The Most Beautiful Girl

There she was! The most beautiful girl I had ever seen was checking in. The flow of her curly black hair and the glow of her tanned olive skin made her look so radiant and gorgeous. The world appeared to stand still for a moment as I took everything in, but snapped straight back to life as she looked up at me. I hadn't realised how long I'd been stood there but it was obviously too long, going by the quizzical look I was getting from her friend. I put my head down and quickly made for the door utterly embarrassed. I could feel my cheeks burning all the way to the 'Crazy Buffalo' bar just around the corner and continued to burn as I sat sipping my cold beer. Sitting there lost in my own thoughts I knew I wanted to talk to this girl but didn't have a clue how I would even start a conversation let alone continue one.

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Ho Chi Minh's Sledgehammer Blow

I felt ready to head back to the hotel but decide to have a look around the city for a while. It was coming up to midday and the sun was blazing high in the cloudless blue sky. I was loving it and definitely didn't envy the poor people back in the UK in the middle of November. Ho Chi Minh City is not the prettiest city but it does have a huge amount of backpackers passing through it everyday so can be a great place to meet fellow travellers and swap stories over a beer. To avoid the worst of the heat I sat outside a small restaurant with an ice cold sprite and tucked into an arrangement of rice, meat and spicy sauce. Whatever the food was it tasted amazing and if it was anything to go by I was looking forward to a lot more of this in Vietnam. After lunch and a walk back along the river to the hotel I had a quick nap and a shower to get ready to go and have a drink. I skipped down the stairs and into the foyer but was suddenly hit by what felt like a sledge hammer to the head and heart and I could not believe my eyes. 

A Fresh Start In 'Saigon'

Ho Chi Minh City Airport was a world apart from anywhere I had landed before, it was used by the South Vietnamese and US forces in the Vietnam War. Taxiing to the stand it felt like we were landing in a working military airbase. Walking through arrivals however you could have been in any other airport anywhere in the world. The flight in had been smooth and comfortable but the best part had been the cabin crew. They were all absolutely gorgeous and the most helpful, smiley staff I had ever had. The taxi to the hotel in the 'Saigon' district of the city was also pleasant, luck appeared to be on my side with no mishaps so far. I felt great, partly because I had left Bangkok which had been nothing but a pain from landing to taking off but mainly because I had overcome the jet lag and my body was starting to acclimatise to the continuous scorching heat. I was once again ready for the trip, whatever it had to throw at me. I decided to go for a walk as the hotel was pretty quiet. Benh Than Market was a bustling and vibrant place with seemingly almost everything and anything on offer all under one roof from bright, silk scarves to live crabs and frogs. I was mobbed as soon as my foot fell inside the doors. There seemed to be at least two or three people hanging off each arm pulling me towards there stalls and more sellers with merchandise in my face. Feeling a bit stranded I became very rude and aggressive but soon cut myself off remembering that I didn't want another incident similar to Hualampong Station. This was definitely something I was going to have to address sooner rather than later.

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It's All Coming Together

I really do like a challenge but right then all I wanted to do was be at home. I couldnt believe the day that had unfolded: I had been lost and chased and was almost broke. Totally exhausted and emotionally drained I collapsed on the bed and drifted off to sleep. When I woke at 4:30am I was absolutely starving, I realised then that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the day before. Just round the corner was a 24hr 7-Eleven so I popped in and bought the cheapest thing they had, which happened to be some kind of chocolate bread. It was so good that I bought another to have for lunch. The same peaceful start to another day in Bangkok at Lumphini park was exactly what I needed to relax before going off to the embassy. The one thing that did slightly get my heart racing however was a splash from the lake and a metre long monitor lizard jumping out and running up the bank towards me. I darted up from the grass and jumped over a bench. Looking back I had to laugh, it hadn't been coming at me at all, it had just been going for a rat that was running along the waterline. I was slightly embarrassed having leapt a bench to get away but it put me in very good spirits for the rest of the day. Having applied for my visa I headed back to Cozy, I thought it was about time I tried to get my cash card sorted. Looking online I found their international assistance number and used my last 100 Baht to use the phone. I could not believe what had happened, I had locked it with the wrong PIN number it was actually 4-6-3-3. I felt like a lot of lesson had been learnt but still couldn't quite grasp the shipwreck that had been the last few days. They had definitely been an adventure and a steep learning curve in how to be prepared for the future.


