Hanoi Hilton
I’d like to write a special post today to thank my mom Teri “teddie” Ha. Thanks to her lovely American Express reward points, and patience to wait for hours on the phone with the Amex people to make the reservations, Will and I have gotten to spend a couple nights at the Hilton in Bangkok (which was QUITE nice, and QUITE fancy) and also more recently- the Hanoi Hilton. Thanks Mom.
Now after staying at the Bangkok Hilton I emailed my mom from Luang Prabang 4 days in advance to see if she had enough points for us to stay at the Hanoi Hilton and to give her enough time to call and make the reservations. Usually, she responds to me with lightening speed as she ordered me before I left “hey con, you better email me once a day. Ya I said ONCE A DAY, just so I know you’re alive“. I checked my email the next day and there was no response. So I sent her another daily email and also inquired about the Hanoi Hilton. I checked my email the next day and still no response. Finally on the third day (the day before we were supposed to arrive in Hanoi) I happened to catch my mom on google chat and our conversation went a little something like this:
Good morning Vietnam- in San Francisco.
Our Southeast Asian experience has “officially” begun with my trip to the Vietnamese consulate in San Francisco, or rather, my very first phone call.
Unlike most other consulates, the Vietnamese consulate does not publish their visa fees. You have to call in for the “current fees”. My telephone conversation went a little something like this:
Me: “Hi, how much is your current visa fee?”
VNC: “60 dollas“
Me: “Will it be good for two months?”
VNC: “Two months. 90 dollas… wait- are you Vietnamese? Can you speak?” Read the rest of this entry »
