So I finally leave Samui after my 3 week “holiday”. I really enjoyed it, but who wouldn’t with a view like this from breakfast each morning (see pic). Last night was domestic duties, collecting laundry so I have a bag full of clean clothes for Vietnam, taking the books back to the book exchange, getting bahts out of the cash machine for the hotel bill (they decided to issue me with a new Mastercard since I have been away, and that’s at home and I’m here and the hotel don’t take Amex…. - note to self bring a 3rd option next time). But of course you can’t do all that without time out for a pedicure and a glass of wine at the Lava Bar. Wine at the Lava Bar was good, pedicure not so good, think I could have done a better job myself, a bit untidy I feel. In fact I end up with itchy feet – was it the pedicure, or is it just excitement about moving on to Saigon and seeing Ant again after all this time – but in the middle of the night I realise it was neither – yet another family of Thai mozzies have decided to dine, this time on my feet – worse than the Chinese water torture , I think! But back to the wine in the Lava Bar – think I pulled again – as I finished my wine, I paid my 100 baht, but as I left they ran after me proffering my 100 baht note back to me - a man at the bar had paid my bill. Now I know I am not some 18year old small Thai girl, perhaps the poor guy needed new glasses (and I know a cheap optician in Lamai who could help….) But no, it seemed he just wanted to pay the bill. So I gave up and let him – still have no idea who he was, all I saw was his back… strange, but at least I was 100 baht better off! I have decided I will miss little about Lamai, except for the strange men paying for my bar bill (although it would have been more profitable if he had started 3 weeks ago instead of leaving it till the last night….), mozzies (but they seem to plague me wherever I go) and the smells. Drains are a big feature here, and I don’t know if it’s the recycled water, but often the tap water isn’t too pleasant either. As I’ve said before, I’m all for saving the world, but not when it comes to clean tap water…. So off to Samui airport, I think the most charming airport I have ever been too (see pic), more so even than the Cook Islands or the Maldives. And they do a most amazing loo – so clean and designed to within an inch of its life! The only downside was I saw a Propeller job arriving about 35mins before I was due to take off, it can’t be my Bangkok Airways flight I thought – I need a jet! But that was my flight – a 2 prop airliner of Siem Reap Airways, but we arrived safely, propellers notwithstanding having been served a full meal with drinks on the 1hr 15 min flight. Arrive at Bangkok, and transfer to Thai (back to business class, the Royal Silk Lounge and flashpacking again) and a great flight with champagne and a meal, and 50 mins later touch down in Saigon. Am getting much better with the old taxi drivers - the first one wanted $20, the second wanted $12, but I sorted it and got the going rate of $8. I thought Phnom Penh was mad for traffic and motorbikes, but Saigon beats that hands down, not sure how I am ever going to cross the road. But said taxi driver gets me into the city, and when we arrive in the vicinity of the hotel, he points towards the hotel – but I can’t see it anywhere. So I make him come with me, I don’t want to be abandoned in the wrong place where I have no idea of signposts. I did promise Ant that I would be fluent in Vietnamese by now, but have failed in that mission (but I have bought a phrase book....). But he was right, the hotel was here, just in a bit of an alley way behind the main street. The money here is a bit like Cambodia only more extreme – 32,000 dong to the £ and no coins – think I tipped him ok, but may have given him 30p or £3 not sure! The hotel is really nice, in a great area with lots of little eateries and bars. The reception guy speaks the most amazing English. The room is spotless, reasonable size, a tv, fridge, aircon and with a decent bathroom and shower (but I did have to do a Skype to Ant to say “bring soap!”). Breakfast and free wifi is included and we are paying the princely sum of £6.50 per night, so I guess I can’t complain about no soap! I pop out for something to eat and now back doing this, not sure how sleep will go tonight, am so excited about Ant arriving tomorrow, when the next chapter in this amazing adventure begins.
