Day 1, morning in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
I woke up after a hot sweaty night in my bunk with no one in sight. Just ready made beds and the fan sweeping the room.
Breakfast was at 9am so I headed downstairs. An inclusive breakfast was one of the main reasons I picked this hostel although I had no idea what it would be. I was about to find out.
The breakfast area was simply two small round tables next to the stairs I'd just walked down looking out past reception into the alleyway. Thankfully my shoes were still there from the night before.
"Sit down, wait here" the guy said. He was only about 17 and always had a cigarette in his mouth. If you don't like smoking, tough. It's their world, their rules. You just have to adapt.
He put a basket with a load of sauces and tubs which I had no idea what was in them in front of me.
"Tea?" He asked
"Yes please" I replied and he brought over a nice refreshing cup of green herbal tea with a hint of mint. Very refreshing. Then along came breakfast.
As you can see it was ham wrapped in fried egg in a roll with tomatoes. It was quite tasty! But the watermelon was really delicious. So refreshing to eat and my moral for the day instantly rose. I was thankful for the banana too because I needed all the energy I could get.
Time for a shower. The shower was just a thin flexi pipe attached to the wall of the bathroom. There was no shower area, no doors. You just spray yourself down and try not to soak the toilet lol.
Time to head out.
I grabbed my shoes and took a right down the alleyway. Immediately on my right there was a tiny stool selling smoothies. "You buy, very refreshing" "no thank you". I knew I was going to be asked to buy things alot but nothing could prepare me for the amount of offers I got.
Then another 20 steps there were two massage parlours opposite each other asking me to go in. This was all in the alleyway by the way. I hadn't even made it out to the main road yet!
I stepped out onto the busy street and had a choice of going right or left. Luckily the hostel staff gave me a map...
Err...left?
Left looked shorter and busier so that's where I went. Even though I knew the hostel was nearby, I felt completely lost. There were people and bikes everywhere and every now and then someone would approach me to sell me something. This time it was sunglasses.
I pointed to the ones on my face and kindly denied the offer. My mission today was simply to get my bearings and find water. Tap water is a no go here. You absoloutely must find bottles to drink out of.
Thankfully water wasn't hard to find, but most of them weren't refrigerated. This meant it would be warm before you buy it. So I looked around for cooler water which didn't take too long to find.
Pointing to my phone, I asked someone where I could get a sim and they told me to head straight down the main road. So I did.
After only a 10 minute walk I saw a big modern building on the other side which looked like tech so that's where I headed.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vHxM2EcKwtMtWJqP9
The yellow and blue building is the one I'm heading towards. I've no idea who I was talking to. Some of the locals often stop to talk to you to offer you a lift or simply to chat.
You can see how busy it is during the day. The traffic doesn't stop for you. You just walk across and keep a steady speed so the bikes can dodge you.
In the shop they spoke a little english but not alot. Enough to find me a cheap sim. Unlimited data for $5 a month. I was only there for a month so $5 was fine by me.
Sim added, I could now use google maps to help me find my way around. This gave my moral a boost and I was beginning to feel more in control of my situation. I picked a loop on the map and went for a stroll.
Some places there is nowhere to walk but the road.
It was getting really hot now and I was starting to get hungry. I spotted a market and thought I'd take a look. A big sign said "Mind your belongings". I knew pickpockets were common here so for the first time ever I put my bag on my front like a real tourist and slowly made my way in.
It was busy.
I decided to just keep going straight. I didn't want to spend any longer than I had to.
But then, right at the end of the market on the right was a small refreshments store with servings of noodles and drinks. I sat down and tasted quite pissibly the best and most refreshing coconut water I'd ever had.
Sure their water quality is bad but if everything elase is so good, who cares!
I started heading on my big loop back to the hostel and the traffic was really picking up.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/YwGnPVgchhUcLVxZ7
Somehow I had to cross this without getting run over :-/
Whoever thought simply crossing a road would give you such an adrelinin rush.
Despite all the small 125cc bikes, cheap cars and trucks, every now and then you'll see something out of place.
What the!?
To give you an idea just how odd it was to see this car, this is the same street.
Later on I discovered that had I turned right onto the main road instead of left I'd literally be in the touristy center of town!
Bars, clubs, restauruants all within a 5 minute walk of my hostel! But you can't here any of it during the night!
Can you believe that off this street is a dark alleyway that leads to my hostel? Look how people just sit out with plastic tables and chairs eating their dinner watching everything in front of them.
So..
I approached one and I was sat down immediately...er guess I'm eating here tonight..
The menu had an english print at the back which I was thankful for. I didn't know whay the locals ate so I just had a roast dinner lol
It didn't take long to realise that it wasn't quite like the roasts back home..
Meat, chips, hard broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.
As I walked back being harrassed by the massage parlours and tourist traps, I reflected on the day. Despite only walking, I'd experienced alot. I was beginning to get my bearings and it wouldn't be too long before I ventured further away from the hostel...