After saying our goodbyes to the wonderful staff at Tara Angkor, we climb aboard tuk tuk # 10 and get our last glimpses and scents of Siem Reap both feeling a little sadness as the past three days have been magical.
As usual, we are at the airport too early, not only for our check-in but for the check-in of the Vietnam Air flight before ours. While we are waiting, fate would have it that another Canadian couple move in to share the bench upon which we are seated. Peter notices the tell-tale iron (usually stainless-steel) ring on the pinkie of the man. They begin to talk. I am on the other side of Peter and am busy sewing my hat. They keep jabbering and jabbering. Finally, I figure I should get up and at least say hello to the wife who has been totally ignored by the two guys. What a bit of luck. It turns our that our two engineer-husband are twins in personality. Angela, it turns out, is a sculptor. While her husband has retired, she has returned from England where she was able to sculpt professionally, and has worked herself back into an active profession in Ottawa. Now their travel time is limited by her need to fulfill commission obligations. I tell her about the Castlegar project and promise to sent her the information. She says that it sounds like fun and would be something she might like to participate in. I get her information - the guys are still talking! Angela says that Mike usually talks to nobody. They are even more alike than we figured.
In the one-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh city (Sai Gon), they manage to serve us a light snack. That’s good because I don’t see food again until 7 p.m.
The trip to the hotel is quick and uneventful, we just note the number of scooter and motorcycles as apposed to cars. It is obviously to mode of transportation (as was minibuses in South America) in this area.
The hotel is spotless - not as luxurious as Siem Reap, but very nice.
Once we are settled, we get a map at the front desk and venture out into the city. The main central market is at the end of our street. It is all hustle and bustle, that is if you are fortunate enough to make it across the street! (Crossing the street instructions follow.) The sales people here are fairly aggressive with a habit of touching you which can be a little off-putting to a Canadian. There is lots of stuff, but I really don’t want to buy anything. As we begin to walk back to the hotel I see my first rat scurrying from the market to the gutter. It wasn’t big and didn’t go for my feet like the roach did in Ayers Rock resort.
Leaving Siem Reap in the tuk tuk.
More motorbikes than cars or buses.
Instructions on how to cross the road in next post.
We continue to the hotel and, for one of the few times, I am dead tired. I slept for about 1 ½ hours last night and woke-up wide awake. I decided to get up and complete writing my blog, so had only another 2 hours of sleep.
We do change and go down to the restaurant for dinner just before 6:30. We can seeThe lady guide starts ordering the waitresses about. At ten to seven, we still do not have our dinner and the group is not only getting drinks, but food is being served at their table. It is not often that I will leave a restaurant, but I decide if one more plate comes to their table before I get my dinner, I am simply going to walk out. Peter is beginning to seethe. He gets up and speaks to the waitress who runs into the kitchen, shouting as she goes. My tofu appears. Still no rice or Peter’s ribs. The girl makes two more vocal entries into the kitchen and by ten after seven we have our meal. a big group is coming, as there are 22 seats at a long table. Thank goodness we are seated. We place our order and get our drinks when the group arrive.
Once we finish eating, I get up while Peter pays the bill and go to complain at the front desk. The waitress is there with the guide and the receptionist. The guide leaves and I can see how upset the waitress is. I tell the receptionist how hard the waitress tried to get our meals and how she was ignored and that I thought it was a bad reflection on the hotel as we had received excellent service in Siem Reap and now our first experience in Vietnam is so unacceptable. By this time Peter has joined us and says that the simple solution is that we will not be eating in the restaurant again. All we get were apologies, but this really is an unfortunate way to begin our stay here. It can only get better!
A couple of projects for Lorne to figure out . Actually, we think the lower lines are for telecommunications. Anyone for cell-phones?
Instructions on how to cross the road in next post.
We continue to the hotel and, for one of the few times, I am dead tired. I slept for about 1 ½ hours last night and woke-up wide awake. I decided to get up and complete writing my blog, so had only another 2 hours of sleep.
We do change and go down to the restaurant for dinner just before 6:30. We can seeThe lady guide starts ordering the waitresses about. At ten to seven, we still do not have our dinner and the group is not only getting drinks, but food is being served at their table. It is not often that I will leave a restaurant, but I decide if one more plate comes to their table before I get my dinner, I am simply going to walk out. Peter is beginning to seethe. He gets up and speaks to the waitress who runs into the kitchen, shouting as she goes. My tofu appears. Still no rice or Peter’s ribs. The girl makes two more vocal entries into the kitchen and by ten after seven we have our meal. a big group is coming, as there are 22 seats at a long table. Thank goodness we are seated. We place our order and get our drinks when the group arrive.
Once we finish eating, I get up while Peter pays the bill and go to complain at the front desk. The waitress is there with the guide and the receptionist. The guide leaves and I can see how upset the waitress is. I tell the receptionist how hard the waitress tried to get our meals and how she was ignored and that I thought it was a bad reflection on the hotel as we had received excellent service in Siem Reap and now our first experience in Vietnam is so unacceptable. By this time Peter has joined us and says that the simple solution is that we will not be eating in the restaurant again. All we get were apologies, but this really is an unfortunate way to begin our stay here. It can only get better!
A couple of projects for Lorne to figure out . Actually, we think the lower lines are for telecommunications. Anyone for cell-phones?
There is poultry as well as rats in the city. Dinner?
Ha hah ha! Two retired engineers have twin personalities? two million retired engineers have the same personality!!
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