VIETNAM - Saigon, Feb. 10

I don't know why, but I had a gut feeling that something was going to go wrong with my mini-hols in Vietnam. I was almost stressed about leaving, even though technically it was a very simple trip: a short non-stop flight, staying in just one hostel in one city, and lots of options for things to do in the immediate vicinity.

Well, that gut feeling was proved right when I arrived at the visa desk in the Ho Chi Minh City Airport. I was surprised to see a list of required entry documents - that I didn't have. Now, I'm a fairly experienced traveler and I had checked entry requirements for Vietnam on two different web sites, including the Ho Chi Minh City Airport web site. Nothing mentioned that I needed a passport photo and a letter from the Vietnam government inviting me to visit. I filled out the visa application form anyway, and was able to pay a tout a USD$5 fee to take a passport photo right there at the visa desk. What I didn't have was the letter of invitation.

I was asked to wait until the bulk of the visa applications had been processed, so I did. About 30 minutes later two different visa desk officials asked me why I didn't have the letter of invitation. I calmly and politely explained that I had not seen that requirement when I researched the trip. I asked if there was any way to get the letter of introduction issued right there at the airport. They looked shocked and somewhat offended, and I was told no. As they walked away I steeled myself for the possibility that I'd be catching the next flight back to Taipei.

I waited a while longer, answered whatever questions the officials asked, and eventually a military officer came up to interview me. He was very stern, with that cold stare that makes you want to die inside. Again, I was calm and polite and - most importantly - patient. When he left, another official came up and explained that since it was Lunar New Year the officer was willing to sign a letter of invitation but that I would have to pay a USD$160 fine for breaking the law. That was no problem, except that I didn't have enough cash. I was allowed to exit security and go outside to a bank machine to withdraw the money - sans passport of course! I paid the fine, got the visa, collected my luggage, exited security, and found a quiet place to sit outside to absorb the last hour's events.

With the hard part over, I found a taxi and paid about three times the normal fare for a ride to the hostel. My driver dropped me off at the side of a busy road and pointed to a small alleyway, and said that my hostel was down there. "Okay," I thought. The alley was filthy, and full of people and noise and confusing smells. At night, the strangeness of a foreign land seems even more strange, if you know what I mean. A younger me would have turned and ran, but I carried on with a "let's see" attitude. I found the hostel with no difficulties, and it was just as modern and clean as it looked on the website. Things were looking up!

It was close to 10pm by this time and I hadn't eaten in a while so I secured a map and walked to a nearby street called Bui Vien that, according to the hostel staff, had a lot of restaurants. I'll write more about Bui Vien later, but let's just say that at night it's a madhouse of socializing locals, drunk foreigners, scooters, taxis, street food carts, dogs, and touts.

I picked a restaurant - any restaurant would do by that point - called the Vietnamese Kitchen and had an entirely disappointing meal of chilled beef salad, which was mostly pickled onion. The stress of the day had taken it's toll by then so I paid my bill and retreated to the air conditioned bliss of my private room back at the hostel. I watched a bit of telly but it wasn't long before I turned out the lights and slipped into unconsciousness.