This guy is good. But reckless.

I gotta Phi Phi

Phi Phi, pronounced “pee pee,” was quite the island paradise. Seeing as how EVERYTHING in Saigon comes to a complete standstill for a two week period in observance of Tet, the Vietnamese celebration of the Chinese New Year--you know, year of the dog, year of the horse, year of the tiger---that chart on placemats at Chinese food places. Tet is the biggest national holiday in Vietnam and most employers give their staff two weeks off to travel back to their families or just stay put and celebrate ‘round the clock. Sooooo, I took the time to make a brief getaway to Thailand. I caught a late flight from HCMC to Phuket. In an effort to spare the cost of additional transportation and a night’s stay, I crashed out on a three-seat row of plastic in the arrivals section of the Phuket airport. I spent more money on airport food and drink than I would have getting a ride and a hotel room. But, that’s beside the point. I slept surprisingly well; arm laced through my smaller backpack and using as a pillow, purse double wrapped around my arms and hugged. I woke up at 7am and found the departures section upstairs bustling. I had some Dunkin Donuts but it was completely whack and un-Dunkin Donuts like.

I caught the 8:30 airport bus for 85baht, or, around $3. I had planned to make a transfer from the bus station to the pier, but when I got on the bus, the driver asked me where I was going. He told me I could connect directly and that sounded good, so we drove into Phuket Town and I alone was dropped off at a Toyota pick-up truck. Apparently that was my connection; Toyota dude brought me to the pier and escorted me to the ticket-seller guy. Turns out I could’ve gotten a much better deal on the ticket in town and that whole set-up was just a way to get me to pay more for the ferry. But, whatever, it was convenient anddd I ended up catching the 11am un-published online ferry, rather than waiting around for the 2pm which was my intention. Twenty dollars well spent and the boat ride was fantastic. Sat on the roof, dangled my feet off the side and conversed with a Dutch guy named Bob. He told me Bob is a really common Dutch name and that it’s not short for Robert. I ended up running into him several times on the island—once that I don’t remember, once on the walk to the town on an ATM quest and dying of thirst, and again that same day on the walk back when I was far more chipper, but he was crispy sunburned and complaining of being sick and drinking too much the previous night. So I think we’re even. After the ferry arrived, I bought a Chang beer, brought it with me, caught a longboat taxi and headed for the Phi Phi Hill Resort. I made the reservations online for my friend Susan and I to split a sunrise bungalow with two twin beds and a fan for $20 a night.

The walk to The Hill was epic and required an ascent of about a million stairs that where themselves 2’ for each step. I have never been in better shape than I am after this vacation. Seriously. But the views were incredible, the food was reasonable, and overall it exceeded my expectations of how far $10/night can take you. In terms of transportation, you could pay either $3 each way for a longboat taxi into town, or you could make the 45-minute trek that brought you from the hotel to the edge of town. Once Susan and I figured out the path, we were hiking at least 1.5 hours a day. During the day we baked in the sun and at night we cruised the town streets with 7-Eleven beers in hand, drank at bars on the beach, took in fire throwing shows and ate delicious street meat. One day we took a longboat tour of all of the island’s beaches, including adjacent island Phi Phi Leh where Maya Bay is (Leo Dicap’s The Beach was filmed here). The boat stopped at prime snorkeling sites and even though I’m a ‘fraidy cat of creatures of the sea, I was stationary in awe. The most beautiful colors of fish and the clearest waters…

But, after four days…I was ready to leave. Too much sun. And too much fun. Susan and I parted ways at 1pm on our last day. She was taking the ferry to Krabi and I to Phuket. I took one last swim in the ocean. Bought one last big Tiger and sat on the beach absorbing all that was exquisitely dazzling about Phi Phi. I boarded the ferry, bought a mini bus transfer to the airport and with perfect timing caught my flight back to Saigon. I arrived with the confidence of a local. I found a xe om (motorbike taxi), bargained my price and was off in the direction of LanguageCorps.

My, how Saigon has changed! To put it in the currency I can best appreciate… fashion…The last time I was here, the ritzy Duong Don Khoi (Newbury Street/Michigan Ave/Rodeo Dr) was home to various vendors, arguably, the most notable and easily recognizable of which was Lacoste. For those of you who know fashion, well, Lacoste isn't exactly elite. I bought my first Lacoste top there----an ugly halter style thing I have long since sold to Second Time Around. Ironic I should decide to purchase such an item considering how prolific good knock-offs are in these parts, but, well, I think I was drunk. My friend Hillary can probably support this hypothesis. In any case, Don Khoi has grown up QUITE a bit in seven years. SEVEN YEARS. Sure, in some senses it’s a long time…Children that were 6 are now 13. That’s a big difference. But in the grand scheme of development, it’s not that long. How far has Boston come in seven years? An inch? Saigon? Another story all together…Now, what do I find on Don Khoi? Chloe. Marc Jacobs. Louis Vuitton. Escada. Gucci. Pretty mind-blowing. From Lacoste to ALL THE BIG NAMES. Speaking with some French women who’ve been living here a little while now, they inform me that most all of those boutiques are mostly empty most all of the time, but, regardless, their presence alone is a HUGE testament to the miles this city has traveled in a relatively short time. The sounds of Saigon are construction. The look of Saigon is a face-lift in progress. It’s incredible to bear witness to a city in the throes of capitalist evolution. Revolution? A communist country, sure. But what does that even mean? Vietnam has, just in the last year, opened up commerce to international entrepreneurs. This time last year, I wouldn’t have been able to open a business here. Not so today. I'm not sure what it all means, but I do know that the astronomical asking price of an $8 cocktail buys you a view from a much higher vantage point than it did seven years ago. It certainly will be interesting to see where the Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh is in another lucky 7 years.