Vietnam 2007

Vietnam 2007

For the past few years, leading up to this trip, I had done all my traveling alone. Perhaps it's because few of my friends are able to enjoy the luxury having so many vacation days off work, or maybe I just like exploring the world on my own - doing what I want to do, when I want to do it, how I want to do it. Admittedly, there have been times when loneliness creeps in and you long for a familiar face, but those feelings generally pass with the thrill of finding your own way in a foreign land. It's independent travel in the very truest sense of the word. (Of course, it's also possible that nobody likes me.)

So, when my life-long friend, Nathan Slater, suggested that we go on a trip together, I was torn. Indeed, I preferred to travel on my own. But, on the other hand, this was Nate, and surely the joy of sharing an experience with somebody I've known since I was two would be worth it a million times over. The question, then, became, not would I do it, but, to it, how would I do?

I had mentioned to Nathan that there were a few different places I'd like to visit - Vietnam being one of them. A history buff, this seemed to strike a particular chord with him, and we tossed around the possibility for a number of months. Finally, he was able to sort out his vacation situation at his job and all the talk became a reality. We purchased our tickets for December, appropriately flying out together from our home town in Phoenix, Arizona. Ever the opportunist, I figured if I tacked on a couple days at either end of the trip I could kill two birds with one stone - traveling in Vietnam with Nathan and spending some time with my folks in The Valley.

So, with Rough Guide in hand, we prepared to cross the globe in an adventure that, for me, would give some credence to the simple and profound journal thoughts of the late Alexander Supertramp: Happiness is only real when shared.

NOTE: Photos are up, but narrative is still being written.

Currency Exchange for Vietnamese Dong (as of Jan. 2008):
$1 = 16d
€1 = 23d
£1 = 31d



DECEMBER 1 :: FLYING

It was a scene right out of our younger days. On the way to pick up Nathan for the airport, it was Mom and Dad in the front seats of the car and me in the back. A few minutes later we were chatting with the Slaters inside their kitchen as both sets of parents felt the need to reiterate the same message to their 29-year-old sons: No Sex. No Drugs. To this, Nathan and I responded, "Then what's the point of going?"

The short flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles began with a bit of a laugh. Apparently, a gentleman sitting in the emergency exit row didn't speak English, and had to be switched out for safety concerns. The flight attendant asked for a volunteer to which there was no response. Finally, Nathan raised his hand, effectively killing the idea of us sitting together. Smiling, I mumbled under my breath, "You asshole." Then, realizing that, yes, he would have to switch seats with the man, Nathan announced, "Actually, nevermind. I want to sit with my buddy. I thought you were just looking for a backup." A backup? Beyond that, the rest of our time spent in the air was rather uneventful. Neither Nathan nor I are particularly fond of flying, but passing above the polar ice caps, both of us, several rows apart, managed to slip blissfully away into sleep on the juggernaut flight from L.A. to Hong Kong, and again from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Thanks, Valium!



DECEMBER 2 :: HO CHI MINH CITY

The flight, in total, took about 18 hours in the air. Having left Phoenix on the morning of December 1st, we arrived in Vietnam about 10pm on December 2nd. It's a crazy Asian time warp. Amazingly well-rested, we easily sorted ourselves out in HCMC's modern airport, exchanged some money, and took a cab to our pre-arranged Indochine Hotel. Even as a budget traveler, I still firmly believe in the virtues of having a decent, comfortable night's sleep when first arriving in a country after a long flight. For $28 dollars, the Indochine was more than affordable, and tidy enough to fulfill our "luxury" requirement. Naturally, then, it was off to the famed rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel where we enjoyed our first Tiger beers with a cool photographer from Montreal named Alex. The rest of the rooftop was pretty much empty, but the beers were cold and I was able to catch the Tottenham match on TV. Eventually, the three of us landed ourselves at another bar called Apocalypse Now where we had a few more Tigers on the back patio, thoroughly enjoying our first night in Vietnam.







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Rat in a drain ditch...



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DECEMBER 15 :: FLY HOME





THE VISA

United States citizens are required to obtain a travel visa to enter Vietnam. Somehow, I've managed to write about this topic ad nauseum, and so decided to quarantine my rambling dissertation on the visa process to a separate page. If you'd like to read about how it all works, please click HERE.



PACKING LIST