One Month to Go!

The countdown is on - only one more month until we board that plane at YYZ and embark on the 27-hour journey to Vietnam. We are flying with Cathay Pacific, which is a great airline that specializes in Asia travel. We will be flying over to Hong Kong because my mother didn't want to risk flying over Japan. (My parents have both been so paranoid about radiation - their remedy for prevention? Eat more salt!)

I'm nervous but I'm excited. My mother, on the other hand, is a bundle of nerves. She has gone on vacation before - with my sister Michelle - but she's never had to worry about any of the details or even packing for herself! Michelle works with tight timelines and to-do lists and is always ready for rain, sleet or earthquake. I, however, am all about packing light. I spent two weeks in Italy with only a backpack and no cash or credit card (not intentionally but we made it work somehow) and two weeks in India with about five outfits in total. I'm hoping that we have laundry service somewhere and since every piece of clothing from Forever21 is "Made in Vietnam," I'll be able to find new items at a discounted price. Needless to say, I don't think my non-chalant attitude isn't helping my mother with her nerves!

Today, I spent about 15 minutes looking up apartment rentals in Vietnam for the last week that we are in HCMC. I found this wonderful rental but unfortunately, it's not available for the week that we are there. The travel agent told us that we could easily find a hotel rental in Vietnam for about $30/night but I really don't want to risk it. We only need it for 7 nights, which is not much if the rate for a 5* hotel is $80/night.

I'm trying to read up on Vietnam and actually found the National Geographic's Traveler's Guide to Vietnam. It's such a wonderful series and I have been learning about the history and geographical areas of the country. I'm still in awe of all the things I never knew or even sought to find out. Really, I am seeing Vietnam for the very first time again and there's so much to see. I'm glad that we're going to see all the trendy parts of Vietnam but a part of me really wants to adventure off the beaten track because that's when you really get to know the culture and the people.

Ahh!!! One month to go...

Our Itinerary

We have a total of 20 days from start to finish so we're making the best of our trip. My mother is a very excited traveler but not always the most practical, which is why we're flying into Ho Chi Minh City instead of Hanoi. This is what we've tentatively planned and booked so far with our agent and we've been told that the tour leaves everyday so there is a bit of flexibility. I've already been told not to expect the best accommodation since our entire 9 day tour is only costing us about $600 (including food/accommodation/guide). You can find similar tours through GeckosAdventures or GapAdventures but my mother insisted that we go to the Vietnamese travel agent for a better deal. I'll let you know how that turns out....

• Toronto to Ho Chi Minh City - travel time will be 27 hours!!! (10 hour stopover in Hong Kong)
• Spending a day in HCMC to rest and get used to the time difference
• Start the tour in HCMC
• HCMC > Hoi An
• Hoi An > Da Nang
• Da Nang > Hue
• Hue > Hanoi
• Hanoi > Ha Long Bay
• Ha Long Bay > Hanoi
• Hanoi > Sapa > Hanoi
• Hanoi > HCMC
• 8 Days in HCMC / Thu Duc

Wish me luck!

Welcome to my blog!

Last year, as I traveled to India for two weeks, many of you followed me throughout that journey. This year, I want you to come with me to Vietnam, the country of my birth.

My mother and I have talked about going to Vietnam for years, but only as a distant dream. We could never find the time and money between raising kids, school, work, and family circumstances. But this year, we found ourselves at a crossroads in life - she has been bitten by the travel bug and I am being hounded by my biological clock (more on both reasons later). Nevertheless, now is the time.

We booked our flight this weekend. We're flying in and out of Ho Chi Minh City (which I will sometimes refer to as Saigon), taking a 10 day tour from South to North and then spending the remaining 8 days or so in HCMC to visit family. It's going to be a culture shock for the both of us and I think the only thing we have going for us is that we can speak the language. My mother left in 1983 when she was 26 years old, pregnant with my little sister, and I was barely two.

This blog will be a tribute to her and to the beautiful country she left to give us a better future. To the country that I've been so curious about my entire life - the culture, the food, the people, the family, and whether or not I'll fit in. Can't wait for you to join me in a month's time when we embark on the journey halfway across the world again...