Day 1: Flights and Arrival in HCMC

Welcome to Kevin's Asia Blog!

I intend to keep as many people informed and make sure that my grammar does not fall into complete disrepair from negotiating with vendors here in Asia. For that is the explanation behind the title of the blog... Same Same, but Different is a very popular term here in SouthEast Asia. I believe it originated in Thailand, but has found its' way here to Vietnam as well. When my good friend Mike Genaze came back from his 2 month Asia trip last summer, he had a habit of repeating words, a la "Same Same" and "Cheap Cheap". It is the #1 sales technique in all of SE Asia. It is most effective in hawking t-shirts, promoting day trips to sightseeing spots, and peddling infants. That pesky travel pack sure got lighter once I found a strong 6 year old boy from Saigon to carry it!

But on to the trip thus far... Our 15 hour flight from Chicago to Hong Kong was mostly uneventful. It was rather entertaining to crawl over the small Vietnamese man sitting on the aisle who slept sounder than the mangy street dogs here in Saigon. He was even decided to cuddle up with Mark's shoulder for part of the flight. After several lackluster meals, 7? hours of sleep, and a great viewing of Four Christmases (Dad's new favorite), Mark and I were ready to seize the Hong Kong Airport. The Hong Kong airport is relatively new, has the feel of a high end shopping mall, and serves a wild range of international destinations. If America is a melting pot, then the Hong Kong airport must be some sort of melting bowl, because some argue that it is smaller than America. Nest was our flight to Saigon, which Mark and I both used as an opportunity to rest our heads on the tray tables. Sleep Sleep.

We happened to sit next to the same Vietnamese man on this flight (do I have Gary Wheaton Travel to thank for this?!) and he shared some interesting stories. He fought for South Vietnam (with the US) against the Viet Cong in the Vietnam (American, as the Vietnamese call it) War. He was imprisoned for 7 years in Vietnam after the Americans threw in the towel. He provided a a startling, but real perspective to begin our trip.

Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, we met a raucous crowd celebrating our arrival. Well, maybe they had family there to... We negotiated a cab (200,000 Dong...$10) to meet Mark's brother Kevin (25) and his friend Joe (24) who had been traveling in Thailand and Vietnam already. Immediately, you are bombarded with traffic and motorbikes. Millions of motorbikes. 5 million. And they are everywhere. More to come on them. We had beers on the street at a local hot spot, grabbed a hotel for the night, and stayed out entirely too late. But the action of the city is intoxicating.

On to the Mekong Delta tomorrow...