Day 1

So Erika and I decided to make an effort to share and document more of our travel experiences. So why not start with my first trip back to Vietnam since my parents and I evacuated in 1975. We decided that Erika will lead the efforts on photo documentations and I would lead the efforts with online blogs. So here it goes…

Arcadia, CA
We left for LAX at around 10am this morning courtesy of Marnie (our very own tennis star freshly back from a challenging match in Palm Springs) Our flight was not until 1:30pm, but it was an international flight and we were hoping to switch to the emergency exit seats for the extra leg room. We didn't get the seats. It would seem 50 other people had the same idea. We were very lucky however, we had full use of 3 seats for the first leg to Seoul, Korea(12.5 Hrs) and 4 seats for the second leg to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (5.5 Hrs). We actually sprawled ourselves across the seats for the second leg. How glorious. All and all from the moment we arrived at LAX until we got our bags in Vietnam, it was a total of 24 hours.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
We've just got off the plane for a few minutes and it's only 79 degrees Fahrenheit, but we're already sweating because of the humidity and we're very tired. (See photo) We were greeted at the airport by a smiling face holding a sign with our name from the AnAn Hotel. It's after midnight on a Saturday and the streets are still swarming with young people out enjoying themselves. Clubbers walking and screaming at familiar faces passing by on scooters, the "slightly" intoxicated feeding off of street food carts, lovers on park benches, and the fully initiated drinking beer and watching the night pass by outside the crowded GO2 Bar next door to our hotel. We arrived at an eleven story building about the width of two hotel rooms, a small spiral staircase and a single elevator. The staff consisted of two people in a lobby smaller than the Chance's that also included a tour company and an ATM machine. Maybe the Chance needs an ATM machine. Memories of the terrible place Erika and I stayed in London for our honeymoon started rushing my thoughts. My fears were quickly put to rest, the staff lead us to our spacious and clean room on the 10th floor with a Queen size bed and a separate single bed (I guess they thought Cici was joining us), private bath, free high speed internet, air conditioning and a window overlooking the city. For less than $40 a night, we're cruising in style. We made a few free Skype video calls and cheap Gizmo calls to home, fought the urge to join the world of the GO GO, showered and went to bed.

As for my impressions of the first day back on the soil of my birth, nothing yet. My only real thought of this foreign place is how lucky Erika and I are to be visiting this country and how much I wish my parents were here.

Don't forget to check out the photo links on the right. Unlike this blog, Erika will be updating it regularly.

More tomorrow... We are meeting my grandfather on my mother's side for the first time. (or at least since I was 3. )