China owes me a bottle of Scotch

I was looking forward to the change. I was relieved to be leaving China for something a little different. The Vietnam portion of my trip is the part that I had been looking forward to the most.

I flew out of Sanya, China on a different airline than on the way in so there rules for excess baggage were different. I had to pay over $150 for thirteen extra kilograms. I did not have enough cash and they would not take Visa so I had to be escorted to another terminal to get cash in a rush from an ATM.

I had about fifty dollars of Chinese money left so I bought a fifteen year-old bottle of Glen Morangie at the duty free. When I arrived in Hong Kong for my connecting flight the security people took it away from me! It was not in a sealed bag. I was getting pretty upset with the security people but I had no time to argue as my plane was boarding. I was rushed to my own private bus in order to get on the plane.

I arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam around eleven at night to find that my business visa had expired. I was told that I might have to fly back to Hong Kong. I was able to get the manager of the Hanoi Opera Hilton on the phone to confirm who I was. He told me that he had tried his best but unfortunately I would have to sleep in the airport! A moment later a travel agent of some kind arrived. I paid him $130 and got my entry visa. I remember being very relieved hearing the sound of my passport being stamped.

I forgot. The airline lost both of my bags. I had to wait an extra day in Hanoi for them but the people that I am working with at the Hilton are great so they let me stay another night on the house.

I didn’t leave on a high note. China owes me a bottle of Scotch.