Arrived in Vietnam

Today, we were off to Vietnam! We had breakfast at the hotel, packed up the last of our things, and took a taxi for 65 rm on a 1.5-hour ride to the airport. It’s a bit cheaper to take an airport shuttle, but they don’t pick you up right in front of the hotel. At 2:20 PM, our flight took off as scheduled, and about two hours later, we landed at Ho Chi Minh Airport. We spent an hour waiting in line at immigration. They were very thorough, but thankfully, they didn’t ask for a copy of our visa application, which we had forgotten to get. We had read that it was important to have a copy, but luckily, it didn’t turn into a problem. While waiting in the immigration line, we struck up a conversation with a guy who had roots in Malaysia, Vietnam, and the USA. He shared a bit about life in Vietnam and confirmed that everything is super cheap here. Outside the airport, we were met by a huge crowd of people, all eager to take us to “the best hotel.” One of the drivers kept insisting that the Pham Ngu Lao area had been cleared out and turned into a big junction. Like all the others, he promised he would take us to “the best hotel.” They earn a commission from hotel owners if they bring tourists to their hotels. It took us a while to find a driver willing to take us to Pham Ngu Lao, but sure enough, the area was still there. It cost us $5 for a taxi into the city. Our driver was also on commission, so he dropped us off at a specific hotel. It turned out to be a really cozy and clean family-run hotel. It was $10 a night, including breakfast. However, we quickly realized that you can find cheaper hotels—some as low as $4, breakfast included. But we weren’t unhappy with our choice; we felt very safe here. We soon discovered that everything is incredibly cheap here—cheaper than in Thailand and Malaysia. But you also have to be aware that they have a completely different relationship with money than we’re used to. At an internet café, we were charged 2,500 dong and gave them 100,000 dong, which is about 50 kroner. They looked at us strangely and just shook their heads, saying they couldn’t give us change for that. Pham Ngu Lao resembles the Khao San Road area in Bangkok. There are lots of backpackers here, which means plenty of shops, travel agencies, restaurants, and bars. Prices are low, and there are so many beautiful things to buy, so I’ll be busy over the next few days. There are also many beauty salons, where a facial costs 40,000 dong, and a pedicure is 20,000 dong. We had dinner at one of the local restaurants, and it only cost us 83,000 dong for both of us, drinks included.