17th Jan. Phu Quoc to Cat Tien National Park

Our taxi never arrived. Was a long walk up a hill carrying our bags (no chance the hotel would help), but we gave ourselves enough time. Security called a meter taxi and we are now having a coffee at the airport. Not sure what to do with the stale baguette and laughing cow cheese wedge and seriously rotten banana the hotel supplied for our breakfast.

Flight was uneventful. While waiting for our transfer, one of the taxi drivers got annoyed with airport security and as I looked he tried to drive off, hitting the security guard with his mirror.

Roy captured the moment I gasped...He was taking a pic of the pole, checking we were waiting in the right place.

The security guys were not impressed. They made him pull over and threatened to clamp his wheel. He was still being made to stay there when we eventually left...Roy said it was like the naughty child being made to wait in the corner.

It was a three hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City to Cat Tien

See the dog on the scooter

We were met by someone from 'Forest Lodge', and after greeting the dogs, we crossed the river into the park.

The view at Forest lodge is beautiful.

The lodge is run by a Vietnamese lady, Mai, and her British husband who is also called Roy. He came walking with us in the forest, giving all the scientific names for plants. I can't pronounce, never mind remember what his profession is, but it's all to do with plants and he was both typically posh British and typically academic. I was worried he might question me afterwards! He's the world expert on what pesticides to use on cocao.

We had dinner at the lodge and then went on a walk into the forest with one of the James, the other academic and guide. He has already discovered and named a few new insects and he's only on his twenties. It was lovely walking with him because his enthusiasm is contagious, besides him being a nice person. I saw my first tarantula, and the lovely lantern bugs.