March 7, 2005 Good Morning Vietnam !

Time to update everyone on the progress of our trip.

I was overjoyed in Portland when they checked our VERY large, heavy bags without any hassle or charges. Gary proceeded to set of the security monitors with his cargo pants. Must have been a reason why they were on sale for $11 a pair. Perhaps they did not sell well due to other people discovering that zippers on all the cargo pants sets off the metal detectors. I thought he was going to have a "strip search" before we got out of there but finally they realized his crutches did not contain WMD and he is esentially "harmless".

The flight over was VERY, VERY long but nonetheless tolerable thanks to "upgraded seats" that we purchased on the EVA airlines flight at the recommendation of the travel agent.

We had a considerable delay in Los Angeles due to a bomb scare. They had all their security force out and did a ful "lock down" with no planes coming or going for a period of time.
We have to be thankful that they are so careful and that was also what we reminded ourselves when we had other delays at security check points.

It was pretty exciting to finally meet up with our new travel mates. Some from as far away as Bangor, Maine. She had already been traveling for 15 hours before we left LA on the international flight.

Jess who founded TOP was like "Mother Goose" making sure we all processed smoothly through check-in, customs and all the security.

After the delayed flight it was like a "Oriental firedrill" when it came to boarding time. Everyone was anxious, there were lots of oriental families with small children and elderly people. They insist in using a brigade of wheelchairs to "assist" the elderly and handicapped onto the plane. Gary frustrated them because he needed to be able to board early because of the tendency to trip on crutches but did not want to be pushed in a wheelchair. As it ended up he took the wheelchair at the last minute and got the "royal treatment".

The flight was mystical. As we started to reach Asia we were treated to aerial views of the night time lights of Hong Kong and other areas of population. We had a screen that showed us where we were at a given point in time and also provided stats regarding speed, time underway, estimated time of arrival and differences in time zones, etc. Made it very interesting.

Heading West we were essentialy outrunning the sun which was trying to rise. Behind us we could se the glow of the pending sunrise and above it a crescent moon and lots of stars.

Jet lag was a bit different since we were 16 hours earlier so you just skipped almost a full day, that we will regain upon our return.

The climate is mid 80's and humid but actually pretty tolerable. The only place I have to compare it with is Houston in the summer and this is not as muggy as that was.

Our initial accomodations in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City are very luxurious in the Rex hotel. Elegant with top hatted door men and bellhops...not the typical economy accomodations we personally are used to at home.

All of Life in an Adventure You just have to find it,
Linda