Home sweet home.........

Well it's nice to be back in Manila after my jaunt in Vietnam.

I got the airport in Nha Trang early... I had this crazy Vietnamese woman taxi driver.. her goal seemed to be to get as close as possible to the vehicle in front when driving... now I have a fast car and sometimes drive fast but never get so close to the vehicle in front that you can read who made their license plate !!! She didn't think that she should slow down for bends... remember this is a mountain/sea pass so the road is right on the edge at all times, she even was answering her cell phone but with the other hand NOT on the driving wheel but through it. She didn't get a tip.

At the airport... airport in the loosest sense of the word... its an old converted air base (NO not my friend's), the terminal building is like a canteen on 2 floors, we had to wait upstairs, as we were waiting something came over the tannoy in pidgin English.... through those old Hi-Fidelity speakers that they made in the 50's.... ssshheello....sssssssss.......passssssssssssssssssengers.. delay......zank yooooo sssffor yoooorsssss....coooooooooooperation... everyone looks at each other thinking what did she say ?? I caught the word DELAY.... just what I don't want as my connection in Saigon is tight. 5 minutes later 2 Vietnam airlines land at the "airport", one obviously for passengers and the other one looks like it's for cargo... both the old 2 propeller types..... I haven't been on one in a long time....should be interesting.

At 12.15 they called for boarding.......yes this looks good for me... I went straight up, she says.. later... ????.....then I notice that the people boarding have a brown boarding pass but mine is yellow....???... yes I know.... they must be business class.. normally with these small flights they don't have business class and I never thought to ask as I always travel B class whenever it is available. Anyway no problem B class will go on first and the peasants including me will follow.... the business people get on so I and a couple of others go up to board...... she again says....later.... ???.. so we step back...... she then puts the padlock back on the gate door and walks away !!!??.......... what's happening...I simply don't know.

We are on the 1st floor so we are watching the planes outside, all the Business passengers have boarded the plane so when do we get on ??.... the propellers turn and they take off at 12,30..... 30 mins earlier than the original flying time, that would have got me into Saigon early !! So what happened.... I can only guess that there were so many passengers that they flew 2 planes for the flight, I know that there was only 1 flight scheduled at that time as they only have 2 flights per day, that one and 1 at 8am which was too early for me.

They may not have been business passengers but just tickets for an extra flight that was scheduled. Anyway the other plane is being loaded with cargo as I thought... but wait a minute.. there are suitcases being loaded also, this must be our plane... ok well that's life. At 12.45 we board, the steps down from the "terminal" to the tarmac was simply the old fire escape !!... old people were struggling with their hand luggage, mothers with prams and young children all trying to get down this fire escape..... crazy !!!. We get on the plane and it is small with only 4 seats across, 2 either side of the gangway, I had an isle seat so I was ok but the guy on the inside at the window was an American over 6'4" and over 20 stones, the shape of the plane made him lean towards me to avoid his head touching the plane body.
I was going to offer to change places with him but after listening to him for a few mins I changed my mind as he was a bragger and wanted a listener which wasn't going to be me for this flight..... the plane took off and my head went back to sleep/rest.... and avoid having to listen to him.

We lands at Saigon in good time, I only have hand luggage so I can quickly get out of the domestic terminal and run (walk fast !!) to the international terminal... so far so good as it's only 2.25pm, checks in business class for this flight...as one always should, nice lady gives me my boarding pass and a ticket to the VIP lounge... I can feel all the frustration and worry leave me as I head for the business lounge... got there but it was closed !!.. after 10 mins of faffing around I eventually get to another lounge which accepts me, I sit down in the plush surroundings to relax for the 30 mins that I have to wait... really nice as always... is there any other way to travel.... cup of coffee, a sandwich, 2 small cakes, a diet coke, a read of the newspaper, use their computer to go online..... about 3.05pm a steward comes over to me and says " sir you can now board when you are ready"............... I walks slowly and fully relaxed to the aircraft, I'm greeted by name by the stewardess and took to my seat.... all the peasants in economy are already on board as I sit down in my posh seat... the dividing curtain between business and economy is then closed..... as I said is there any other way to travel !!!

I got a result on that flight, there were only 11 passengers using the 12 business seats and the spare one was next to me..... thank you oh thank you soooooo much......this is the ultimate in flying, not only a nice seat for yourself but 2 which means I can sit in the isle seat, look out the window whenever I want and put my pillow, book, glasses etc on the seat next to me...... as the stewardess brings me my Australian red wine and my pork dinner... I'm in heaven.

We get to Manila on time as I have only hand luggage I am expecting to get out of the airport quickly, I reach immigration at the same time as other passengers that have just landed, there are 7 different queues and there are about 400 of us, I look at the signs, 3 of them I don't qualify for so it's one of the other 4... which one should I choose... this choice is crucial... pick the right one that has a fast inspector and you are home and dry........ of course I picked the wrong one and I was THE last person though immigration... well I can't have it all. Through customs and then I'm outside... Hello Manila great to be back. As I live in Manila I know not to use the airport taxis as they cost 330 pesos but if you go upstairs to departures you can jump in a local taxi that has just dropped off someone and it will only cost you 120 pesos. I go up upstairs, catch a taxi..... I say to legaspi and use meter... he replies yes sir, I gets in and he says 300 pesos.... I get out.....onto a 2nd taxi.... I say the same as before and so does he, I get in he says 300 pesos.... are they all deaf.... I get out as he is explaining its because of the traffic, I said to him in a very sarcastic voice if you don't want to drive in traffic you shouldn't be in Manila..... I am now annoyed and decide as it is so busy here to simply use the airport taxi after all, they are dependable, are always new clean vehicles and the driver is usually friendly as he makes a good living from working for the airport.

He gets me home safe and sound to my building, I'm greeted by 2 of the building staff opening the door for me ( as they always do) and saying that it's nice to see me back. Welcome home, I get into my condo, throw down my bags, get myself a large glass of Australian red, sit down and switch on the TV and my laptop.... straight to my blog..hey it works immediately... must have been something about Vietnam.....now I'm back to normal life once more.........

Sorry that was a bit long wasn't it....

Well it's 8.30am Monday here (12.30am UK ) I guess Anne will reply in the next 30 mins or so as she usually does around this time.... I'm waiting Anne... don't let me down !!

BTW thanks to Gary in Canada for the email, Gary I dreamt about you the other night.. no you weren't anywhere near Jennifer Aniston and I... so forget that.. I'll tell you sometime.... nothing really interesting I'm afraid...

Hope you all had a great weekend