1st day in Ho Chi Minh
Dear Friends,
...my first day....
I was on my way to the LCCT airport with my beloved sister, Elle. So exciting. We reached there around 4.20pm and rushing to check in before counter closed at 4.55pm. Finally we were at the counter. The receptionist told us, "Your passport is 3 months to expire! We can't proceed your check-in"...... What!!!??? My sister had forgotten to check her passport's expiry date. There was no other way, except renew the passport now. Gosh, what could we do?
We went to the service counter. We wanted to change the flight to tomorrow. The officer told us that we could not change within 24 hours and the flight ticket would be forfeited if she did not aboard. He suggested Elle to renew passport and buy tomorrow's flight ticket.
Finally, I got to Ho Chi Minh by myself. Everything was fine and easy until I reached the Tan Son Nhat Airport. When I stepped out from the airport, I could not see any airport bus/buses. Then a taxi driver approached me 10 USD, I rejected. Then second taxi driver came and told me that the airport bus operated until 7pm. Erm... should I believe him? He offered me 5 usd. Good, after wandering for while, I finally took his offer. He was nice and he helped carrying my backpack. We stopped by a mercedes taxi. Oh, this is my first time taking mercedes taxi!!!!
When the taxi got out from the parking, he stopped by the entrance of airport again and picked up the other 3 persons. Would they shared the taxi fees with me? Then I asked them, but quickly the taxi driver stopped me from asking by telling me they are his family. I knew....something there...he was cheating. I believed one of the girl who speaks Vietnamese is his relative, and the other 2 were tourists from Australia.
Then, the taxi drove out from airport and stopped at the exit. It looked like parking counter or some kind of toll counter. Then, he asked me to pay it and he showed "The road fee shall be paid by the customer". Without asking him the amount, I passed him 100,000 Dong which is around 6 USD. Then, he quickly grabbed the note and returned me change of 10,000 Dong. So EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!????? Again, I felt being cheated.
I ended up following the taxi to somewhere far from my guesthouse. He fetched the 3 girls to discrict 4, a residential area. It took one and half hour. Then, another half hour to my guesthouse, Luan Vu Guest House at District 1, travellers' hot spot.
I was tired and did not want to argue with him.....
He warned me that I should not travel by public bus. It was crowded and dangerous, with a lot pick-pockets. He did not take bus, even though he was local. I felt bad to the comment. He also told me not to take money out from the purse. He advised me to put some money in the pocket and pay from the pocket. Erm, I wondered ... Was he sincere? A cheater? A kind person?
However, his advice did not do me a good favour - I didn't feel like trusting Vietnam Taxi Driver anymore.
...my first day....
I was on my way to the LCCT airport with my beloved sister, Elle. So exciting. We reached there around 4.20pm and rushing to check in before counter closed at 4.55pm. Finally we were at the counter. The receptionist told us, "Your passport is 3 months to expire! We can't proceed your check-in"...... What!!!??? My sister had forgotten to check her passport's expiry date. There was no other way, except renew the passport now. Gosh, what could we do?
We went to the service counter. We wanted to change the flight to tomorrow. The officer told us that we could not change within 24 hours and the flight ticket would be forfeited if she did not aboard. He suggested Elle to renew passport and buy tomorrow's flight ticket.
Finally, I got to Ho Chi Minh by myself. Everything was fine and easy until I reached the Tan Son Nhat Airport. When I stepped out from the airport, I could not see any airport bus/buses. Then a taxi driver approached me 10 USD, I rejected. Then second taxi driver came and told me that the airport bus operated until 7pm. Erm... should I believe him? He offered me 5 usd. Good, after wandering for while, I finally took his offer. He was nice and he helped carrying my backpack. We stopped by a mercedes taxi. Oh, this is my first time taking mercedes taxi!!!!
When the taxi got out from the parking, he stopped by the entrance of airport again and picked up the other 3 persons. Would they shared the taxi fees with me? Then I asked them, but quickly the taxi driver stopped me from asking by telling me they are his family. I knew....something there...he was cheating. I believed one of the girl who speaks Vietnamese is his relative, and the other 2 were tourists from Australia.
Then, the taxi drove out from airport and stopped at the exit. It looked like parking counter or some kind of toll counter. Then, he asked me to pay it and he showed "The road fee shall be paid by the customer". Without asking him the amount, I passed him 100,000 Dong which is around 6 USD. Then, he quickly grabbed the note and returned me change of 10,000 Dong. So EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!????? Again, I felt being cheated.
I ended up following the taxi to somewhere far from my guesthouse. He fetched the 3 girls to discrict 4, a residential area. It took one and half hour. Then, another half hour to my guesthouse, Luan Vu Guest House at District 1, travellers' hot spot.
I was tired and did not want to argue with him.....
He warned me that I should not travel by public bus. It was crowded and dangerous, with a lot pick-pockets. He did not take bus, even though he was local. I felt bad to the comment. He also told me not to take money out from the purse. He advised me to put some money in the pocket and pay from the pocket. Erm, I wondered ... Was he sincere? A cheater? A kind person?
However, his advice did not do me a good favour - I didn't feel like trusting Vietnam Taxi Driver anymore.
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ReplyDeletehahaaa-taking taxi is a first exiting experience in that city. Be storonger, Yen Sim!!
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