You talkin' to me?

Morning tea - a coconut bigger than my head

I sat in on a class today that I'm going to be teaching for a few sessions over the next couple of weeks. They had a lot of energy and seemed pretty intelligent. I was excited to be meeting students but also a little bit nervous. Because I had to catch a cab back alone.


You may have heard horror stories of what happens if you get into the wrong cab in HCMC or Hanoi. There are a number of excellent and reputable companies (Mai Linh, Vinasun, Saigon Airport) and a number of not so excellent ones. The only problem cab we've had was on our return to Saigon. We knew exactly how much it should cost to get to our accommodation. So when the Festival taxi driver suggested a certain fixed price we knew it was double what it would be by meter. So of course we insisted on the meter, which was accepted with a sigh. 


Even though our experiences have been good, I was a little anxious about picking the right cab to get home after the lesson. I watched the traffic for a while, realising I would just have to trust the reliable companies we've used before. So I hailed a Vinasun and jumped in. 


A meter - good. The phone number of the company was correct. A sticker announcing the price per km was stuck on the side window. All looked fine. Then as I settled back I realised that I was in the absolutely cleanest taxi I have ever travelled in - in my life. The antimacassars (the things hanging over the seats - always wanted to use that word in a sentence!) were starched pure white, and were edged in lace. The black upholstery was spotless. All the black plastic interior surfaces were glowing. Even the floor mats didn't have a speck of dust. The air was pure strawberry. I noticed in the front passenger side pocket, there was a 2 inch wide paintbrush - presumably for dusting those hard to get corners. It was truly amazingly clean. So Mr Vinasun 5034, I salute you.