The little 'Name Plate' production line behind the airport bench gave away the first few letters....I saw the 'S', the 'O' and the 'W' and I was sold!...
Ten seconds into landing in Ho Chi Minh City and I was hoping Madame Cuc (my backpacker lady) had not forgotten to send us (H and I) a taxi. The Indian-Australian accented 'Hello' in Vietnamese got a couple of giggles from the immigration dudes. Were they being supportive or flirtatious? We proceeded to the exit and H's eyes lit up like she had never seen anything like this before. As for me, like most other proud Indians, I mentally compared the airport lounge to an average one in my country and nodded my condescending nod. That nod cost me a sprained neck as I was bobbing my head at every street corner noticing the similarities with India. Was I really in Vietnam? Right-side traffic. Yes, I think so.
The taxi HAD come to fetch us but the driver was having difficulties spelling my name. There he was sprawled behind the airport bench with a paper in one hand and a marker in another. We waved at him, tried the accented 'Hello' again and more laughs! This time flirtatious!
Madame Cuc was nothing like I imagined. I fell in love with the chaos. I am talking about the backpackers not the Madame herself, that would just be rude.. Before describing Vietnam any further, I would like to do away with one huge misconception that backpackers are very rich. Yes, it is true that we could afford a ticket to our destination but that's where it ends. From that point onwards we are basically broke. So when we checked into MC's and they informed us of the 24-hour-FREE-VietnameseTea/Coffee & Banana combo we were simply ecstatic.
I believe traveling is enjoyable because of the people you end up meeting. And Vietnam offered just that. The next morning over breakfast at MC's, H and I met a delightful young British couple who handed us a weapon that we held till Hanoi: Hand Sanitizer. What followed was three weeks of fantastic food, amazing people and interesting toilets.
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