On Saturday, January 8, 2011, we began our journey to Vietnam around 4:30 AM. We finally arrived in Vietnam around 11:00 AM Sunday, January 9, 2011. We first boarded a plane at the Greenville / Spartanburg airport. This was a tiny plane we flew in to Atlanta. I was able to catch a little bit of sleep since I did not go to sleep the night before. In Atlanta, we grabbed our last American meal for a month. My choice was of course, Chick-fil-a and sweet tea. We then sat at our gate until it was time to board. We flew Korean Air from Atlanta to Seoul, Korea – what an experience!
I enjoyed flying Korean Air more so than Delta, United, etc. As I took my seat (47G), I noticed that there were several packages in my seat. First of all, there was a pillow (in a yellow pillow case) and a very large and comfy purple blanket. There was also a small cosmetic bag with slippers, toothpaste and a toothbrush. Each individual seat had a small television screen in front of it. Along with the television was a remote control. Each individual had control over their screen and could decide which movies to watch, games to play, etc. There were many options for each category. It was so neat! You could also view the map of where the plane was and where it was flying, along with camera views from outside of the plane. I enjoyed playing Tetris and watching a movie for part of the flight. For the majority of the flight I slept, so much in fact I missed the first in-flight meal! I was very glad to have stayed up all night because I was able to sleep so well on the plane without a sleep aide. Thankfully, I was awake for the second in flight meal. After about 14 hours of not eating, I was hungry! I had a chicken and rice combination that was very delicious, for airline food that is. I felt like the Korean Air employees were very hospitable and courteous.
We landed in Seoul, Korea where we had a brief layover. The airport we flew in to was one of the nicest airports I have ever been to. There were many high-end stores selling all sorts of items. I saw Gucci, Coach, Feragamo, Michael Kohrs, etc. I enjoyed trying Korean coke and a small order of French fries with some of the other girls on the trip.
While we were in the airport, we heard relaxing music. All of a sudden, we saw a parade of people walking by. A few individuals were in front, leading an older couple that was protected by an umbrella (fit for a king) and a younger couple who was also protected by an umbrella (fit for a king as well). We could never figure out why they were parading through the airport but found it very interesting. The locals also seemed to stop in their tracks to watch the ceremony.
I noticed throughout the airport were many men and women who were dressed very stylish. I also observed that couples seemed to wear matching outfits, or coordinating outfits in the airport. It was very strange to see a man and a woman wearing the same jeans, shoes, shirt and jacket. I am not sure why the trend of ‘dressing like one’s partner’ started.
After wandering around the Korean airport for a while, it was time to head to our gate for our flight to Vietnam. This short (about 5 hr) flight was also occupied by me sleeping.
When we arrived in Vietnam our guide greeted us cordially after receiving our luggage. We were driven to our hotel. Our guide told us many interesting facts along the way. For example, to own a car in Vietnam is a very big deal. Cars that cost us $20,000 USD will cost Vietnamese about $60,000 VND. I couldn’t believe the price of items like this in Vietnam.
I wish I could remember more from the trip over, but unfortunately, I was in somewhat of a sleepy state for the majority of the trip.
We settled into our hotel, which is very nice. It looks exactly like the pictures from online. I was so excited to have a nice clean room. On our side table, we found a gift from the tour company. It was addressed to both my roommate and me. Inside were beautiful silk scarves and a few guidebooks for the city of Hanoi and Vietnam as a whole. It was such a thoughtful touch and so neat to be welcomed with a present! After unpacking a few items, we (my roommate, Amy, and I) quickly fell asleep. We were so excited for what the next day had to offer.
Below is a picture of where we are in Vietnam!
Below is a picture of where we are in Vietnam!
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