Of course, it was never supposed to be this long. But every time I started recording, I never was able to finish it. So I would restart it the next day or a couple of days later. And then the days just started piling up. 😅 When I realized it was 3 hours long, I almost didn't post it. That's kind of embarrassing. But since I recorded it, I figured I might as well put it somewhere. 😊
At 1h30m30s we can see a ZALO PAY sign when you buy your bus ticket. Did you check this with your friend Rod. It can be usefull to pay as you did in Malaysia. I noticed the blue city bus have a fare collector but the green city bus you pay the driver. Am I correct ?
I haven't looked in to local e-wallets or cash cards very carefully. I've just been too busy to add more technology struggles to my plate. But I have a sense that it isn't very easy for non-residents to go cashless. If I stayed here a long time I would definitely try to do it. Having a TNG card and ewallet in Malaysia made my life much easier. I'd love to do the same here but it doesn't seem to be as straightforward. I wasn't paying enough attention to see if there's a difference between the different types of buses. It took me a while to figure this out but even on the buses where there wasn't a fare collector, I was able to insert the money and push a button to get my own ticket. At first I thought the bus driver had to give me the ticket. But I figured out you could get it yourself just by pushing the right button.
Doug you got coconut milk incorrect. Actually, the liquid in a fresh young coconut or mature coconut is known as coconut water. Some refer to it as coconut juice, which to me would be a cardinal sin. Coconut milk is derived from grating the kernel, and then adding a little water to it and squeezing the milk out. Coconut oil is derived from drying the coconut kernel often in smoke kiln and then pressing the dried kernel (copra) to get the oil.
Yes, you're absolutely right. I had all my facts about coconuts wrong. I guess in the past, I must have come across the distinction between coconut milk and coconut water. It's logical that they are different. But I guess I rarely if ever actually drink coconut milk. I only ever have the coconut water. And I just never knew what to call it. From now on, I'll try to keep it straight. 😀
Enjoying this immensely Doug. Taking me a few days to get through it. Have been to HCMC a few times but never used the bus. Based on your experiences I will certainly try it next time. Vietnam is a special place. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Hanoi. One of my favourite cities in the world
Even Vietnamese people that I've gotten to know have expressed surprise that I've been using the buses so much. The Vietnamese tend to have their own motorcycles or cars so they always tell me even they don't know how to use the buses. And they're surprised that a foreigner like me can figure it out. But it has been really simple once you have the power of Google Maps and Google Translate. I think if the buses were super crowded and uncomfortable I wouldn't make a point of using them. But so far they have been relatively comfortable. It hasn't been a problem getting on or off even with a big backpack.
CC I think that was your longest video so far! I loved the bus ride, getting onto local buses is a great value tour!! Getting lost and finding your way back is so much fun and always leads to a new adventure!
Glad you enjoyed it! I ended up using the local buses in Saigon quite a bit. For me, it's one of the great benefits of the digital. In pre-Internet and pre-Google Maps days, taking a local bus required a lot of work to get information and communicate with people. But it's so easy now.
You're right. I figured that out eventually. Technically, that was the end of the line. And then the bus goes to the back into the actual bus station parking area. And there it waits for passengers to get on. I eventually went to the back and walked around until I found the area where all the city buses were parked. And then I was able to get on the bus. I think it was even the same bus with the same driver. 😁
Cc. Loved the stories, we experience, respond and expect very similar things. Seems like if I did a video such as this, our stories would be parallel. I really enjoyed seeing the trip to the bus terminal to purchase your ticket. Informative. Thanks for sharing that experience.
For some reason, I got in the habit of wearing my one pair of long pants. They just felt nice and comfortable and perhaps respectable. Going back to shorts felt weird for some reason. Maybe it was because of the backpacker/hippie vibe in District 1 in Saigon. It had been a long time since I was around so many other foreigners. And I think I wanted to look and feel more respectable and polite than having on shorts and a tank top and flip flops. The Vietnamese themselves are always so much better dressed than I am. 😀 I kept wanting to drop by that Starbucks. Someone told me that it was the very first one in Vietnam. But I never got around to visiting it.
