Phan Thiet-Backlogged

I woke up at 5am and headed to Ga Sai Gon (Saigon Train Station) . I couldn't take a Xe Om because even in the soberist offffffffffffff states these wistful warriors were even more troublesome ala "Who brought the compass?" in the early dim. I ended up on bus 65 filled with its weird and comical characters, myself included, getting throbbed by a bamboo-stick. It wasn't eactly my way the hits parade purported itself as being, but then again it was early morning.
3,000VND "Anh, xuống!" I exited the bus and walked to the station about .5km away.

I did the walk to the platform (one of three). I'd purchased my ticket beforehand at the the train ticket station on Pham Nhu Lao (76,000 VND) so it was pretty straightforward AS ONE WOULD ASSUME! None-the-less I found my my seat; which was luckily enough next to a young woman who appreciated both the value of the English language and Red Bull. We ended up having a wholesome coversation to say the least.

Train Trip

I watched as the the dry forest rolled by. Then you get to thinking. That's why I love trains. Did I do that? Did I make the the right decision? All the while confused as you look at the menu and you realize that you can have a beer for 10,000VND as well as as a well meal for $1 in the dining-car.And as you're being a complete nitwit the Dargon fruit groves come into view.

The cactus-like tree groves go on and on. Gotta imagine the black snakes slithering through them . Of course, that's only brought only by dreams.
Ahhhh Dragon Fruit shakes at a McDonalds in the U.S. complete with a plastic Dragon Fruit action hero would have the kiddies fighting in line. But I digress...
So I'm supposed to meet with a vN cHICK(Ms. Lei). wHY hell else would I go to PT?

Keeping it short and sweet- Ms. Lei came down with a sudden illness (family) and couldn't see me. I stayed at Nhat Linh 337 Le Loi St, Phan -Thiet. A similar guesthouse, Hoang Kim, is directly across street. They're quite nice and reasonable priced. Travelfish is accurate 180,000 (nice room-a/c, frig., cable, hot water), Good luck getting food though. There's Little Saigon and a couple of seafood restuarants but that's about it. The hotel doesn't serve any as well as the numerous cafes that line the unimpressive beach so your best bet is to head up to the Co-op by moto or bicycle. Although, I did like the cafe "Tin Tin in Vietnam" because their staff were very friendly, the town's pretty flat. After visiting the previously mentioned Co-op, I found a wonderful hot-rock massage place north at 123 Tran Hung Dao---aw the simple pleasures in life.
Attractions in town? Oh-wowee they even have boat races on the river during Tet. Sometimes they (the canoes) sink, but they're troopers even if the tops of caps are the only things visible. And the girls still call-out by the old base as the curious foreigner walks on by.
AND-the topper of this odd segway had to have been when I visited the smallish central market by the bridges. An old "leaning Tower of Pisa" woman jutted out her hand at me just as she was passing-by. It seemed as though an after-thought on her part. But still the was a brief flocker of rembrance as she looked straight up at me with a not-so-unique smile. THE MASCARA and lip-sticked smeared vision was none other than that of the Joker. I knew then it was time to get outta Dodge so I left for Nha Trang the following day.