But wow. This airport rocks. Rocks, I tell you...
Sure, part of this might because of the contrast with the chaos of India, but there are just so many things that if they have an ounce of sympathy for their passengers, other airports should quickly copy:
Where to start, where to start... first, there's wi-fi, free, fast, and everywhere. Then, add in the full screen movie theater that shows movies like Ocean's 12, 24 hours a day, free. A shower and spa facility for about $5 help put it over the top, since it's a godsend if you've been flying for over ten hours. But the finishing touch, gracing this ultra-modern wonder... they have a two-story butterfly enclosure:
How cool is that? Such a great way to relax and unwind, and to hear the kids exclaim in wonder – the parents are big fans for an easy method to distract their occasionally rambunctious offspring.
SFO, Heathrow, and heck, even Reno International – take some notes, huh?
Singapore was just a short stop – and I got into Saigon, or as it's now officially called, Ho Chi Minh City. But, since the locals still call it Saigon – who am I to argue?
The war is going to be a constant thread running through these blog entries – Vietnam is now a vibrant, heavily capitalistic in all but name society, yet there are signs all over that the war has not been forgotten. First among these? Flying into Tan Son Nhut airport, which used to be the #1 airbase for US forces (and for trivia nuts, in '68, it was the 3rd busiest airline, not in Asia, but the entire world).
Anyways – there are still two dozen aircraft shelters from this era, still in use... it's a quick and instant reminder – the war happened, and it matters to any traveler to Vietnam.
The city makes it very easy to get plugged in and spending money for tourists – an air-conditioned bus takes you to Pham Ngo Lao, the backpackers' district downtown for about 3,000 dong. Well, 6,000 for me, since they charged me for the bag on the seat next to me, but since that came to a whopping $.50, I didn't sweat it. And yes, the currency is called dong, and I'm still kind mentally chuckling whenever someone says that aloud.
Right – but the exchange rate involves one heck of a lot of zeroes... 1 dollar = 18,000 dong, and a pound weighs in at 30,000. Math teachers take note – here's another great reason for your prospective future tourists to pay attention in class...
Yup, I got caught with this, when I was walking around looking for a Lonely Planet guide to Vietnam. They've perfected the art of the knock-off edition, in color and bound, so I asked how much. 180,000 dong (snicker) was the answer.
I did the quick math, and thought 180,000 / 30,000 = 60 @#$! pounds??? Whoops – dropped a zero... it was actually 6 pounds, and that was just the starting price.
Even at the ATM, I had to literally triple-check my math to make sure that my 2,000,000 dong withdrawal was going to send my bank manager into overdraft conniptions. Nope – that's 60 quid, I'm all good.
Crossing the street the first time in Saigon – that has got to be the biggest gesture of faith I've taken in awhile. See, in Saigon, it's scooter central, and while there are actual traffic rules, they tend to serve as a loose guideline. And, in all of these rules, pedestrians are seemingly left out, left to cross as fate allows. Remember the classic game Frogger? Yup – it's like that, except without the crocodiles.
Here's the video from one of my later, more confident attempts... the first time was more of a wide-eyed frantic scurry across:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1z48c_XxKk
Traffic aside, Saigon gave me an instant good vibe... whether it was the spotless room I got for about $13, with AC, wifi and cable TV, with smiles included, or a quick walk in the park across the street. With every open space being used for everything from a kind of wooden hacky-sack volleyball, to 100 women of all ages doing jazzexercise to techno, and families everywhere else just hanging out, Saigon just struck me as a real positive place.
I dove into Vietnamese cuisine headfirst, and tried out their national dish of pho, which is a massive bowl of noodles, mint and other greens, onions, peppers and the odd bit of meat. Delicious – and all for a song ($1.50). Add in some of their spring rolls and a soursap smoothie, and I was more than happy.
Oh, and the icing on the cake? After weeks, nay, months of lager, lager, and lager from Africa to India, I found a pub that served up bottles of London Pride, a classic ale from the UK. That was a great way to wind down the first day – I was definitely fired up to see how the rest of Vietnam was going to treat me...
And, since I just couldn't resist – here's another butterfly pic from the airport of all airports:
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