Eventually i get to check in and make my way to the mezzanine floor where I settled in to have an omelet. It was tasteless but the protein burst was great and i felt human again until a rat, yes a rat, ran over my foot. It happened so fast I didnt even have time to react but saw it slither under the seat. I lifted my feet after that and left the restaurant soon after.
My short flight to HoiAn was uneventful and I arrive in NaTrang not really knowing what to expect but looking forward to something nice and slow once I got to HoiAn.
I grab a cab from one of the marshalls on the cab rank and start on my journey to town. Shortly after the cab set off the cabbies phine rings and he gives me the phone. The lady form the cab rank telling me the cabbie is going to take me to somewhere to other to show me. I lost it. Of course it was a scam, a. To take me the long way round and get a better fare and b. To take me to some friends shop so I could buy and they could get a commission. Not going to happen and the more I said no th emore insistent she was. In the end I threatened Police and the converstaion ended.
When we arrived at the hotel I asked the hotel porters what the usual fare is and instead if answering me straight away they asked the cabbie how much it came to, so I knew i had been ripped off ther as well. When I checked the map later I realised we had come the long way. Oh well. Too late an dits only a few bucks.
I go to check in and realise they were charging more for one for one night than the others. It was then that they told me there was a mandatory charge for New Years Eve as I was going to the gala dinner; a buffet. Neither of those were going to happen and so it started. I was tired, I had just had the discussion with the cab lady, been ripped off by a taxi driver and there was no way that I was going to,pay for something I had not agreed to and did not want to attend. In the end I contacted Matt and he said they had the same issue and they were not going to the Gala Dinner either After a protracted discussion the hotel agreed to waive the requirement that I had to attend and the requirement to pay. Great.
Iam shown to my room, quite nice, but with a damp smell but what the hell. It had hot water and a bed. As soon as I get onto my email. I see a re-comfirmation of accommodation had come through from the Hotel booking agency, less the dinner requirement, and the dinner charge and also minus the free breakfast. Can't be bothereed arguing any more I am so over it and seldom eat breakfast anyway.
Matt Amy and I go for a wander. What a picture perfect wee city. Totally overrun by tourists, but totally in keeping with the beautiful heritage architecture and totally covered with lanterns.
We cross the river and stop at a coffee shop for a great coffee and pancakes. Nutella (pronounced Nutter-la with the emphais on the nut) and banana for me. Yum. Next door is a lovely clean and well organised massage place where we three go and have a leg massage (note this is a LEG massage) and is for a half leg massage and foot scrub. Divine and a stupid price of about $5.
We keep wandering and then return to the hotel for a rest before dinner at another place over the river. I forgot to take photos but our fish in banana leaves was ok, the beef in betel leaves was almost as good as Makphet's version and the calypso rice weird but nice.
Ladies selling floating candles lined the streets and we watched a few candles drift down the river.
We return to the coffee shop for an ice cream (roll your own, add your topping and sweeties, get it weighed and enjoy). A great end to what turned out to be a lovely day.
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