Some extra reading. 2 part plus 4 other additional related subjects.
http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuo...h-city-1.43299
Being here for the last 3 so years, I have a lot of experiences. Most of it being in Saigon, some of it outside Saigon and none of it in Hanoi. I have never been to Hanoi and don't really plan to go any time soon. Lots of good memories during these times but 2 always stuck out. The second happening some time in March.
~ Myself and another vk needed a vacation from Saigon. I had never really spent any long length of time in the country side so I strongly suggested we just go anywhere. I wanted to go to an unknown place to experience the unknown again and wandering which I felt 3 yrs ago. In the end, we decided to go to his hometown 8 hrs away from Saigon. He gets to visit some people and I get to explore a fresh new place.
So we head out and plan to stay for a few days. Anyway, this place was pretty rural/small city but it has enough to do. Anyway, one of the days we go to watch cockfighting. If any of you never have seen it before it's pretty fun. The male chickens don't just randomly kick each other but actually like a boxing match. Its very reactive and thought out. Its illegal so its done in many different places that change everyday.
To get there that day, we were drove down twisting pathways, roads and across water ways. There was no way I would be able to find my way back. The place we ended was a property surrounded by ponds of rice fields. Only way to get in/out is by a makeshift dirt path raised only like 6 inches from the water and only maybe 2 feet wide. 2 bikes have trouble passing each other for a good half mile.
There is card playing, dice games and cockfighting there. Food/drinks is also brought in by venders. Its like a gambling event that last anywhere from 4-8 hours. It was fun. By the 3rd hour, next thing I see is everyone scattering. It was insane. I was just sitting there eating and next thing I know is there is a huge commotion and everyone is either trying to pack things up or running across the rice paddy's.
It wasn't long before I realize I better do the same. I drop my food and jet into the water running as fast as I can. My friend wasn't with me because he was gambling. I didn't see him but I wasn't looking for him either. Just seeing peoples faces of panic, I just ran like everyone else. Running in a rice field with casual dress shoes was impossible so I quickly realized I had to ditch them. They easily slipped off in the muddy water.
As I get farther and farther away and people are thinning I look back and see dozens of police. They arrived by land and by boat. I didn't know what to do but I just kept running. Eventually I couldn't run any more and I'm all alone. Its a rural place so I just head for the densely populated area.
I'm dirty, wet, exhausted with no shoes and guess what, water logged phone. So I'm trying to find my way to civilization but I have no idea where it would be without heading back to the direction I came. I eventually see a house far in the distance and head that way.
As I approach the front of the house i see this beautiful woman working. I tell her I am lost and asked where the city was. She looks at me and asked what happened. I tell her and ask if I can rest here. She looks nervous. I find out that she is alone there and her parents are out in the field working. She points to a direction and states that the city is far.
At this point I just plop myself on the ground catching my breath realizing I am in a pickle. I ask her if she knows someone who can drive me to the city. She responds with her dad but he wont be back for a few more hours. As I didn't have any choice in the matter, I ask her if it would be alright with her if I just waited here for him to come home.
I get the ok and she heads inside the house and closes the door behind her. So I lie there for a good 15 minutes under a tree thinking about what just happened. I pull out my phone and take it apart, try to shake violently all the water out, put it back together and turn it back on. No good. Rip nokia. I take it apart again anyway and place it in the sun.
So I sit there, sit there and sit there. I can see her looking out the window at me at times. After about an hour, she comes out and offers me a cup of water. I accept and ask her what time it is. I try to talk to her to which she replies. I ask her if it would be possible to get a bucket of water so I can rinse myself off. She obliges and I can see her finally feel more comfortable.
So we eventually chat more and more easily. She is the last of siblings to not yet get married and lives here with her mom and dad. She is so pretty in the traditional sense. She looks like what Vietnamese looked like back in the day. Very clean, natural looking.
So mom/pops finally arrive to find me sitting next to their daughter. I greet them and explain to them what happened. They welcomed me into their home and ask if I was hungry. I told them I should just get going but they informed me that this is the time where they eat so I have to join them.
We all wash up and sit down for a meal. Over the meal we talk about what happened and other things. Before he was about to take me to the city, I invite them all to dinner the next day to which dad accepted.
I get back to the hotel, get his number and set an appt to meet at this hotel the next day. I give him money but he refuses. I go up to find my buddys door open. He looks at me and laughs. Glad I made it out. I laugh too and head for the showers.
That night was great discussing what happened over beers and food.
Next day is normal. We meet up with the family and head out to a nice restaurant. Things go well and the mom/daughter eventually leave early leaving us three to drink. I eventually asked the dad if it was ok if I took his daughter out? He was cool with it as long as his daughter was fine with it. He gave me her number and the night eventually ended.
Next day I called the daughter and chatted with her and asked her out. We spent a lot of time together that day learning a lot about each other. By the end of the night I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Part of me told me not to pursue this because she was very nice and a actual good girl. The other half told me that if she was indeed a good girl, somebody would eventually get to her if it wasn't me.
We depart the next day. I asked my friend if we could stay longer or if he went back without me. He decided to go back first which left me with all my time with her. I spend the day with her again and it was during this time I decided that nothing would happen. She was just too naive, trusting and so thoughtful.
I spend a couple more days there with her constantly fighting with my conscious. We both have lots of fun. We did make out and feel her up but nothing more. I wasn't going to be the guy to ruin her.
Shame I am not the marrying type, if I was, she would have been a great contender even though we barely met.
- So it turns out these places where they hold cockfights are surrounded by look outs at entrances and water ways. A look out saw a boat with unusual people trying to look inconspicuous and called in the alert. All motorcycles were caught with about 15 people I'm told. It was a sight to see about a hundred+ people all scatter in all direction into the water. I laugh every time I re-imagine it.
Next time, My fondest memory from VN so far.
Last edited by Asian Gigolo; 10-04-2012 at 10:26 AM.