Decide if i want to stay in the areaa/country - in this instance i felt id done Aussie justice in the time spent here.
Look at map - find places i havent been in the same hempisphere
Log onto Workaway and see whats interesting
Log onto Trusted Petsitters and again see what looks good
Then - and this is the biggie, check Google Flights and see wheres cheap, realtively warm and very interesting.
Vietnam was coming up trumps so i zoned in on Petsitters and Workaway. In my experience you need to send arounf 8-10 requests to get one or two positive responses in return, and then they need to be suitable and in the correct dates etc etc. I spend quite some time doing this admin before i confirm anything.
I make contact with Aiden and Susana in Lam Dong Privince, Da Lat, Vietnam - yup ive no idea where that is either. I see pictures of Toby the dog, seems small and inoffensive, and we start chatting on Whatsapp (Aiden not Toby). Aiden seems fun and sends me heaps of info. I do a little research and discover a good flight proce and that Lam Dong is pretty far out in the sticks. I decide it might be nice to hide in the hills for 3.5 weeks, thereby escaping the festivities bah humbug etc.
I tentatively confirm anf book the flights. The cheapest way is Melbourne - Balis Denpasar-Ho Chi Minh City - Da Lat god bless my carbon footprint (more on that later)
I continue my work in Melbourne and leave at 5am one morning by the ever trusty Uber to Melbourne to get my 7.45am flight to Bali. Farewell Australia, what a journey it was, i think i know you pretty well now. I sit on the plane and realise ive left my airpods at the money exchange desk inside the aiport, dammit, i press the call button and explain to the stewardess, she disappears and i begin to think ill not see them again ( i LOVE my airpods, podcasts and tedtalks keep me sane on flights!) Ten minutes later im told i can leave the plane and go and find them if im fast. Christ, here goes, i run off the plane and back into the terminal, as i do so im aware i may look quite dodgy charging through the middle of the airport like a mad woman but im on a mission. arriving at the money change desk its a different assistant serving, my heart sinks. I explain my predicament and before i reach the end of the sentence the lady passes me my airpods, i smile and dash back to see the whole plane is seated and ready to leave, gosh ive become THAT passenger havent i , the one holding everyone up. Meekly i return to my seat and keep my head down for the entire flight.
I made it to Bali avoiding crying babies, and intact of mind and arrived in the familiar fragrant Denpasar airport. Having been here before it brought back some good memories, stopping to ponder briefly i realised i had to collect my bag, go through customs and immigration and then re-enter the airport to take the flight to HCMC, this porcess took an age, especially when you are trying to explain to immigration you dont actually want to stay in Bali! they eyed me with suspicion - but eventually let me go, i dashed thorugh customs and outside then abck in to departures.
Its about 38 degrees and im running late, i check in, dump my backpack and then proceed through security. I grab a takeaway vegan bowl and arrive just in time to board my flight, wow who booked this schedule...oh yes it was me!
The flight to HCMC goes smoothly and at theis stage ive no idea what the coerrect time is and choose not to worry. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh iks an epxerience of its own, huge crowds of people all travelling with so much luggage, boxes wrapped in string, strange looking packages containing who knows what. I know ive got three hours intil my flight to Da Lat, but o cant relax, its time to source my visa. I managed to get a pre visa letter on line before i travelled, this means ive been 'checked' so in essence it should be a breeze, experience tells me not to count my chickens.
I arrive at the Visa area, its heaving and there appear to be three people serving behind glass panes. In mant countries people dont queue politely as we do in the UK, its kind of slightly less polite carnage. I join a messy queue and wait. After about 2 mins i reach the front and approach an official, i show him my letter and he sends me to a corner on the left and says photo. No idea what ive to do so i ask those around me, it appears i need a passport sized photo,aha! Ive an old one in my purse, knew id need that one day, i flourish it and Britishly rejoin the back of the ever growing queue. I reach the front again and triumphantly flourish my photo, he takes it and attaches it to my form, then asks for the Visa pre approval letter, i show him on my phone, he then points me to a computer and tells me to log in to my gmail and print it, huff! I do as requested (it took me several attmepts, i mean who knows their gmail password?) Now im getitng nervous, its 7.10pm and my flight it at 7.45, ive still not collected my luggage, checked in or been through immigration. I grow a pair and go straight to the front of the queue, strnagely no one bats an eyelid, i can imagine it being quite an issue at home.
Back to Mr Official who takes my paperwork, nods and asks me to take a seat on the other side of the room. Ive no idea why, or what happens next, im resigned to missing my flight and spendng the night on the airport floor. I dutifully obey and watch proceedings, ahhh everyone on my side of the room is slowly being called up, they have to pay some money and then they get their passport and visa. I listen intently and after about 15 mins i hear my name, 30 dollars later ive got my visa and once again, im running through the airport. Bag collected and immigration passed i head to the check in, they are shouting through the queues for Da Lat passengers and rush me through check in, i run again to the gate and upon arriving see the flight is delayed for 40 min and breathe....
Taking my seat on the plane i notice its tiny, my knees are jammed up againts the seat in front - thank heavens its a short flight, 50 mins. We take off and then ten minutes in we start our descent, it was actually a 20 min flight, not sure what happened there! ive never been on such a short flight and would have taken a train if id known.
Arriving in Da Lat Luc the taxi driver was waiting, it was nice to see a friendly face. His English wasnt great but we made small talk for the hour jounrey to Lam Dong.
Arriving at 1030pm i said hello to Aiden who was struggling to stay awake, met Toby who seemed delightful and hit the hay.
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