wanderlust

Today I travelled from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in southern Vietnam.

My 36 minute Vietnam Airlines flight was very empty - I was one of 25 passengers aboard an Airbus A320. I love state-sponsored businesses; who needs to make money when you have national pride to account for? Vietnam Airlines runs something like 7 flights daily to Siem Reap from Ho Chi Minh City alone, compared to one from Singapore.

Anyway, it was almost the trip that was not to be. I really fell for Cambodia; I was close to changing my travel plans to spend an extra 5 days seeing more of the country. In the end, my ticket was not refundable so I changed it to the last flight of the day, arriving at 7:30pm. This is an important point, I am foreshadowing here.

Now is a good time to tell you that if you choose to travel to Vietnam, make sure your visa is in good order. I thought I was all prepared; I exited the plane, stepped down the stairs (parked away from the terminal), entered the bus - the first to deplane! The bus driver shut the door and drove off leaving...the other 24 passengers stranded. Hmm. Turns out he thought I was a business class passenger. Heh.

So I march into immigration with my documents and hand them over. 5 minutes later, my immigration officer calls over a second, then third, then fourth person to confer. This fourth officer looks at me and smiles and says:

"Your visa no good; you make for arrival in May 22. Today April 22. Cannot enter."

I was...calm, sort of; sorting through options in my head, looking for a way out. I politely suggest that maybe the consulate in San Francisco made a mistake. They shake their head, "no, no mistake. Visa no good for one more month."

I was shuffled off to the senior officer's humble interrogation room. He enters; asks the purpose of my visit and why I am arriving exactly one month before my visa is valid. He leaves the room for 20 minutes. Gulp. I am envisioning a long and possibly unsavory evening ahead as it is now 8:30 and options for escaping to one of a few countries for which I do not need a visa is dwindling.

Officer reenters; laughs. Says, "your visa no good until May. Because you nice, we issue you a new one now; you wait until my senior come back from dinner and he do it for you."

I could see his senior through the door - he was eating dinner at his desk, reading a newspaper. I know because another 20 minutes goes by and that fellow gets up, slowing meanders his way around and into my little room.

He also laughs; says, "what a mistake, to come one month early. Never see that before. Where you from?"

"San Francisco, US."

"AH, my brother live there, he owns a restaurant in San Francisco. You like Vietnamese food?"

"Yes, very much."

"AHHH, good, you have to visit his restaurant [mumbles some name] when you go home. You promise me you visit?"

"YES. LOOKING FORWARD ALREADY SIR."

"This your first trip in Vietnam?"

"Yes sir."

"OK. I get you a new visa because you nice. Without visa then normal thing is to send you away but I make exception."

Phew. I give him $25, he goes away, and comes back with a new visa in my passport. I bow repeatedly, thank him, and go back through immigration. Then I retrieve my luggage and, as I am now the only person in the airport it seems, a surly customs officer decides to take issue and do an inspection. Sigh.

About 20 "what are these for" and 10 "where did you buy this" later he loses interest and just walks away. I assumed he was done and so packed up my things and bolted before another obstacle stood in my way. Am now safely tucked into my hotel and looking forward to visiting mr. senior officer's brother's restaurant mmf duc mmf, or whatever the name is, when I arrive home.

So like I said, coming to Vietnam? Make sure your visa is in order.