My Vietnam adventure

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Geo: 14.0583, 108.277



Day 1: Saint Petersburg, FL INAUSPICIOUS BEGINNING. Got up at 3:30 am. Showered, dressed, made a cup of cappuccino, walked Mika, took my vitamins and my first malaria pill. The shuttle arrived right on time at 5:00 am. On the way to the airport, I experienced a strange sensation in my stomach but decided it was probably nerves or the lack of sleep. Got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. As I was checking in with the TSA official, she asked me a question. I couldn't answer because with no warning whatsoever, that strange feeling in my stomach came again and I threw up all over the place. How embarrassing. I missed the officer and I missed me. I just spewed. I hadn't eaten anything so it was all liquid but still…I grabbed my passport and ticket and ran to the bathroom with my mouth covered.

When I got to the bathroom, I emptied more of my stomach contents and, once there was nothing left, I washed my face, rinsed my mouth, and composed myself the best I could, and walked back to the check in. When I got there, it was a different TSA official! Lucky me!

The flights were on time, uneventful, but very cold. I asked for a blanket and was told it costs $7.00. I decided to break out my silk sleep sheet to wrap around me for warmth. I made it to Los Angeles at 11:30 am. My plan was to check in my bag with Asiana Airline and then do some wandering in the airport. It was nice outside so I decided to walk to the international terminal. IT'S NOT CLOSE. Anyway, I finally got to the international terminal, found Asiana Airlines, waited in line only to find out that you can't check your bags more than three hours in advance! Now what? I found an information desk and asked about storing my suitcase in a locker. No such thing since 9/11. So, I was stuck with my backpack which, of course, was carrying everything I thought I might possibly need for the almost three days before I got to Vietnam as well as my suitcase. I trekked back to the US Air terminal since I had a pass to use the US Air lounge. What a lifesaver.

It's quiet, there's FREE hot chocolate, cappuccino, water, all kinds of snacks, big screen televisions, comfortable chairs, and really nice people who watch your stuff for you if you get the urge to wander outside the lounge.

Day 2 Korea A NICE SURPRISE The flight left right on time at 12:20 am. This was a nonstop 11 hour and 40 minute flight! Lots of beautiful flight attendants with musical voices who seemed to anticipate your every need. FREE pillow and blanket for everyone! As soon as we took off, they served us a FREE meal with FREE wine. Throughout the flight, they served coffee, juice, water, without even being asked plus a FREE headset with a choice of shows to watch. I kept it on this update thingy where it told us the temperature outside, our speed, the time, distance to our destination, etc. Then, at about two hours before we were to land, they served a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, ham, croissant, yogurt, coffee, and juice. Nice airline. US Air could take some lessons.

Anyway, we landed at Incheon Airport outside of Seoul, Korea at 5:00 am their time. What an incredibly beautiful airport. I decided that I wanted to see some of Korea, so I went through immigration and wandered around for a while. When the tour booth opened at 7:00 am, I was right there. I picked a tour of the DMZ. I didn't want to carry my backpack so I found a locker for $1.00, grabbed a cappuccino, and went back to the tour desk at 8:30 am. It turned out it was just one other person in the group--a very nice lady from England who lives and teaches full time in Singapore. She works part time as a tour guide in the summer and was meeting up with her group the next day to take them to Mongolia!

Anyway, what a fascinating experience. You're driving along the highway (by the way, very good roads everywhere, newer looking cars and buses) when all of a sudden you see fences with lots of barbed wire rolled up on top and guard stations manned by army personnel with automatic weapons. South Korea wants reunification and has built a roadway that stops at the border and train tracks that also stop at the border. It's incredible. The North Koreans have actually built tunnels under the demilitarized zone in order to invade South Korea. Luckily, South Korea has discovered them before anything bad happened. The most recent one was discovered in 1990! I went down into Tunnel #3 discovered in 1978. It's the largest and goes WAY down under the ground and has been blocked off at the border of North Korea so they can't get through. It took about an hour to get all the way down into it to that point. The South Koreans have also set up a memorial that is very touching. George W was there for the dedication (I took a picture of his picture.) Unfortunately, most of this place is classified so no pictures were allowed. You could see into North Korea but never saw any people--just land. Sad that such a small country (about the same size as Illinois) is so divided.

After this, we went to lunch at a Korean restaurant. After taking off our shoes, we were led to a table spread with several Korean side dishes - Kimchi, garlic, and more. We were served a clear broth soup and then Bibimbap as our main course--this dish combines the spiciness of Korean chili paste with steamed rice and vegetables such as bean sprouts, spinach, shitake mushrooms, carrots, and several other things I can't even remember. We drank a nice cold bottle of Hite (Korean beer) which complemented the meal perfectly while sitting on mats on the floor. It was wonderful.

