Left the quiet beach life of Da Nang behind for the urban insanity that is Ho Chi Minh City. At SGN airport, realizing again how Japan spoiled me. Japan in general but Tokyo specifically. Everything is clean and orderly, and following the rules is viewed as a civil responsibility. There are clean, modern trains within the big cities themselves as well providing access to almost all regions of the country. Most importantly, with the exceptions of a very few easily avoidable red light districts, Tokyo feels safe. Not just safe from crime, but safe from opportunists and scam artists.
Not so in Saigon. As soon as I get off the plane, I’m aware of everyone around me. I’m sure the airport is very secure from thieves and pickpockets but still I’m on edge. Then when I collect my bags from the baggage carousel I have to get a taxi into the city. Not like Tokyo, where you can take a train. Or if you’re in Haneda Airport, just grab a taxi from the stand outside. Here things are a little more third world. You have to play it by ear and figure it out as you go along, even if you’ve done this several times before it’s still tricky.
Getting a taxi from the airport at Ho Chi Minh City
First (as mentioned in a previous post) you ignore anyone who approaches you in the airport offering you a taxi. They’re going to rip you off. Maybe by only a few dollars, but still. There are only two taxi companies I trust: Vinasun and Mai Linh. So I try to go to the Mai Linh desk but they send me to the taxi line. The line turns out to be just a bunch of stalls facing the curb. So pretty much you take whatever cab stops in front of you. But because I want a specific cab company and not whichever one stops in front of me, it requires a mixture of patience and assertiveness (one thing I’ve learned in Vietnam is to learn when it’s time to stop being polite). After 10 minutes, I was in a taxi. I showed the driver the address and about 20 minutes and $6 USD later I was taking off my shoes and putting away my clothes.
Looking forward to Tet.