A Logistic Nightmare

So here's a dilemma: I'm flying out to Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday. What was supposed to be an afternoon flight has now become an evening flight, which basically means that my half-day in the city is gone! Which means that my one-day excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels and the Cao Dai Temple have to be compromised... somewhat (to what extent, I'm still unsure). And I just realised that I'm flying back to KL via Hanoi on the morning of 18th. Which basically means that I've to be in Hanoi, AT ALL COST, by 17th. The cities that I planned to cover are: HCMC, Dalat, Nha Trang, Hoi An and Hue. If I plan to cover all of them sufficiently, I'd have one hell of a packed itinerary.

To ease myself a bit with the time management, there's the option of travelling by train and airplane. I'm alright with the train bit, but I'm worried that if press comes to shove and I have to get a domestic flight to connect between the cities, I'd blow my budget.

And here's a breakdown of my budget: USD500. I'm estimating roughly USD10 per nite at a hostel (although I found out that there's not much dorm rooms in Vietnam). I want to try and get a night train for either my Nha Trang - Hoi An (via Danang) leg or Hue - Hanoi leg where I can save on accommodation expense. Train travel is estimated at roughly USD40 from HCMC to Hanoi. I'm gonna throw in USD20 for bus travel as well. I expect the food to be dirt cheap... so that's roughly USD50. Err... shopping?... USD50? Out of city excursions? another USD50? Okay... I'm just gonna throw some numbers here but the bottom line is USD500. AND... I need to allocate roughly USD60 just in case I need to board an emergency domestic flight in order for me to go home!

So... amidst all these logistical nightmares... I found my solution in this:

A pair of brand-spanking (on sale) new loafers!

(Err... is that the sound of my travel budget shrinking?)

I spied these at Isetan while innocently window-shopping in the afternoon. Of course, I've been meaning to get me a pair once I'd realised that I've outgrown my sneakers. Well... more like the world forced me to outgrow them. Apparently I can't be taken seriously anymore if I'm walking around in Nike sneakers (people would assume I'm a school kid). So... yes... I'm trying on a more 'mature' ... outlook(?)... and these babies are my first step into... The Mid-20s Club! Now... the next step would be to try on dresses/skirts. (OMG!)

PS: Okay... okay... I've decided to throw caution to the wind and not worry myself too much on the logistics. Time and place will unravel itself in unexpected ways and the point of this trip is to challenge myself, and to create my own unique experiences. This is a time to enjoy, and relax, and chill-out and take things as they come. I figured... worse comes to worse... I'll just get a later flight home. =)