HCMC ... Saigon

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Flying Air China, we landed just after midnight on 09 No 15 after 21 hrs in transit Vancouver to Beijing (Peking) Beijing to HCMC (Saigon).

In our transfer through Beijing Airport; we found the Beijing International Airport did not turn on the heat until Mid November; considering Beijing just had snow the day before the airport was freezing cold; passengers were huddled together trying to keep warm; and airport staff had on full length wool coats perhaps this is a policy to conserve energy and keep pollution to a minimum ( ...!~?). We were prepared for the Vietnam heat and humidity not Beijing airports freezing temperatures ... we quickly donned all fleece sweaters and vests and light raincoats in an effort to keep warm and kept walking for 4 hrs on our layover.



Looking out the window of our hotel room watching the sun rise in a jetlagged haze; I listened to the commuting scooter traffic build. After a hot shower and much coffee and good buffet breakfast we set out via taxi through the scouter traffic jams jumping into the morning heat humidity and hum of Saigon to the somewhat gruesome War Remnants Museum. There to see how hard the people of Vietnam have fought to maintain there sovereignty. After walking back through the Saigon City scouter traffic, trying to understand how the scouter traffic rules of the road worked because its different from Canadian rules. Later a guide said; to navigate scouter traffic "you have to be flexible like a fish" (... and ... patient like Buda ...) reading other driver every move.



I did spend some time before arriving in Vietnam researching mobile options. Ever hotel has secured wifi and sim cards are inexpensive at $10 mo with lots of minutes and data included I think I got 700 min + 790 mb with a 200,000 credit + signup bonuses that I barley use by the end of the trip; mostly using readily available secured and unsecured wifi at hotels, airports and restaurants.

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