Xin Chào HCMC

So instead of a comfortable private car transfer for the 3-hour ride from HCMC to Vung Tau, we were squashed into a small van with 10 other strangers plus a baby because the transport company screwed up or got greedy.

Those hacking coughs into the air made by the people at the back were really disturbing. Thank god I took the H1N1 jab. I turned up the volume of the ipod. What was irritating was the guy who kept switching off the air-conditioning because he was cold. I was perspiring buckets. Hmmmpf.

We had boxes and suitcases. We asked for a bigger vehicle for us. We didn't bargain for the additional humans for company. I'm so not paying US$85 for this nonsense and said so with a smile. We're guests here, we don't yell.

So I didn't lose my temper at the annoying people in the van. I don't speak any Vietnamese to register my displeasure. I wouldn't do that there and then anyway. That's not going to work. We were at the driver's mercy till we reached Vung Tau, in one piece. And that was all we wanted- to get to the destination.

The 3-hour ride seemed like a bad dream. Wait, make that a typical episode in a Vietnamese drama series. All we needed were a couple of live chickens clucking at the back or on top of the van to complete the scene. Haha. That would make a great photo.