Decision Made!

The decision was made by the committee (me, myself, & I ) to head south to Phu Quoc Island, about the farthest south you can go in Vietnam. It's not even on my Vietnam map. Vietnam Airlines flies there but not direct from Da Nang, I had to go thru Ho Chi Minh City, so I booked a hotel super close to the airport after my flight from Da Nang to connect to the flight the next day to Phu Quoc. My first mistake was to let a scooter taxi convince me (with a super low price) he'd get me there quick. it was less than 1/2 mile to the hotel but after twenty minutes of the guy pointing out the wrong places and making u-turns, I told him to pull over and gave him the 30K dong ($1.30) said goodbye and walked with Google directions the 1/4 mile to the hotel. It was about 86 degrees, probably 80 percent humidity and when I arrived at reception no one spoke English, UGH! Got settled in the room but the internet didn't work, went to reception, managed to google translate the problem. I had to check-in for my flight to Phu Quoc in a few hours so I could select my seat and hoped they would get it fixed by then (they didn't). Went to a cafe and did it there. Got the seat I wanted :)

Da Nang Airport.

Arrived at Phu Quoc Airpot after a great and shorter than scheduled flight, a beautiful new airport, got my bag and headed out the doors, spotted a concession with beer so I took a break and watched from a table as the taxi drivers descend on the exiting travelers, I was in no rush. I had contacted the property about a shuttle, they replied the didn't have one, but gave me their address in Vietnamese and said show this to the driver and he will bring your directly here for about 250,000 dong ($10.73). 

So while sitting there enjoying the cold beer a driver walks up, sits down and asks "where you go", I show him the address and he say's "Yes, yes I know",  I ask how much? He does something on his phone and says 150,000. I said you sure? He says yes, no more, 150,000.  So I say OK, and I learn another lesson.

My hotel is at the southernmost tip of the Island, the Airport is about a third of the way to the northernmost part of the Island. After we exit the airport the driver seems to be heading north, once the meter reaches 100,000 I ask the driver to pull over, and ask him to call the property, yep he was going the wrong way.  Oh sorry, sorry! He covers the meter with his hand and says only 350,000 as we're passing the airport and the meter is at 200, 000.  He's looking pretty stressed as he drives, and about 10 minutes later he says to me "Another beer? I said yes, sure. He spots a little store a way down the road and pulls over and comes back with two beers, hands me one.

When we arrive at the hotel the meter is 480,000, I gave him 500,000 ($ 21.45) and when he tried to give me the change I waved it away and said "no worries". He gave me a hug. Hey, the guy bought me a beer, and taught me a lesson, have the taxi driver call the property before leaving. 

The weather is nicer down here, I'm near the ocean, but don't seem to be near a beach, so my location choice was off, but the place is pretty good, the beer is cheap ($.50) and the place is only $13 a night. Can't have everything I guess?