auggie travels: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Part 1

Travelling to other country and exploring their culture has always been a dream of mine. I want to see how they live and what they eat. I want to explore. So nung nagsale si CebuPac last January, I bought a ticket for me and my daughter to visit my husband who is an OFW at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Regular fares to Ho Chi Minh City or commonly known as Saigon are napakamahal, around Php 8,000 - 15,000. For our fare, I think around Php5,000.00 each ang round trip ticket namin. Travel date is June, so months earlier kami nagbook.


This is me and my daughter's first international flight kaya excited kami pero nung nasa airport na kami kabado na. I have read many stories regarding passengers that are offloaded. Strict daw kasi ang immigration natin. Madami daw tinatanong and such. Hindi ko rin alam ano gagawin sa airport pagpasok namin, nakikisabay lang ako sa flow ng mga tao and syempre ask si manong guard. NAIA Terminal 3 kami, although 7PM pa ang flight, around 3:30PM nandon na kami kasi may news that time na mahaba ang pila sa immigration because of the strike. That time, it was Friday, ndi naman mahaba ang pila.




First, pumunta muna kami sa counter ng CebuPac for check-in pati yung dala namin na luggage. Then they asked for the receipt ng travel tax which we do not have yet kasi pumila kami agad. Mabait naman sila, they said bumalik after magbayad.


Travel tax costs Php 1,620.00 for adult and 50% off kapag child or below 12 years old I think. Basta may dala ka birth certificate. The travel tax pala kapag may OEC ka ng OFW will be reduced to only PHP 300.00!!!! Sayang!!!! Sabi ko next time na lang..pampalubag loob. They only asked sino bibisitahin don then ayun sinabi na magkano babayadan.


We then returned to the CebuPac counter with the receipt then binigyan na kami ng boarding pass. Akala ko oki na lahat dirediretso na kami kaya pinauwi ko na ang mga inlaws ko na naghatid samin. Ayun pala mayron pang question and answer portion! May finill-upan lang kami na maliit na form, ilagay don yung name, san pupunta, passport number and kelan balik then ibinigay namin yun sa officer na magask sa amin. Pag may bata kang kasama, medyo priviledged ka kasi may special lane kaya nauuna ka. Inask lang sakin kung hanggang kailan daw ako don, ano gagawin, san daw nagwowork husband ko. Maybe just checking kung totoo ba ang intentions ko ng pagpunta sa Vietnam. After non may stamp na ang passport namin!


Waiting na lang kami sa boarding time kaya ikotikot muna kami sa mga stores malapit sa boarding gate. I'm so happy na nakayanan namin sya ng daughter ko kahit kami lang.


Almost 10PM na kami nakarating ng Vietnam, Manila is ahead of 1 hr. Early arrival kami pero ang haba ng pila sa immigration nila. Mostly koreans and Chinese nakasabay namin, sobrang dami! Wala ngayong special lane kaya inip si bagets, nagtatantrums na. Dahil nga sa haba ng pila,antagal namin bago nakatapos, then pagbaba namin ng airport hinanap na namin yung luggage namin.


Medyo nagpanic ako at mangiyak ngiyak ng naubos na lahat ng sa CebuPac baggage eh wala pa din yung samin. Buti na lang sa konting pagtatanong at sign language nahanap ko din sya.



Next post will be our first day in Vietnam.