Saorrento

For the first time since arriving in Hanoi both Michelle and I enjoyed a sleep in, and a relaxed breakfast at the hotel, the feelings though were bitter sweet, for as much as we were able to have a leisurely morning for a change, rather than hitting the hustle and bustle of tours and day trips exploring Hanoi, today was the day we were departing for the airport, getting ever so closer to returning home.

Our Vietnam trip was quickly becoming a memory, ahead of us lay the check in at the international airport and our two day stopover in Kuala Lumpur before returning home.

We were quickly met with confusion on arrival to Hanoi’s international airport caused by the number of domestic signs around the place. Since when does an international airport have domestic gates? Vietnam has a separate airport for domestic?!

I turned to walk out of the airport to confirm with our hotel transfer that they had dropped us off at the correct airport. No sooner had I turned around I saw the vehicle drive off in the distance. A taxi driver seeing my confused dismay came over to offer assistance and reassured me that we were at the correct airport.

I surrendered to the fact that for some reason or another this airport had domestic gates, and since we were flying international it made logical sense to me to only pay attention to the international signs.. this led on to our second confusing moment… where the hell was our check in counter for Malaysian Air? After roaming the entire stretch of check in counters I came across an information desk which informed me that Check In for our International flight to KL was at ‘Domestic Check In Counter 1 – 4’ – of course, that makes perfect sense now doesn’t it?

What seemed like an eternity waiting in line to reach the checkout counter we finally made it to the front of the line, where we soon learnt that our flight had been delayed by an hour. I didn’t see this as a big deal at the time, sure it means one less hour in KL and a later arrival time, but at least we were at the correct airport, at the front of the check in line and given free lunch coupons as compensation for the delayed flight. Michelle and I quickly checked in our luggage and collected our boarding passes, to both our surprise our checked in luggage came in at 7kg under the maximum permitted amount… time to pass through immigration and get our free feed

With the immigration counter in sight we made our approach only to be stopped less than a meter from the emigration counter to have our hand luggage weighed. Knowing for international flights each passenger is allowed a carry on piece between (7 and 10kg) I didn’t see this to be a problem. Much to our shock, and that of the passengers behind us who were also pulled aside the onboard weight was only 5kg! Michelle and I were both well and truly over with a combined weight of 18kg. The Malaysian Airlines representative then proceeded to tell us that we had to check in our on board luggage – and that is when the shit hit the roof. We all strongly protested, not only was the check in line slower than hell, but there was a very good reason why the items in our carry on were not checked in; they contained breakables and other sensitive electronic equipment. United we all stood our ground with her in protest, watching helplessly as other arrivals slipped past her with notably heavier carry-on’s. Finally, feeling she was about to be overrun by angry passengers (which she was - we attempted a runner) she finally called her supervisor. The supervisor arrived and began dishing out the same spiel, it wasn’t received well. Finally he yielded and made an exception and we all passed through immigration flustered and furious with the situation. Seriously, 5kg for hand luggage?? Even Jetstar (the budget of Qantas give you more hand luggage weight)

The free lunch mounted to no more than a hotdog and coke which would have been okay had it been any good. We both ended up with very upset tummies after that… but I was planning to reconcile this by drinking the plane dry of scotch and coke… which would have been fine, hadn’t the flight run out of Coke / Pepsi after my first drink…

So all up.. not incredibly impressed with the Malaysian flight from Vietnam to KL, but on a brighter note have gotten stuck into a new book – set between 1930 – 1945 following the events of Russia’s involvement of World War II, ‘The Bridge to Holy Cross’.

Friendly faces, streets swarming with mopeds and scooters, a humidity in the air making it comfortable to walk about in shorts whether it be rain or shine, a wide array of culinary delights, bargains to be had at the extensive markets all around, DVDs by the millions and mopeds (did I mention the mopeds?) this is Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Our Malaysian flight from Perth via Kular Lumpur arrived at Ho Chi Minh around 9am. I had never been on a Malaysian flight and within a day I had been on two. I found the crafts very comfortable and spacious, moreso than that of Qantas (the space, perhaps not the comfort). Leaving Ho Chi Minh airport we were quickly overwhelmed by the number of locals waiting outside their airport; some meeting loved ones who had flown in, others, opportunists looking to offer their services as guide or driver. In previous travels I have been on I usually just wade my way through the cultural shock and jump into a cab, I was very grateful that Michelle insisted upon airport transfers to our hotel be included in the package. It was a pleasant relief to see our guide holding up a sign with our names (errm Michelle’s name) on it. We followed our contact to the car and before we knew it we we’re on our way to our Hotel, The Duxton, in air-conditioning comfort.

Interestingly enough our hotel was only 8 km away from the airport, however with a road network flooded with mopeds and cyclists coming at you from left right and center, it took us forty minutes to reach our destination. Air conditioned transport comes at a price; it is not as quick as its two-wheeled counterparts. However, the duration of the drive didn’t faze either of us, there was so much to take in, and sitting in the comfort of a car observing the ordinary chaos of Vietnamese transport was a good way to ease into the culture. In addition time was taken up arranging tours we wanted to do while we were in Ho Chi Minh which we arranged through our contact. Firstly we arranged for a private half day city tour to show us around some of the more common sites, including Notre Dame Cathedral, the War museum (something both Michelle and I were extremely keen on) and the Ben Thanh Markets. Other tours we selected included the Ho Chi Minh Tunnels and a day-long tour of the Delta for later in the week.

