet 8pm Nd looked at how many Saigon beer they drank already. We enjoyed the street stroll as much as the crowd itself, all along moving with caustious. After severa.shots trying to catch a glimpse of HCM at night, we ended up at a second floor pup. I particular chose the place for the view to the street. Few other people shared the balcony section. Some young couple and later a western couple joined the section, making it a bit crowded. Ut it was much fun and nice music was played. This place seemed popular because so anystrollers often looked up to wave at us. We started with Saigon beer, first costs only 30,000vnd per bpttle. When i ordered my second one it cost 50,000vnd (???) The waiter explained, MISS NOW ITS PASS 9PM AND WE CHANGED MENU WITH NEW PRICE, heheheh i am learning new thing here. Never mind, its new year evening anyway... but there was someone coming by and asking to sit in the next chair...
 |
| Me And Tao |
She was alone, holding a bottle of Saigon beer just like us, And appear quiet. She looked our age but seem more mature the way she dress and her high heel... for party mood anyway. I was the firthest from her and my friend was next to her. They chatted a few thing here Nd there but i didnt pay attention. I am not at all good at talking to stranger. And because my friend knows me she not really disturbed me but one in a while turning to tell, OH HER NAME IS TAO. AND THIS IS SOCHEATA... OH Tao has been to cambodi! To Angkor. She looked like a friend. And there i could see that they did look similar, Tao and my friend's friend. Then she busy herself searching for foto to show how similar they are. And she did exclaimed how similar they looked. And without saying , i was asked to help take foto so my friend could tell her friend how she found another person in the middle of HCM that looks just like her. And seriously even the hairstyle also the same.
 |
| By the street side walking through the open space of firework watchers |
Tao was telling us that the city centre had more crowd waiting for the firework. Ma y of her frineds are there too but she couldnt be bothered so she rather wait for her friend here until they finished watching firework and came and join her. So we have a proposition, we wish to go to a nightclub, if she could take us there. And she said YES LETS DO IT... and that how it went...
We took a cap just to find that the cap moved slower than we walked. But because Tao wear high heel she prefered to be in turtle like cap. After 20mn we movedfor about 0.5km. AND THE NO VEHECLE GO zone. We had to walked and so we did. Walking across and open space to join such a big crowded waiting for firework. The section were decorated with sunflower amd other types of yellow flowers with electrical lighting. So catchy and beautiful...so many ordinary families came with a mat and so e snack waiting cheerfully for the coming firework. It was such a community kind of fun activity.
 |
| People waiting to see firework in the open space in the middle of HCM |
And finally we arrived the club. Tao not even certain thats the club we planned to come. She checked and finally confirmed, yes this is the one. Ticket is 200,000vnd as there would be special show. Thats what the ads outside said.
When we got it, ots feels like, OH MY GOSH as it was fully packed with people. We ended up with a section with some young upper class vietnamese (so i guess fro their interaction). There were four or five shows took place and then we were anxiously cou ting down for 2016. And my local guide was not even counting with us for she went to restroom to call her friends. Few more show coming to stage and before we knew it it was 1am. I urged my friend to leave as i was afraid we will be too late and no taxi. As i assumed we could find taxi. The firework just finished and people were leavjng to go home. To be honest i was a bit scared because we both dont speak vietnamese and its hard to ask for directuon. Taxi was very scarced and those we could catch they refused to take. I dont know why. We ended up walking back all the way to hote. Safe and sound.
But the next morning is the first day of 2016 and i had a terrible headache and so many things happened but one thing i remembered clearly is the sofa at the hotel was really soft and comfy and could cure all my illness after sleeping there for two hours (because we already checked out so cant get back to the room or don't want to pay more).
HAPPY NEW YEAR! MAY YOU ALL BE BLESSED
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