GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!!

New job - actually I started a couple of weeks ago, but as I sent my computer and everything else air cargo from Saudi, I am only today fixed up properly.

Down in the very South - Ca Mau - completing a couple of medium-sized power stations. Tutsi knows 'em.

Had to pay just on 3 million dong to clear my cargo. Sounds a lot but it's only 6,000 baht or a hundred quid, so not too bad really.

The great thing here is the internet shops - paid 1,500 dong one time, 1,000 dong the next. That's 3 baht, then 2 baht. Can;t be bad.

But living conditions are no better than Nakhon Nowhere, out in Issaan. In the provincial capital and I live up a dirt track where they are laying storm drains - hopefully complete before the wet season in a couple of weeks.

But the gains on Saudi are definite - pork to eat - beer to drink. (And there are many good-looking girls ). So even though I am naturally a whingeing Pom, I'm not complaining yet.

Six months left to close this project, then move on to another .....

yahs...the place looks a lot like I remember from a couple of years ago. I rather liked the drive from town out to site every morning. The countryside is less developed (less agriculture) and I was struck by the poverty relative to central Thailand where I live.

what's that place they got you stayin' at??? It can't cost much to stay at the nicest hotel in town...try the Anh Thach, they got good food, b-fast buffet, a bar an' in-room internet which ain't bad. Ca Mau ain't got much in the way of adult entertainment as you've probably discovered. I managed to stay occupied with the satellite TV and the internet at the hotel.

I was fortunate enough to stay in a serviced apartment in District 1 in HCMC for 5 months...loved it and now the place has become my favorite city in SEA. Haven't been back but would love to return but never again to work for a VN client...

yahs...the place looks a lot like I remember from a couple of years ago. I rather liked the drive from town out to site every morning. The countryside is less developed (less agriculture) and I was struck by the poverty relative to central Thailand where I live.

what's that place they got you stayin' at??? It can't cost much to stay at the nicest hotel in town...try the Anh Thach, they got good food, b-fast buffet, a bar an' in-room internet which ain't bad. Ca Mau ain't got much in the way of adult entertainment as you've probably discovered. I managed to stay occupied with the satellite TV and the internet at the hotel.

I was fortunate enough to stay in a serviced apartment in District 1 in HCMC for 5 months...loved it and now the place has become my favorite city in SEA. Haven't been back but would love to return but never again to work for a VN client...

I am staying in a rented house - with three Filipino inspectors. I have one bedroom (4m square) and one toilet/shower to myself. Just round the corner from Anh Nguyen Hotel one way - Royal Hotel t'other.

Currently there are 12-hour power cuts on alternate days, not because we are late (although that's what the TV says) but because the infrastructure cannot tranfer the power. One power plant near enough complete - only working at 40% of available capacity. Other one nearly complete, but nowhere to deliver the power to. Transmission grid is totally screwed and they have had 3-4 years to fix it to receive our power.

So last Saturday we had power but the TV (True)(mostly Thai programmes in Thai) was off and Sunday the power was off from 0600 to 1800. So I missed the Aussie Rules stuff on both days.

And on Sunday it rained - good, as there was no air-con.

Ca_Mau_on_a_Rainy_Sunday.pdf

But bad- as I have to walk through this

Ca_Mau_in_the_Rain_01.pdf

But we will overcome .....

Thanks for the up-date Humph, the photos look mad!

Best of luck to you!

I would like to ride my bicycle down those roads, thx for the pix and good luck

I have lifted this photo from another web-site.

This is not by any means unusual in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on any day of the week.

The traffic-light stampede.

Notice that - unlike Thailand - all are wearing crash hats - and not just the kiddy beach buckets that are sold in LOS.

There are still accidents, some fatal, but that is because no one will give way to anyone else. Even when I'm in a big 4x4 it still takes several horn blasts to get the mo'bikes to move over. All observe the 40km speed limit when in town, most drive steadily out in the country. But the size and quality of the roads makes for some interesting ezperiences.

It's been raining continuously for the past 48 hours or more and most of the vehicles on site are now bogged down in the access road. So people are less than happy.

Great pix, great thread, and good luck, mr. bear!

Great pix, great thread, and good luck, mr. bear!

So how's my home town of Cambridge.

You've had the opening cricket match, there's the Strawberry Fair and Cherry Hinton Folk Festival to come.

Pity about the quality of soccer, but the Cantabrians provide fair rugby.

Be back there in a couple of years, with my family.

believe I'd take HCMC over Cambridge any time...swirling masses of motorbikes an' all