7/3/09 - Well, we’re back on Dung’s home territory. We got back last night, 6/3/09. I had mixed feelings about being back, after the usual hassle of the taxi rank and the extra haggling upon arrival, but seeing all the motos again and the neon streets of HCMC was a welcoming experience. All doubts were allayed when Dung’s Mam, Dad and brother came out and burst into big grins and were almost bouncing when they saw us. We hadn’t told them we were coming, so it was a good surprise. The big smiles came with big hugs from her Mam and Dad. If I can be happy when so tired, then something is right.

We had about 4 hours of giving out presents and hand-me-downs, lots of smiling at each other and then, gratefully, hit the pit. 3 and a half of those 4 hours were taken up by Dung gasing. She is “number 1”, as the locals would say, at gasing.

Back to the wafer thin mattress and until I type this, it hadn’t crossed my mind that I’d slept on one, mind you I was a little tired.

Up early doors to a clear blue sky and knocking about in shorts, this is certainly not the UK. Had a wander around, checking out how things had changed. The water level is a lot lower, there are a lot more houses springing up along the track. It has come to be known that the government will be acquiring local land soon and you receive more money if there is a house on the land, so some dodgy houses have been thrown up in a few days. Some are here to stay though. I think Duc Hoa is expected to be something of a boom town.

The kids have been shadowing me all day. The British novelty is back in town. The pictures on the laptop gave me a bit of a breather. They are all friendly and I probably learn more Vietnamese from them than anyone else, but I am still rubbish, we get by.

Elephant fish, talapia I think, and rice paper for make your own spring rolls for tea and very nice it is too. I had half a shot glass of the local firewater, ruou, rice wine, petrol, one of those or more, to be sociable. It is not the best hooch in the world, probably why it is cheap.

8/3/09 – Up with the lark and another sunny, sweltering day. I did a bit of fishing in the pond out the back, sat there relaxing and catching nought and thoroughly enjoyed it. Had a kip and then another and that put me back on my feet, or in my case, wobbly legs. Ready for the rigours of doing bugger all and oddly I don't seem to have any time to do anything else, but mostly bugger all. I haven't worked that one out yet. I think it is one of the few Vietnamese things I am getting the hang of, being busy doing nothing.

9/3/09 – Up and raring to go again, so we did, for some pho bo, beef noodle soup, it is as good as I remebered. Went to the council to get some forms and the bank to get not a lot, they were busy, so they said they'd call later with an update. They never did, but we sorted it in Long An, our next stop to get the run around. It is about 40 kilometres away, which takes a good hour on the moto. The roads are not the best. They have good stretches that lull you into a false sense of security, then they throw a pothole in the way, you can't switch off. I need to get some shades, the dust kicked up is a pain in the backside, or eyeballs. I bought a pair especially for the dust and cleverly left them in the car, in the garage, back home, where there is very little dust. The bridges along the road are a dodgy area too, they can have a nice smooth path on and coming off is an Evil Kenievel leap, perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration and misspelling, but still dodgy. The side of the road to Long An is a damn site more smoother than the side coming back, or it certainly seemed so. I'll check it out on the next trip, because this one wasn't conclusive. We went to about 6 different places, but now we know mostly what we need. The offices that certify documents was a jobsworth place. You have to push the moto in from the road to the moto parking, you can't drive it, but some people leave it switched on while they push. I haven't worked that one out, if you do, let me know. I couldn't go in either, because I had shorts on, let me know about that one too, it isn't a temple or anything. ??????

The bloke translating some documents for us said “Come back in an hour”, so we gave him 2 and he said “Come back tomorrow”. I wasn't surprised, or upset. This is Asia. The people are usually helpful, but life doesn't run in the fast lane of London here. Because it isn't London I suppose. The office we have to deal with the most are very helpful and smiley people and they seem to have taken to Dung, as most people here do. She knows how to use the smile and polite talk and is very old, respectful, Vietnamese in her ways. I think Vietnam is slowly going down the Brit way of losing respectfullness, if that is a word, said the Grumpy Old Man. It's a shame, but inevitable with the media accessibility nowdays, he said again. It is heartwarming for a grumpy, old, man to see such respect and it is genuine.

We hit the road back and after a wash and brush up went out for lau, a do-it-yourself fish broth type of thingabeebob and a couple of beers and got stung with a bill of nearly 4 quid. OUTRAGEOUS!!.

After all the sun on the moto and 2 beers, I was drunk, well not sober, so back for an earlyish night. It's hot, hot, hot and Nu, Dung's Mam, follows me around with the electric fan, if I move rooms, she appears with the fan and plonks it near me. I do get a little spoiled here, but try to return the favour. I wash up. “BIG DEAL”. The blokes look at me with frowns and I was told last time, “men in Vietnam don't wash up”, which I think is a bit of an exaggeration. My answer was “I've been washing up in my house for 10 years”. Luan, brother and Binh, father are doing the odd wash up now too, so it is catching, perhaps not a good thing. This is not the UK.

10/3/09 – Off to the local council office for an hour to get some forms to allow me to stay at the house. I thought this was only for the hotels, but apparently not. I didn't have one the last time I stayed for a good few weeks, but better safe than sorry. If the Vietnamese constabulary get wind of some easy dollars, they will be around. Cynical??? Truthful, but not a lot of the police are and it is accepted, just like in Malaysia and Cambodia. It must be an Asian thing. I suppose it happens in the UK too, but not at the everyday Joe level.

At the government/council office where we went for the form, we had to go to a shop in town to get the form and back to the shop again when we came back with the wrong form. Vietnamese must be a complicated language, because on several occasions it has seemed difficult for them to understand each other, it could be a local version of Chinese whispers. The council tell the people and the people tell the shopkeeper and the shopkeeper gives you what they want, because when it is wrong, you get the chance to pay twice, albeit only 10p a shot. We got there in the end, but too late to head off to Long An and get there before the 11:30 to 13:30 lunch break. It usually involves a nap, hence the generous length and the hours are 7:30 to 17:30, but it can be frustrating, or was when I first left the UK, but by the time I'd done a couple of train rides in India, I'd become used to the waiting and if I do say so myself, pretty good at it.

Back to the house to miss some of the heat and it is big shout time. It seems the Vietnamese way to get a point across is the one who has the loudest voice wins and for a little woman, Dung has a big voice. It goes on for about 20 minutes and 2 minutes later everyone is friends again, so it may not be so bad a thing.