Would you like to see Ao-Dai beauties?

9/27(Fri)	sightseeing in Ho Chi Minh by chartered motorbike taxi arranged by ICC Travel Ho Chi Minh(Saigon) 18:00-(Vietnam Railways)-4:00+ Nha Trang
Lodging	(on the train)
Major expense(s)	motorbike taxi chartered: $15=1,850Yen Night train / Softberth (SN2): 171,000VND=$11.4=1,400Yen
Related Sites	General Links - Asia Vietnam Ho Chi Minh Nha Trang photo gallery of tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)

The chartered motorbike taxi at the tourist agency is the best way to explore in Ho Chi Minh.
Because drivers almost speak English, and they seldom cheat you out of your money.
Basically if their employer draw complaint of their behavior, they will get fired.

I explored in Ho Chi Minh with Mr. Ngo Dac Trung, the motorbike taxi driver.
First he suggested going to district 2 because ordinary sightseeing tours almost never go this area.
So we took Saigon River ferry (1000VND=10Yen) to the opposite bank.
There was a tranquil sight in the district 2 unlike the lively district 1.
When I ate sweet corn with coconut milk (baked coconut rice pudding) called "Che Bap" in Vietnamese at the street shop, local high school students and married women came close there.
And Mr. Ngo Dac Trung said me "Look them!"as ao-dai high school girls on a bicycle passed by.
It would seem his job that he get me to see ao-dai high school girls.

motorbike taxi driver, Mr. Ngo Dac Trung	Saigon River Ferry
Vietnamese food "Banh Xeo (pan cake)" and "Cha Gio Re (fried spring rolls)"	street noodle shop

After visit of Dong Hung Temple, Hueng Kiem Temple, Emperor Jade Pagoda (Phuoc Hai) and having lunch, I was taken to a massage parlor.
I asked Mr. Ngo Dac Trung to be taken to some massage parlor, he took me to Anh Minh (address: 7 Pham Viet Chanh, District 1) where is near Le Hong Phong High School and Tu Du Hospital.
And the body massage fee was $15 (1,850Yen).

Anh Minh didn't seem to be a massage parlor for travelers because the first floor is a barber shop.
As I went to the second floor, a massage girl in sexy costume welcomed me, and I was asked to change cloths.
For a moment I feel here to be a red right, unfortunately they absolutely solicited sex.
They seemed to be different from other massage girls who come to Asian three-star venues for sex purposes.
If you do a bit of crumpet, another request is needed, right?
So in such a situation, you need a reliable motorbike taxi driver, don't you?

Click to enlarge photo.
photo by QT Luong terragalleria.com

When we finished sightseeing at Thien Hau Pagoda and Giac Lam Pagoda after having myself massaged, it was well past 3 p.m.
I was very pushed for time to have a dinner because the night train left for Nha Trang at 6 p.m.
In such a case Mr. Ngo Dac Trung said me in front of the gate of some high school: "Why don't you see ao-dai girls?"
But seeing them, I might have missed the train.
And the gate of the school was full of local men waiting women; if I had taken ao-dai girls' photo, I might have been hit or my digital camera might have been damaged.
Such a situation is too terrible to look it, isn't it?
If you are brave traveler, you should go to see ao-dai girls there with disposable camera.

I was at the eleventh-hour whether to miss the train.
The street for Saigon railway station was very crowded, so plenty of motorbikes had blown the horn.
Since Mr. Ngo Dac Trung raced against time while holding my backpack, I worried about a falling accident.
But motorbikes were often for three or four members, it might have been easy for him.
Thanks to his drive, I was in time of departure.
And I bought some refreshments at the station kiosk because I didn't count on the sales aboard a train that was informed by Japan's guide book: so my train was one of Regional Passenger Trains, not North-South Passenger Trains.
There was predictably not such service, I planned on traveling in Nha Trang over refreshments.
Finally I wanna say!
If the train would be arrived at 4 a.m., leave later at Ho Chi Minh!
How would I have gotten a room without reserveation?

Many peddlers at Nha Trang Beach

Needless to say, I was in the dark after alighting from the train.
But so many people crowded around the station where they were coming from.
Since there couldn't seem to rest, I hung about the station; thus I was caught by hideous taxi driver.
He overcharged me 60,000VND (US$4=480 Yen) though it seems to make my way on foot.
Therefore I asked the travel agency about that, this price is about 10,000VND (80 Yen); so I got ripped off.
The biggest problem was so early arrival, next time I would come here with Westerner by bus, right?

Fortunately I could check in the hotel and enter the room even 4 a.m..
When I got off the taxi, I thought to be obliged to be left at the hotel lobby; it might have been happy to come here in the off-season.
So I was worried about an additional charge, but it didn't be charged.
Without a hotel reservation, I shuddered just to think I might have taken to another suspicious accommodation by the taxi driver.
It is just that as Japan's proverb says, "It is good to have a shelter against every storm," isn't it?

Nha Trang Beach
deserted beach in the morning	Boys have fun playing soccer.
fruits selling woman at Nha Trang Beach

After having buffet-style breakfast (20,000VND=160 Yen), as I explored the town, motorbike taxi and sit-low drivers came near to me.
But they were more mild and less persistent than Ho Chi Minh's drivers.
I found some travel agency-cum-restaurant, "BANANA SPLIT CAFE" in the meantime.
And I asked where good attraction is, I was suggested touring by chartered bike, not package tour.
The patronne said to me "Up to you" whatever I asked, I understood that at last.
It was hard to understand because I had a preconception about tourist agency, it may be good that touring by chartered bike is more flexible than package tour.

After getting decided my tour plan, I went to the beach; however, it was difficult to relax because many peddlers came near to me one after another.
They were quite during sleeping, but they began attacking to sell something as I began reading or writing a postcards.
For example, some fruits selling woman suddenly began cutting a pineapple though I didn't say much of anything.
So it must be necessary to refuse to be sold in a split second.
If buying something, it must bargain beforehand.
Needless to say, they always attack to sell something to Japanese, right?