The highlight of the Ho Chi Minh City tour for me (so far) was visiting the War Museum. This museum is home to some of Vietnam’s most interesting chapters in History including the infamous Vietnam War. The portrayal of which ranging from retired long range artillery like the M.48 A3 Tank and troop helicopters to a extensive gallery of photographs taken by media correspondents across the globe during the War. If nothing else, the insights of the Vietnam War showed just how detrimental the United State’s involvement was, for both sides.

In the war of aggression in Vietnam, the US not only used conventional bombs and armaments, but also chemical weapons to wipe out surrounding natural resources and prevent the forward march of the Liberation Army of South Vietnam. In the 10 years from 1961 to 1971, toxic rains poured down continuously on Central and South Vietnam, defoliating mountains, plains and crops, destroying clean water resources and upsetting the delicate ecological balance.

To this very day the Vietnamese are still recovering the effects of the biochemical weapon known as ‘Agent Orange’, ramifications of long term exposure to this chemical are seen in future generations in the form of mutations and physical malformations. But the affects of this wreck less and inhuman act are not limited to the Vietnamese people. A medical check carried out on Australian Vets confirmed that at least 10% of them were so seriously affected that their spouses suffered miscarriages and that one in four of their newborn children also had malformations. In 1980, the Australian Vets demanded compensation on the grounds of being affected by Agent Orange used by US troops in Vietnam.

In light of the afore mentioned history of ‘Nam, one of the most interesting aspects of Vietnam, especially Ho Chi Minh City is how the society seem to idolize the American culture. Although the primary form of currency in Vietnam to this day remains the dong, US dollars are openly accepted, to the extent that some restaurants and retail outlets actually price their goods in US dollars over their own currency. Along the side of streets are photo montages of the United States, showing landmarks such as Hollywood, Wall Street and Washington.

The next stop on the tour after the War Museum was visiting the Ben Thanh Markets; definitely a cultural hotspot of Vietnam. The markets prided themselves in specializing in everything; whether it be food, ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables to freshly caught fish or nik-nak items through to clothing and DVDs. As we soon learned, visit the specialist stores in Nam to first discover what you want and then go to the Ben Thanh Markets and get the item for less than a quarter of the advertised price in the specialist store – and that is before you even begin to barter the price down, where it’s recommended you start from one third of the advertised price.

Bartering and negotiating price on an item is a unique thing, given that it is rarely done in the western world. Generally for us westerners when we see a item at an advertised price that is the price, end of story. In Vietnam however, especially at the markets, bartering is part of the natural process. With the exchange rate already heavily in a foreigners favor, and the fact that the items at the market are already a small portion of the price you would pay at a specialist store the concept of bartering can seem greedy and disrespectful. The truth is however the locals don’t see it this way at all, they expect it. To such an extent that there have been a couple of items Michelle and I have agreed to buy for the initial requested price ( cos they are such a steal ) and without even asking after the sale has been made the salesman still offers us a discounted price.

That is Vietnam, a country that has been through so much deception and hardship, yet you are still greeted with a smile in the street and a quality of service and genuine hospitality that is thus far unmatched to anything else I have experienced. I am really enjoying exploring Vietnam.

We will hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – The U.S. Declaration of Independence adopted on July 4, 1776.

Finally, after what has seemed to be a never ending flow of work; updates for Symmetry, media meetings for brochure and CD/DVD Rom design work, development of said DVD and CD-Rom products, itinerary scheduling for an upcoming trip abroad in September, project documentation and notes for while I am away in Vietnam, software development meetings and progress reviews, teleconferences with resellers in Belgium and Phoenix… Finally, after a week and a half of holding the fort and preparing for my own leave of absence have I completed everything on my list and am feeling comfortable about stepping out tomorrow for two weeks while I explore Vietnam with my babe.

I am now one step closer to looking forward to the Vietnam trip. Up until now the trip has been shrouded behind the escalating piles of papers and tasks that have been dumped on my desk since taking the helm while my co-worker is off running through the Sahara trying not to get trampled by elephants or eaten by a lion. During this time, aside from the occasional moments of boredom which are quickly rectified by visiting my co-workers at the other end of the building I have been most productive, and firmly believe I have shown my peers and superiors just how well I perform.

These efforts of late have been rewarded by my September/October holidays to the United States and Europe being approved along with substantial compensation due to ‘work related’ stopovers I agreed to do whilst away. As much as this trip is a blessing, the timing of this proposal has taken the lime light away from Vietnam almost completely. Which I find both sad and mesmerizing; sad, simply because time goes by so quickly, and part of the travel experience is looking forward to a trip, something I have been robbed of and mesmerizing simply because we haven’t yet departed for Vietnam and we are already knee deep in planning the next larger trip.

So what can I say about this next trip? Well, the flight itinerary has been in the works for some time. Currently, we have an approved itinerary and costing for it. What we are currently waiting for is the go-ahead from my boss, and in turn, he is currently waiting for the resellers in the USA and Belgium to get back to him on the notification that I will be visiting them in September. If all goes according to plan, our journey will be as follows: Stopovers in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver and New York City, before flying over to London and finding our own way to Brussels where we then move on to St Petersburg and Moscow before returning back to Perth. Hopefully we will get the green-light on this in the coming days so we can secure the airfares.

Anyway, back to Vietnam. Our first stop will be Ho Chi Minh City, formally known as Siagon, the southern capital of Nam. I am not too sure what to expect of Ho Chi Minh, the write-up of our hotel (The Duxton) is very good, and the location of it is supposed to be very close to markets.. In my mind Ho Chi Minh is going to be the more rural of the two capitals, I am thinking a lot of farming produce and dirt roads. I guess I will see soon enough for myself. I can’t wait.. I am so looking forward to escaping western civilization for a while and just experience life in another country.