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When I had the opportunity to use frequent flyer miles for an overseas trip, I decided to use them to go over a different sea than usual for a trip to Asia in November 2002. Here is a report on that trip to Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
TRIP TO ASIA, NOVEMBER 2002
Amc2004-09-13 14:42:34
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When we got to the airport, I thought maybe the driver had been chastened and I asked “Metered fare?” which came to under $3, but he insisted on the $7. So I paid in dollars instead of my remaining VND which would have covered it, but would now go to the airport charity box.
There was a metal detector at the entrance to the international terminal; even with the stop on the way, I had plenty of time to check in. There were no more international flights for more than an hour after mine; there weren’t many people around. I checked in and paid the $12 airport departure tax. Eventually it was boarding time and we took a bus to the parked Vietnam Airlines Fokker F70, a 70-seat jet. The flight was on time, scheduled for an hour, and went smoothly, with a roll and juice for breakfast. Most passengers were in French and German tour groups. We landed at Siem Reap airport.
Cambodia
When I first planned the Asia trip, I hadn’t thought of going to Cambodia; I knew of it as a place that had gone through terrible devastation, and I wasn’t really aware that it had reached peace and was a reasonable travel destination. After Judy and Lisa from the Travelzine recommended it, I did some research on a trip there, but didn’t commit to it until I was in Saigon. We walked to the terminal, a temporary shed while the new terminal is being built. I had filled out a landing/departure form on the plane, and needed to fill out another form for a visa application. There was a desk with five men with the distinctive Cambodian look (dark skin, wide oval faces); I needed to hand my passport, application, and picture I had taken in Saigon to the one on the right (I didn’t see if there was an option of getting the picture taken there). They passed everything along; when the one on the left held up my passport, I paid him the $20 fee ($25 if going to Phnom Penh) and was ready to go. Again
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See photographs from:
Vietnam Gallery
,
Macau Gallery
,
Hong Kong Gallery
,
Cambodia Gallery
