flygirl

Thanks annhig!

My sick woes are headache/sinuses/breathing. I have not had a single instance of tummy issues at all. But some pretty damn miserable headaches, so much that I thought I would puke (but didn't). It is possible I was dehydrated that time.

All good though. I visited the Fine Arts museum and the War Remnants museum which was utterly haunting. I went to dinner and for the THIRD TIME ran into people I had met previously during the trip (not the same people - just three different occurrences). How random is that? I had a glass of wine with them and we shared some stories.

I should mention - now having walked around quite a bit in Saigon it's much easier to walk around in flip flops here. The sidewalks are usable and broad with only the occasional scooter puttering down the middle of it to avoid the traffic in the street. The other places - as mentioned you would want either close toed shoes or at least a sandal which had something securing your heel inside of it because you'll be jumping and maneuvering regularly. I would have left my flip flops behind 20 times by now if I had worn them elsewhere. lol

It's rather hot but not super humid - and the evenings are just delightful. heat goes down to 80 and no sun....

Anyway, my last day beckons. I have A LOT to fill in the blanks, here, and will do so during this week after I get home...

flygirl

And now I’m at the airport and very sad to be leaving so soon. Having my last Ca Phe Sua Da. And a pizza lol.

I went to Secret Garden for a late lunch today and last night went to Cuc Gach Quan. OMG! Hard to pick the best meal of the trip but last night was pretty darn close - maybe the best. I’m going to dream about the banana flower soup for a long time. And I’m a new fan of mustard leaves. The food was fabulous this whole time.

For what it’s worth, to me, it was worth paying $$ for the hotel driver versus a taxi. The hotel driver drops you off, but, the hotel has staff at the airport waiting for the drivers and they collect you and take you all the way through to security. Do I NEED to be babysat? No, I’ve been on 75+ international trips, mostly solo. But it was a reaaallly nice touch. Especially since I bought a lot of souvenirs and my checked bags were heavy. Pamper pamper.

more later...

Guenmai

"Reverie Saigon".

Funny you mention that hotel, Flygirl, as last year and the year before when I was making a list of possible hotels for Saigon, for whenever I may get there, I was also looking at that one, but thought that the interior design might be a bit too busy for me. How are both the service and location though? I'll probably end up in the Park Hyatt although I much prefer hotels not as large as the Park Hyatt in Saigon. I stayed my last 2 nights at the Park Hyatt in Bangkok, but it didn't feel overwhelmingly big.

Now, to finish trying to catch up on reading your trip report. I'm WAY behind as over the last 9 days, after leaving my 3 weeks in Bangkok, I've been in and out of 3 countries and just arrived back into Singapore, this morning, from 4 nights in Jakarta. I'm pretty beat, but will have around a week and a half back here in Singapore before flying home. I've been gone from home since December.

I really hope that you are feeling better as I have read that far into your trip report. Feeling under the weather is a bummer. Now, to continue reading your trip report before I can't stay awake any longer. It's already 11:40PM here in Singapore and I really should try to go to sleep, as I was up at 4:15AM in Jakarta, in order to get to the airport before the traffic.

Keep having a great time!

Happy Travels!

ludliz

Thank you, flygirl. This is so helpful. The weather sounds perfect, though I’m sorry you’ve been sick!! And yes, I have liked your photos on insta- handle is lizmicci.

Guenmai

That's great to know about the hotel's driver in Saigon and that service. I'll definitely keep that in mind. I also had my hotel, in Jakarta, both send a car for me on arrival into Jakarta and also have one for me back to the airport this morning and it was worth it.

Upon arrival into Jakarta there was an airport representative in the baggage claim area with a sign with my name on it and he handled the luggage and got me past the second check point and then to the hotel's car. Priceless. I only had one of my two suitcases with me, as I had left the other one here at my hotel in Singapore, since I knew that I would be coming back here. When I arrived this morning, the left suitcase had already been taken to my room before I even checked in.

There are times when it's just worth dishing out the money for things to run smoothly and easily as I'm also one who travels solo and that one suitcase was around 25 kilos as I needed to add some fabric to it that I had bought in Jakarta.

Happy Travels!

flygirl

Saigon by night >>> Saigon by day.

I regret not having read much at all about Saigon before arriving. At least with the other destinations I had some ideas in my head and wasn't starting with a blank slate. I didn't even make the hotel rez ahead of time, less than one week before arrival... and had to sit down and read about what to see or do after I arrived. Which meant missed the below.. which was near where I stayed...

The Cafe Apartment on Saigon's Walking Street - Vietnam Coracle - Independent Travel Guides to Vietnam

I really want to stress that Saigon by night and day is a whole other animal. Even in my very very limited time there (made even more limited by GRRRR that airline screwing up my first whole evening there...) I was able to tell that it's so much better to be out and about in the evenings (starting at sunset - 6 PM) than the day time.

I am home and already missing Vietnam.

Guenmai

Glad you had a great time and made it home safely.

Happy Travels!

crellston

Good to hear that despite not feeling great, you enjoyed your trip fly girl. Have enjoyed following along and am looking forward to you filling in the gaps as and when.

I know exactly what you mean about missing Vietnam. Every time we leave, I start to get withdrawal symptoms, if only for Pho and Bun Mam, Banh Xeo......

flygirl

Hi crellston!

I loved it. I should mention that I was out and about all day every day, being rundown didn't slow me down until the evenings and usually after dinner - dinner and home. That was a shame - I probably should have made more of an effort to drag myself out in Hanoi at least. I also am sad that I missed the first evening in Saigon because as mentioned - I could tell Saigon is really a night city.

