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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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with two beers and dessert for $5.
We arranged to meet at 5 a.m. so I could go to sunrise at Angkor Wat before catching my 8.35 a.m. flight. As I was leaving, the hotel people stopped me twice to ask for my receipt that I’d paid the night before. We got to the temple, and the sunrise was quite a spectacle, with many people gathered. I had breakfast there, and we went on to the airport; we had agreed that the driver’s charge would be $10 for that short day, and we said goodbye. Each country I visited had its appeals and drawbacks, but I’ll say I’m most pleased I went to Cambodia. Once again there was a security check on entering the terminal. Tony, the travel agent in Saigon, had told me that I couldn’t check my bag through to Hong Kong, and I was glad to see that he was wrong, although my bag might also have qualified as a carry-on. I was given a Vietnam Airlines transit sticker to wear; with no crowd, I paid the $15 departure tax and got into the departure area. I was pleased to see the incoming VN flight arrive on time; when ready, we boarded the flight to Saigon.
With my sticker, I didn’t need to get a Vietnamese landing card, and the flight went well with a snack. When we arrived in Saigon, if I’d needed to go through immigration there wouldn’t have been a wait, but I’m glad I didn’t need to test my visa status. At the transit desk, they had me wait; it seemed they couldn’t just print the boarding pass there but needed to get it from the front counter. Eventually I got it, and I suppose it was advantageous that the CX flight had a VN codeshare, even if it meant that the fare was high and I couldn’t get frequent flyer credit. I waited in the departure area, and there was a security check at the gate; people were crowding around, eager to board before their turn. We got boarded and took off; I remember the wine but not the lunch. It happened to be Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., and I was thankful that I made
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See photographs from:
Vietnam Gallery
,
Macau Gallery
,
Hong Kong Gallery
,
Cambodia Gallery
