Vietnam 2006 - Finally in Saigon

New Years Day 2007 Grace took her first ride on an airplane. We were scheduled to leave at 6pm but our flight was delayed for a while. Grace slept through the entire flight and awoke on the drive from the airport to the hotel. Saigon's celebration of Christmas was all glitz and glamour. Lights everywhere. She was amazed.

The hotel was fantastic. It was located in the middle of lots of shopping and we could get out and walk around. It was great after being stuck inside while in Danang. We loved putting Grace in the stroller and getting out. One thing that was noticeably different about Vietnam was the lack of accommodations for handicap people. You take it for granted here in the US, there is always an elevator. At the Royal Duxton you enter the hotel via beautiful staircases in the front. There was always someone who would carry Grace up the stairs in her stroller. The Vietnamese are just really nice people.

The shopping was my favorite thing about Saigon. I did most of my shopping there and came home with some great things. I got Grace gifts for each year. When you are wandering the streets there are a couple of things you must master. Motor bike drivers anticipate your moves when you are crossing the street so DO NOT hesitate. If you do you will be mowed down by a motor bike. Step out with confidence. The other thing was that Terri and I had to work together as a team to maneuver the stroller along Saigon's awful sidewalks.

The business part of our stay in Saigon went well. We had our first interview and the lady was very, very nice despite things I had heard about her from others. The babies had their passport photos taken and Grace was such a big girl. At the hospital. We sat and waited on this waiting room that was actually an open air porch. Grace did so well through it all. When we saw the dr. I really was shocked that she only weighed 18 lbs. She has always felt much heavier than she really is. I asked the dr. about her ears, she had been pulling on them. He looked into her ears with his little flashlight (real sophisticated medical equipment) and said that it was "itchy ear wax." Grace has a habit of pulling on her ear when she is sleepy. My mother always says I hope it's not another ear infection. Terri and I both tell her "no it's just itchy ear wax."

There was a coffee shop just down from the hotel. It was a favorite stop during our excursions. One day we were having coffee and there was a table of 3 or 4 Vietnamese businessmen next to us. One of them came over and asked me if he could hold Grace. He said she was a beautiful girl. He took her, kissed her on the cheek, told her she was a pretty girl and handed her back to me. I was very shocked, but Vietnamese people tend to always love children.

There is another thing that happened in Saigon that just makes me laugh every time I think about it. It is probably one of those things that you had to be there for, but it was hilarious. Kelly, Terri and I were in the lobby with the babies and were about to take the elevator up. Kelly was wearing Lucy in a sling and was walking in front of us. We were casually walking and talking and as we approached the empty elevator the doors began to close. Without missing a beat in the conversation, Kelly kicks her leg out in front of her to trigger the sensor and open the elevator door. What a woman - she can take care of her baby, engage in conversation and open an elevator door all at the same time! That me laugh every time I think of it.

I had some good experiences with food in Saigon. In retrospect I wish I had been more adventurous, but I was so thankful for the familiar food we found there. The breakfast buffet had waffles and crisp bacon. I had a fantastic filet mignon with baked potato and salad at Amigo's. I had real Texas beef in Vietnam at a place that sounds like a Mexican restaurant. This is probably kind of gross, but I changed Grace's poop diaper at the table in Amigo's. It was late afternoon and we were in a room all to ourselves. This is where the stroller came in handy. I just laid her back, changed it quickly and bagged it. I don't remember seeing many diaper changing stations, so your work with what you got. Probably too much information but this about helping me remember the little details.

Amigo's was next to the hotel and across the street was a great Italian restaurant that we really enjoyed. One bad food type experience was the tiny, tiny coffee cups at the hotel. I am a coffee person and when I would go down for breakfast I would get a couple of good gulps from those cups. So when we went for our interview I bought a coffee mug from the USA and I would take it down to breakfast with me. The staff was very gracious about my giant cup. One thing I never understood about Vietnam my inability to get a cup of coffee to go. That is probably because the American way of life is all about being on the run. Others seem to enjoy life more than we do.

Like I said, shopping was what I did in Saigon. We wandered the streets everyday just looking around. I bought so many great things and bought two pieces of luggage for my goodies. I bought silks, rosewood carvings, beautiful embroidered pieces, and lots of other stuff. Grace was so good. In the beginning she got a little overstimulated. All the sights and sounds made her really fight going to bed at night, she wanted to see more! After I began partially draping a blanket over her stroller when we went out, she settled down. It also helped us avoid being stopped constantly by people wanting to look at her. It is very sweet how she was loved on, but sometimes it made it hard to get anywhere.

Saigon was such an awesome city that I was sad to leave. But the flight to Hanoi would bring us one step closer to home.