The Return Trip 2000 – 2

We are definitely not in Kansas anymore, although Rick Everett's luggage may still be.

Greetings from Ho Chi Minh City, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The Fellow Travelers made it even though all of the luggage didn't. We're making do. Rick is soldiering on admirably. Taking it all in stride. Speaking of stride - it was one BIG one getting here. The trip from LA was 13 hours 35 minutes to Taipei. That is it SHOULD have been 13 hours 35 minutes but then when we got there we found we couldn't land due to fog and poor visibility so we got a chance to see the airport at Kaoshiung on the southern end of Taiwan. After refueling we went back to Taipei to try again, ended up holding for another half hour beforing landing and rushing through the terminal with 10 minutes to spare before it was off again on another 747 for Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon to you and me.

So far, so good. We met up with Gerry Schooler, owner of Viet Tours, who worked with Willy to help arrange things. All in all, everything went as well as could be expected. The EVA airliner was nice, service was good.

Willy's friends, Hien and family, met us at the airport and whisked us off to his hotel for a great lunch of beef, pork dumpling soup with noodles and French fries. After all the food on the plane we figure we've all probably put on 5 lbs already.

It's now 6:55 p.m. local time on Saturday March 4 (6:55 a.m. EST). Our task tonight is to stay awake - what's another six hours after 30 plus wide awake - until say 11 local time. Hit the sheets and be up bright and early tomorrow for visits to the Presidential Palace, the War Museum and the Hoc Mon bridges.

Watch this space for a report on the Fellow Travelers Tour - Day Two tomorrow.

I told them I would put them on the internet Giggling in the kitchen