I very much liked L'Opera but I may seek out something right in the Old Quarter next time. We will see!

I also should have sought out a photography tour - have a local take me around to the sites to photograph. I almost did that in Hoi An with my one last remaining morning but then I found the food tour which was FABULOUS.

One little tip for anyone reading: I had issues with at least one ATM where it only wanted to take from my savings account although it didn't tell me that. I have several accounts and did not have $ in that one and it kept rejecting me. I finally called my bank and they told me it was pinging that savings account. They reversed the charges for the attempts and I put some money into that savings account and was fine from then on when it happened. It would't hurt to put some money in your savings account even if you never use it, so that won't happen to you.

Jim_Tardio

Your being ill reminded me (not in a good way) of my October 2018 trip to China. I started with the same symptoms as you, and by the time I got home and visited urgent care I had pneumonia. Unfortunately, it left me with a bad vibe about visiting Asia again...so many folks in China with those masks on. I do, however, want to visit Vietnam and Japan. Anyway, 3 months later, the effects of pneumonia have finally gone away. The lesson learned here...I will never again travel without antibiotics. A timely "Z-pack" would have knocked this out in 3 days. In fact, I'm visiting Mexico in a few weeks and will be stocking up! Sounds like you had a fine trip regardless.

flygirl

Hi Jim!

I'm sorry that I keep bringing back bad memories of people being sick! Wow you really had it for a long time, too.

Japan was lovely - very very clean and I don't recall pollution - not like Vietnam, anyway.

I have to say I really think it must have been pollution making me feel bad because I sure got over it all very quickly. Most of how I felt was run-down and headaches and sinus-y - nothing in the tummy.

Hoi An was much less polluted and by the time I got there I felt much better. Next time I may try wearing a mask during the day time...

I follow a travel writer who just moved to Vietnam for a few years. He used to live there and in fact his first wife was Vietnamese and he has a daughter. Anyway on his Instagram account he posted photos of Saigon with BLUE SKIES. He explained that during Tet people visit family and stay put and there are much fewer cars and scooters and so the pollution plummets during that time. May be a good reason to go during Tet!!

Jim_Tardio

Yeah, it was a bummer. Real pneumonia, (not bronchitis) can last up to 6 months I'm told. I felt fine after a week on antibiotics but still had a bit of a cough for 3 months.

It could have been the pollution for you. I know that when I was in Beijing it was really bad...so bad the sun looked like a flashlight shining through a blanket. I'm sure that didn't help my case. I tried to get medicine in China but all they wanted to give me was cough drops and herbal tea. And they kept telling me my yin/yang balance was off and my body had too much heat and not enough cool. Whatever. There's a lot to be said for modern, western medicine!

I think I'll go to Japan next. Everyone says it's much less polluted than China, and I love ramen bars!

annhig

flygirl - glad you are home safe and sound. It does sound as if the pollution may have affected you or at least have contributed to your problems.

I very much enjoyed your TR and it's given me some ideas so thank you.

where next I wonder?

Jim - thank you too for your thoughts about heavily polluted places like Beijing. I'm actually wondering if it's worth going to those sorts of places unless one has a really strong desire to see them. Glad you are better and thanks for the tip about antibiotics. However they are not that easy to obtain in the UK without a prescription. Food for thought.

Jim_Tardio

Annhig...don't let the pollution stop you from going to China. While Beijing was bad, Shanghai and Hong Kong and Xian were fine. And the people were extremely friendly there. What's funny is I normally travel with some form of antibiotic but I just overlooked it for this trip...and, of course, I could have used it. Antibiotics are not really easy to get here either. They don't like to over prescribe them for fear of building up an immunity to them. And I certainly don't take them for a common cold or the flu.

I live in the Los Angeles area and it's a 2-3 hour drive down to the border where you can walk into Mexico. Because our drug prices are so high here it's pretty common for people to cross the border, especially for insulin.

love_travel_Aus

Annhig - have been wondering what you might b e pondering and I come across this post!

Not meaning to hijack - but we have had a number of China trips a few years ago when our youngest went there: GAP trip for him, then university for a year, then some years later working after he finished hotel school. These were all in Xi'an and it was pretty polluted most for the time. A memorable day was when the raindrops left brown dirt on my arms.
Still it is an amazing place (and we travelled widely including some lovely smaller locations in the countryside) but knowing where you live the air might be a challenge.
We (and our son)always travelled with an antibiotic supply, and although this has to be obtained from a GP here in Aust. we never had any trouble getting a supply.
He also had a source from a western pharmacy where he lived - don't even want to think about the associated risks with that!

Flygirl this is a terrific report and I envy your energy.

If Asia tempts you annhig maybe Japan : we visit regularly now we have a Japanese daughter in law.

annhig

thanks, love_travel_Aus,

As many people will know I am still obsessing with going to India but somehow that perfect trip I yen for eludes me, so in the meantime I keep thinking of other options and Japan is definitely one of them.

Jim - I went to HK for a few nights en route to Oz a few years ago and loved it - no pollution to speak of when we were there, which was November. But one can hardly go to China without going to Beijing. Food for thought.

love_travel_Aus

Ah yes the India trip.

I visited for a few months in 2000 with Oxfam Australia as part of a leadership program.
This was an amazing and challenging visit, with time spent in a range of regions learning about community development as well as some touring after the program finished.
Whilst I recommend this I am not sure that they continue to run these programs either here or in the UK.

All the best with the planning and again thanks for the great report flyer girl.