Feb 28th, 2010

Saigon, the starting point of this trip.  My original plan was to spend a few days in Saigon before going to Halong Bay continuing on to Laos, but as the trip developed, my time in Saigon decreased as I to allow enough time in other destinations that I had not been to before.

My flight to Saigon went well.  I didn't get the upgrade to business class from Los Angeles to Hong Kong but Economy Class was comfortable enough.  I did get the upgrade from Hong Kong to Saigon and it was the first time I got to sit in United's newly refinished business class with sleepers. After spending the first part of the flight playing with all of the gadgets, I slept the remaining part.

With just a few hours before departing to Hanoi, my travel partner Jet and I went for a walk to see the usual sites in Saigon - the Notre Dame Cathedral built by the French during the French Occupation.  The Post Office that sits next to it and the Reunification Palace that was the former capital building before the North Vietnamese rolled the tanks over the front gates.

The hotel breakfast was wonderful!

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