It was just after 5pm and the sleeper bus was leaving at 7.00.
Oh no it isn't,
' we have a problem ' were the words that greeted me.
It didn't come as a great surprise.
He then turned his lap top round and showed me the news headlines. 51 inches of rain in the central costal area of Vietnam. 35 people swept away and dead with several more missing. It had been declared a state of emergency and it was on route to Hoi An. No trains or buses for at least 3 days!!
Monday, 6 December, 1999, 16:22 GMT
Second flood swamps Vietnam
Around 600 people were killed in floods last month
At least 105 people have been killed in central Vietnam and one million people are in need of emergency aid following a week of torrential rains. The deluge is the second to hit the area - one of the poorest in the country - in less than a month.
This is a double whammy for central Vietnam. Communities were only just getting their lives back to normal
John Geoghegan, International Red Cross
Thousands of people have seen their homes and rice fields destroyed. At least 22 people are missing and officials expect the death toll to rise.
Officials are evacuating tens of thousands of people and the army is using helicopters to deliver food. But flood waters have risen to two metres in some areas and continuing rains have further hampered relief efforts in the worst hit parts.
Dam fears
The affected region stretches from Quang Tri province to Khanh Hoa province and is home to more than eight million people. The government is especially concerned that a key dam in Quang Nam province may burst.
Soldiers are sand-bagging the dam, while thousands of people downstream have been moved to higher ground, officials said.
The rains have come just as the region was getting back on its feet after the worst floods in Vietnam for 35 years.
Last month's deluge killed nearly 600 people and caused around $240m worth of damage, setting development back by years. Relief workers and officials said the latest deluge had damaged recently re-planted rice fields and washed away temporary shelters erected following the last floods.
All north-south trains running between the capital Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been cancelled until Wednesday."
This was the news on the web.
' you will have to stay in Hanoi'
Oh no I fucking won't I thought.
' What are the other options I asked, can't I fly to Danang, stay in Danang and get a bus to Hoi An'
' When' was the reply'
' How about now ' I said
In a jiffy I could see dollar signs in his eyes.
He actually came up with a better idea, I would fly to Danang tonight and get a taxi to the hotel I was planning to stay at in Hoi An.
Within 30 minutes the flight was booked, I had my e ticket and the hotel was confirmed. At 6.00 I was on my way to the airport for the flight at 8.00.
Rather than pay the 10 dollar rate he suggested I use his company to get to the airport. It was actually his mate. He would charge me 8 dollars. I agreed although I did think leaving at 6.00 was cutting it a bit fine. It was about 50 mins to the airport.
As it was nearing 7.00 I was beginning the think I should have got my own taxi. I just made it though and saved $2. whoopy doo!
All in all the flight cost me £44 and the taxis at both ends cost a total of 28 dollars. The additional night in the hotel was $30. such is life. At least I won't have a 15 hour bus journey and interrupted sleep and won't have to go back to the Hanoi Hilton.
I wasn't that unhappy to leave Hanoi. Two days was enough. Chatting to a Vietnamese guy from HMC we agreed that the best place to see the celebrations was probably on TV.
As we were flying to our destination it did cross my mind to fuck this backpacker and 'green' lark. I'm gonna fly between every stop from now in. It's much less hassle.
The plane landed in atrocious weather conditions. I got soaked as I walked from the plane to the bus, jumped straight in a cab and I was on my way to Hoi An.
Although it was dark the difference between Danang and Hanoi was amazing. This was a very modern city. The coast road to Hoi An was like driving the sunshine coast in Austrailia.
Hoi An is a little more in the sticks and old. I will explore in the morning. I noticed the hotel as we drove past it.
The driver seemed to have his own agenda.
' You have booked your hotel?'
Here we go again, I thought, he's going to take me to his mates hotel and get paid commission.
' listen' I said. 'I have booked the hotel, that's where I want to go and nowhere else, do you understand'
He then turned around and took me back the way we had just come.
He probably added a few dollars to the fare to make up the commission he had just lost but I couldn't be assed to argue.
Compared to the Bangkok Hilton this was loverly. The receptionist came out to meet me. Took my passport and gave me the room key.
The room was nice, mozzie nets, a balcony, even toiletries in the bathroom.
Sarah has come good again, I thought.
I sat on the balcony having a beer and a fag. I was on the second floor. On the ground floor was a rat the size of a small pony scurrying about.
I smiled to myself.... Vietnam......
It was 11.30 by now, I brushed by teeth and got into bed, pulling the mozzie net over me. Fuck, forgot to turn the lights off. I nearly choked myself getting tangled in the netting as I went to turn out the light..
Back in my bed I made sure the mozzie net was ok. A couple of the bastards had nipped me on the hand today!
The end of an interesting day....
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Hai Bà Trưng,Hoi An,Vietnam
Convinced me to fly everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAs long as it was only the mozzis that bit you on the hand your'll be ok.
Do you have to hand over your passport during your stay at the hotle or do they jsut take a copy and hand straight back?
r u getting any inspiration for some new paintings?