Ho Chi Minh

Heading to Vietnam for personal business for a couple of days. Flew United Airlines on this particular trip. This is my first trip post-merger and it is interesting to see the changes implemented. It was good to see that the United policy of free booze on international flights was still in effect so I did not need my drink coupons. On the way to Vietnam, I was given upgrades on the short segments which was unexpected but welcome. The segment from Hong Kong to Saigon was a change from the past. It appears that United is using Continental planes for Southeast Asia routes and this particular segment was a smaller plane. I did miss the bigger plane United used to use for this segment. I have found that the Continental equipment now being used is not as nice as the United counterparts. Also, the headphones are not as nice and it still uses the two prong adapter to use. I can only assume that it will all be consistent in the next few years.


Landed into Ho Chi Minh without incident and was suprised to see my grandmother as my ride to the house. I spent the next few days reacquainting myself with mangoes and local foods. Between the family meals and cousins treating me out to dinners, I was pretty full even if I cannot remember the restaurants now. One thing that has changed in the restaurant scene for me is the ownership to Quon An Ngon restaurant. It is my favorite restaurant and hope the new owners keep the same level of quality. Unfortunately, I did not go this time around. 


My only "daily" routine was going to the local market near the house. It was interesting to see how markets work. Definitely not American/Western standards but no one is dead so it must be ok right? No one seems bothered this woman is selling shrimp out of a bucket in the middle of the street. :p



At the behest of my siblings, I went out to An Dong plaza to get some souvenirs. Most tourists will go to Ben Thanh market because that is where they are sent. If you want the same souvenirs for a third of the cost, then An Dong is your better bet. Downtown Saigon has changed some since my last visit. More foreign investment is apparent with new high rises being built. Like any other high end high rise in a developing country, most of the retail shops are empty with mostly window shoppers walking around.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Orleans

Image
I'm back again for a conference. Flew out on United Airlines and was able to snag a first class seat on the way out. Luckily, the Hilton New Orleans St. Charles Avenue was able to accommodate an early check-in. The room was just the same as last time. They are renovating the executive lounge which made the perk inaccessible. I was given breakfast coupons for Luke in exchange. I tried the Southern Breakfast sans meat. I found the biscuit slightly salty but I'm prone to being salt sensitive. Not a good thing when it comes to Southern cooking. For lunch, went out to Ruby Slipper Café and ordered the Catfish St. Peter and a double Bellini. The meal was tasty and the service was quick and friendly. Did some antique and second hand clothing shopping before getting dessert at Sucre . The dessert shop sells gelato, baked goods, and chocolate. The gelato was ok but the smore's skillet was super tasty. Ruby Slipper Café Catfish St. Peter Sucre S'mores skillet and a ban
Read more

Salt Lake and Park City

Image
Flew to Salt Lake City Airport for the holiday weekend on United . No new snow systems so I was not in a rush to get on the mountain and opted to bounce around the city before heading up to Park City. Although I could have opted for a cheaper rental, I stuck with the Toyota Tacoma from Avis . Lodging After landing, I checked into the Fairfield Inn & Suites Salt Lake City South . Normally, not a leisure destination but I thought it would be a good location to meet with friends who live south of the city. They ended up being unavailable that day and my companion's former colleagues weren't available (headquarters was just another 10 minutes south).  The next day, I checked into the Doubletree Park City - The Yarrow . Originally, the weekend was really expensive due to the holidays but the prices did drop to under $200 when I was checking in. I was behind a gentleman who inquired about booking two rooms last minute and he was quoted about $200 for two nights. With the continu
Read more

In the Northwest

Image
So, it seems Hyatt has somehow targeted me for promotions. I received an offer to stay in Seattle, a two night stay for the price of one, in one of their two new properties. It was a great offer and I scheduled a vacation to snowboard and visit family. After landing into Sea-Tac Airport on United Airlines . I found one thing interesting at Sea-Tac,thus airport is very family oriented. Usually, in women's restrooms you'll find vending dispensers for feminine products or over the counter medicine. In this airport, you won't find either but you will find diapers! :) I was able to priceline a rental car from National and picked out a Hyundai Santa Fe. National allows you to pick a car in a category rather than assigning you one and I can see why people like it. A very smooth ride, I'm impressed with the improvements Hyundai has in its car line up. Not too gas guzzly for a SUV (achieved an average of 22 mph over 700 miles), I found the car very comfortable with enough a
Read more