Afterwards, back to the airport to find my flight is delayed--not by much, just an hour but I've been traveling for a while and need a bed.

Day 3 Saigon THE ADVENTURE BEGINS. The plane landed a little after midnight. It was relatively painless going through customs, etc. but altogether it took about an hour. so I was pleasantly surprised to see a nice man standing outside with a big sign “CATHERINE ROGERS”. I had arranged for a driver since I knew I was coming in late but one never knows…

My first impression when I walked outside the airport was the heat and the beautiful smell of flowers. It obviously was dark and I was tired so I sat back in my seat and marveled at all the people out and about after 1:00 in the morning. Stalls were still open for business selling prepared foods, fresh vegetables and fruit. People were everywhere on mopeds and motor bikes. They drove on the wrong side of us on some of the streets and paid absolutely no attention to traffic signals. It wasn't just young people. There were all ages. I saw big congregations of people sitting in lawn chairs on the side of the street. Remember, this is all in the city.

We finally reached the hotel. I am checked in to a private room on the fifth floor facing Do Quang Dau Street. I am now going to take a much needed shower and go to bed.

DAY 4: Saigon, Vietnam What a noisy, dirty, ramshackle of a city. Mopeds and motor bikes everywhere! You can't walk on the sidewalks because of all the people hawking their wares so you're forced to walk in the street. SCARY! Buses, trucks, and mopeds coming at full speed. No one looks before they turn. If there are traffic lights, it doesn't seem that anyone pays attention. I tried walking a few blocks the first morning just to get my bearings. Trying to cross ANY street was like taking my life in my hands. I finally realized that you just cross and they will go around you. Don't hesitate because that's confusing to them.

I stopped in a little cafe for an iced vietnamese coffee--mmmm, heavenly. Just my strength. I don't even have to ask for an "extra shot". It is plenty strong. I got up the nerve to take a cyclo ride. That is where some guy has a bicycle with a seat in the front for the passenger. He drives right in the middle of all the motor bikes and taxis and I'll tell you, it was an adventure. There were plenty of times where I had to close my eyes because I was sure we were history. Obviously, he knew what he was doing because I'm writing this.

He took me to several open air markets. All sorts of wares are sold at these, including meat that is cut up right there on the street. I didn't see any sort of refrigeration so...maybe that's why I've been eating vegetarian since I got here. Beautiful fruit, great pastries, flip flops by the thousands, CDs, clothing--they sell everything.We also went to Chinatown and a Buddhist temple. I saw a wedding being held at the Ho Chi Minh Museum. I went into a factory and watched them making bowls, vases, furniture--absolutely beautiful items that I wish I could purchase (no way to carry them). I went to the War Remnants Museum and saw captured tanks, guns, an airplane...the propaganda is unbelievable. Remember this is a communist country and everything is slanted at this museum as if Americans just came into Viet Nam just to try to destroy it. Every picture was an atrocity.

I spent six hours on the cyclo and got over my fear of the streets. I am actually walking in the street with the locals paying no attention to the drivers. They have to look out for pedestrians and while I can't say I don't have a bit of fear when I feel one zipping by me so fast that the hair on my arms go up, I'm not flinching at all. (Well, not too much.)

You can't believe how many people they get on one scooter! I saw a family of five on one of those little things. I'm told that this is normal as it is the only means of transportation for many families.
They require helmets for the driver but strangely enough, the kids don't wear one. Sometimes the baby is being held while the mother is driving!

I came back to my room--fifth floor of the hotel which overlooks a busy street. I have to mention my bathroom. There is a shower but no shower room. You just take a shower in the bathroom right next to the toilet. I was a little taken aback by that but the water pressure is srong and the water gets very hot--GREAT shower.

I went down the street to a little cafe for dinner--had two 333 beers (that's a vietnamese beer that was called 33 until the communists took over--then they decided to change the name to 333--I have no idea why). I also had a serving of spring rolls (twelve of them so it was dinner). Nice and spicy - vegetarian--I decided to forego the meat. Total cost for dinner and two beers 80,000 dong. That is approximately $4.50 and I included a 20%!t(MISSING)ip!

Sitting in these cafes on the street is a great way to people watch. Females are almost always covered head to toe. I was told that mainly they don't like to get sun. It's incredible though because it is HOT and they are wearing not only long pants but jackets or sweaters, socks. How do they do it? They even cover their faces. No, it is not a religious thing. I asked. Everyone uses their horns. I don't know why as it doesn't seem that anyone pays any attention but it is a constant cacaphony of noise.
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