Driving in Phan Thiet (Ho's note)

A memo from Tết (Lunar New Year) 2021 Once we finished checking in at the hotel, the very first thing we hurried to arrange was a rental motorbike. There was a partner rental shop near the hotel, and they introduced us to it. From the shop, which was just a stone's throw from the hotel, a lively old fellow came over. In a big, booming voice—"This is the bike, y'know~"—that sort of vibe. He was all tanned, and I thought, "He looks like someone~~~"—and then it hit me: a young Tatsuo Umemiya.

Negotiate rental days and price with Tatsu. About 750 yen per day

When you leave, please return the key to the hotel~ Well then, have fun~!! — that kind of nice, laid-back Latin vibe. After that, whenever we passed by the shop, a mysterious and funny little rule came about: we'd exchange a big "Heeeey~~" greeting with the motorbike uncle. Whenever he spotted us riding by, he'd wave both hands around and around. Even while he was lying in a hammock, he'd always notice when his own shop's motorbike went by. "Well, let's just putter along wherever~" and off we went. This is the town my husband Sei visited back when he was a student, where he came across the finest nuoc mam (fish sauce). Two years ago, we rode all the way here in search of that nuoc mam flavor. Many shops have closed because of COVID, but the roads have been improved, and after COVID it's sure to be bustling with lots of foreign visitors. As we rode along savoring the scenery, my husband Sei said, "Uh oh~~ I need to get gas!" It had been a while since we were in Phan Thiet, and it seems we got a little too carried away and puttered along too far. Riding on the back of the bike, I quickly searched for a gas station. The GS mark shown on Google Maps was... pretty far away. My husband Sei said, "Whoa~~~ we might not make it. There are these general shops that sell gasoline out of plastic bottles, so let's try to find one~" Yes, in Vietnam there are little gasoline vendors that don't even show up on Google Maps. When you're in a pinch, it's plastic-bottle gasoline. As we kept riding... hey, isn't that place selling gasoline?

Something like a small food stall you'd easily miss if you didn't know about it. A motorcycle helmet dangling there kind of gives off a gas-station vibe. Bottled gasoline in plastic bottles — isn't it right here? But when I got closer, whoa, forget plastic bottles, there's actually a hose~~ A proper gas station!! A filling station with a real nozzle! The owner is an auntie. When I asked for a full tank, she filled it up with practiced, expert hands.

Looks pretty good, doesn't it~ And with that, off I go putt-putting along again! Once I started riding, it turned out there were little fueling spots here and there along the road. I really got to feel the joy of riding through an unfamiliar town. Migration Life Ranking