All packed up and ready to go for next leg to Ho Chi Minh City.
Back to KL in a week or so and will explore a little more then.
KL airport is an hour from the city centre by Skybus. There is fast train but our Air Asia tickets include transfers from and to KL which is very useful. Arrived at the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) which is the opposite side to main International terminal. A new Terminal for all the low cost carriers is being built but for now LCCT is the only one. It is mainly for AirAsia and is huge with zillions of people flying everywhere around this part of the world although I did see a flight to Gatwick.
The planes and flight no problem but the passengers are a nightmare. Chaos finding their seats, wanting to change seats, kids jumping about on seats ( one actually on takeoff) ignoring seat belt instructions etc etc. different world and different culture I suppose but that is why we are travelling here.
Next experience was immigration at Ho Chi Minh Airport. We had our electronic “letters of approval” to enter the country that we got from UK together with filled in visa application with attached photo all ready for immigration. The idea is to speed up the visa which is then stuck into your passport on the payment of $25 each. Well Butty thought that this could be done using a card but no no has to be cash. You know me, no cash. OK I ask what now. Go get money. Where? Outside . What! So I try to go through passport control and get stopped. Need money. OK. Went through another security check and found an ATM and took out 3,000,000 Dong. Yes 3 million. Took me while to sort out exchange rate to get enough cash to release Me and Er from the grips of Vietnam border guards.
One pound is about 32,000 Dong. Went back in through security and passport control without being questioned and paid up our dues. A mere 1.2 million Dong. By the time we got to baggage claim there were just two lonely bags revolving, but at least we had them. To finally exit the airport which I had already done very successfully we had to put our bags through a security scanner to make sure we had no weapons or bombs I suppose. We had just come off a plane !!. What fun.
Took taxi to hotel and that could be another short story.
What a city but will leave that to next blog.
This restaurant recommended by hotel a short distance away on foot. Traditional Vietnamese. Four courses and 3 beers for next to nothing. Great .
We have now found out there are about 5 million scooters in HCMC city and we have seen most of them.