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The Chase

I sprinted across the road without a care for the cars and bikes coming at me. Getting through the parked vehicles outside the station and running through the doors I took a left straight into the crowds of passengers waiting to board. The driver was still there and searching for me so I bolted out of a side entrance near the ticket office which opened onto the taxi rank. I got some very strange looks while running across the road and skirting back round to the front of Hualampong. I hid in a crowd on the other side of the road. He strode out of the doors with his head up and chest puffed out. He was looking around for me but luckily couldn't see what he wanted. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was sweating so much from the adrenaline and the muggy heat. I thought I should probably get out of the area for a while so went up a block and flagged a taxi down to take me to the AirAsia office. The staff at the office were a fantastic help but it did cost 2,500 Baht to push my flight forward a day. The Vietnam visa would be 2000 and the taxi was 100 so I had 400 Baht left to last two days.
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Tuk-Tuk, What Have You Done Now?

What was I going to do now? Shuffling back down Wireless Road with my head sunk and with no ideas I felt drained and depressed. Luck hadn't been on my side so far in this trip and I was desperately hoping that this wasn't a sign of things to come. Back at Cozy I sat slumped against the wall of my room and sobbed myself to sleep. Waking an hour later I still had no real clue about how to solve this, I had no phone and only five thousand bhat (£95) left. I knew I would have to change my flight so checked the AirAsia website but as the flight was less than 48 hours away I could not change it, the site did say however that there was an office in Bangkok. I began to perk up, there was hope. Waving a tuk-tuk down was easy and I was on my way to the office, I was feeling good again. We pulled up outside a tailors and the driver explained that if I went in and had a look round for five minutes he would get his free petrol. I pleaded with the him that I was in such a rush as the office shut in an hour but he was adamant. The tailors was plush and looked too expensive especially on my current budget. After five minutes I jumped back in and off we went. I remember exactly what he said.

“you buy?”

“No, too expensive.” I replied

“Why you no buy?”

“too expensive!” reiterating what I'd said

“where you go now?” he shouted

Suddenly he had no idea where Khao San Road was and within five minutes we were back at Hualampong station. Climbing out I gave him 10 baht and walked off in a huff. My tight budget and deadline made me hesitant to use a taxi so looked for another tuk-tuk. One relaxed looking driver beckoned me over and I told him where I wanted to go and that I definitely couldn't go to a tailors because I had no time. From nowhere he shouted “I attack you!” and came at me. Instantly I took off not knowing where to run, the train station now seemed like the best option.


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Just One More Day

I began the next day in peace after watching the serene, synchronised movements of Tai Chi in Lumphini park against the backdrop of the rising sun. Each group brought their own fascinating style from the graceful flow of silk scarves to the precise efficiency of swords, I knew I would come back the next day to relax away from the manic streets that were beyond its walls. I sat on the metro for the third time and still couldn't get over how clean it was. I rode it to Silom station and headed up Wireless Road to find the Vietnamese Embassy. Eventually I found it after passing it twice, I must have missed it whilst watching in amazement at the American Embassy that dwarfed the Vietnamese site on the opposite side of the road. I smiled to myself at the statement that was being made and headed inside the much smaller gates but was immediately stopped by security who explained that the embassy was shut due to a national holiday and it wouldn't be open until ten the next day! I began to realise what that meant and my heart sank. My flight to Ho Chi Minh was at 11am in two days time and I couldn't get a visa in time. Visas took one day to process and that was one day I didn't have.


Next:Tuk-tuks, What Have You Done Now?

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