My brief stay in Vietnam was exciting as well as tiring. The day I left Manila seemed to have given me a sign that everything will not go that well in terms of logistics. At first, I was not given the boarding pass for my connecting flight from Hongkong to Vietnam because according to the lady at the check in counter, the seats in the Vietnam Airlines were all blocked. I was already at the waiting lounge when I heard that my name was being paged in the PA. "Calling the attention of passenger......" I was given the boarding pass after all....I thought that everything would be okay moving forward. When I was already in HK, I had a hard time looking for my correct departure gate number....after several long minutes...i saw it just in time for my connecting flight to Vietnam....The seat that was assigned to me was the one near the emergency exit....well.....When I arrived at Ho Chi Minh airport, I saw a counter for taxi service reservation. I immediately contracted a taxi to bring me to Sheraton Hotel because I was already tired. I paid $10.00 Thought it was okay because I have my receipt anyway, only to fnd out that the I was charged twice the regular fare.
When I arrived at the hotel, the receptionist checked my reservation then asked for my Amex card..I was signing the form when somebody approached me and asked if everything was okay. It was Lay Pin, my former manager.....who was one of the facilitators for the training. What I thought to be a relaxing dinner in my hotel room turned out to be a dinner in one of the restaurants nearby. I was amazed to know how much a bowl of noodles cost. It was VD26k. He, he,he... it was the most expensive bowl of noodles I have eaten. My strawberry drink cost me VD45k as well. I sipped it very slowly to really enjoy the flavor...Hmmnnn..I could be a millionaire soon in this country....
Everything went well during the 3 day training at A9. It rained in the afternoons. There are lots of contructions going on around the city. Given a number of years, Vietnam will flourish. The sea of bikers lording the streets seemed to scare the cars and buses around. I read from their newspaper that there were 375 casualties already due to unsafe practices on the streets since the beginning of the year only.
On the day that I was supposed to go home, Lay Pin and I decided to have breakfast in another restaurant. We were already rushing because my flight was at 10:00 am. When we arrived in the airport, Lay Pin told me that she will be the one to settle the taxi fare. "Go ahead and hurry up else you will miss your flight" She told me to just turn left after the entrance. Oh, my where is the entrance? The big door that I saw led to a restaurant...I retraced my footsteps to where LP and I separated and I saw her a few steps ahead of me. "LP wait" I am lost.....She graciously accompanied me to the check in counter and asked me to approach the ground attendant who was flashing the sign "Hongkong" to give me priority as my flight was already boarding. Fortunately, he obliged.
I was able to get into the departure gate on time...however, my flight to HK was delayed for about an hour. We arrived in HK about 2pm and by that time my connecting flight to Manila was already boarding. My! I still have to pass thru HK customs and then I have to ride the train to get into the departure gates...Not sure if I can still make it....I felt like going to the wash room but I just don't have the time....I got a push cart and put my laptop and my other hand carried baggage. I was practically running to gate 67. I was in gate 65 when the final call was given. Whew! Not sure if the airconditioning in HK airport was still working. I was perspiring and panting at the same time. I was thinking that when I come back to the office, I will tell the one in charge of our travel bookings not to give me too tight schedules for connecting flights.....
When I was inside the plane already, I just checked my correct seat number and went right away to the wash room. I was thankful that I made it. I washed my face and combed my hair.. I felt comfortable afterwards. I uttered a silent prayer of thanks that even my seat is not that far from the washroom. I was already relaxing on my seat, reading magazines when I happened to look at the direction of the washroom that I used...he, he..it was for the male passengers...never mind, they are not that exacting onboard....I will be arriving in Manila as scheduled....that was my last thought before I went to sleep.......
I was awakened by the announcement "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Manila" but I still can't open my eyes..I was still sleepy and exhausted but I have to hurry up else there will be a long line in the immigrations.
Passport stamped with arrival date...finally...I just need to grab my baggage and I can go......But where is my baggage???? I was already dizzy, frantically searching for my bag at the carousel.....until there are just a few people and bags left...Oh no, where's my bag???How come? It seems to me that misfortune has been enjoying my company..it doesn't want to leave me....One ground attendant approached me to say that I can either file a complaint and then they will deliver my baggage 3 days after or just wait for the next flight which will arrive in one hour....I said I will just wait...
I called up my husband who was already on his way to fetch me. He asked me to just send him text message when I am ready to meet him outside.....It was my first time to lose my baggage....i texted my pastor friend that maybe when he prayed for me to have a safe trip he did not include my baggage...well, my bag arrived one hour after...was able to leave the airport in peace after that....
I will always remember my first Vietnam trip for all the rushing, sweating, panting and waiting that I experienced as well as for the baffling turn of events.....
