Ho Chi Minh City ... and the Journey to Get There
Tuesday, January 13 to Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Welcome to our blog. Possibly more than you needed to know about our adventures but I love to write this memoir to help recall the stories, the experiences, the catastrophes and the highlights.
So, we left home on Tuesday, January 13 and made our way to Toronto to stay overnight at the Airport Hilton Hotel to be close at hand for an early flight the next morning.
I will add a short passage here which will fit well with events that follow. When we arrived at the hotel, the wind was howling. I stayed under the portico with our luggage while Jim went into the hotel to get a luggage cart. A huge gust of wind caught one of our bags and off it sailed down the sloped driveway. It stayed upright all the way to the bottom where its wheels got caught in a drain cover and fell over. Picture the suitcase making its escape and me calling out, “No, no, no” as I chased it down the slope. I picked suitcase up and began the trek back up the slope when our two carry-on bags were also loosed by the wind and chose paths of their own. Fortunately, there were two other travellers nearby, each of whom returned one of the carry-ons back to the starting point just as Jim emerged from the hotel with the cart, oblivious to all that had gone on in his absence. Of course, his suitcase had remained in place all through the excitement.
We left our luggage in our room and went for a delightful dinner with our friends, David and Elizabeth Morley, laughing at the auspicious beginning of our journey. We fell into bed early so we would be well-rested for the flights tomorrow.
The Customer Service Agents were very helpful. They were able to reroute us and reduce the number of flights. Our new itinerary was Toronto to Frankfurt followed by Frankfurt direct to Ho Chi Minh City. No problem … we would travel east rather than west but the first flight to Frankfurt did not leave until 4:15 in the afternoon. And so we waited … and waited.
We also had to retrace our steps through customs and immigration. We had already left Canada and entered the USA in the morning. But as we were no longer flying through the USA we had to make our way back into Canada. And go through security again. It is interesting that the security requirements for each country are slightly different even though both security systems are in the same airport.
Due to the inconvenience of the situation, we were invited to spend our time in the Air Canada Signature Lounge, reserved for passengers travelling first class. What an experience … comfortable surroundings, no crowds, delicious food made to order and beautifully plated (chefs on site), unique beverages delivered to our table. Luxury abounded.
Finally, just before 4 pm, we were escorted to our new departure gate. Fingers crossed that this time the plane would leave as scheduled.
The flight to Frankfurt was very pleasant, all 8 hours in the air. We were travelling business class so we each had a ‘pod’ with a screen and access to movies, games and other video options. We also had pillows, blankets and a reclining seat which enhanced the possibility of sleep. It was very comfortable.
Thursday, January 15, 2026 We arrived in Frankfurt at about 7 am (German time) and had a long wait for our last flight to Ho Chi Minh City which was scheduled at about noon. Another long flight but we will finally reach our destination. In the meantime, we were in a small airport lounge operated by Japan Airlines. The staff were very friendly and helpful with plenty of food and beverages of all sorts available at no cost. We were enjoying some coffee to start with which may help us stay awake until we board the next plane.
We were flying on Vietnam Airways on this final leg of our journey. It was a very long flight (about 14 hours). But we were in very comfortable business class seats and well served by the crew on board. Lots of offers for beverages (we chose water every time) and the food was plentiful and delicious, quite Asian in appearance and flavour. After a few movies, some sleep, some video games and some sustained time watching the live flight map showing us where we were and what cities and countries we were flying over, it was finally time to land. A smooth finale after a very long journey. Ho Chi Minh City …. We have arrived!!
Friday, January 16, 2026 I used the wheelchair service at the airport and the kind gentleman who was pushing me also offered to help collect our bags. We had been on a very very large plane so it took some substantial time for all the bags to arrive on the carousel. We waited patiently while others found their luggage and made their way out of the terminal. As the final bags travelled along the belt, it became clear to us that our luggage had not arrived. Our two large suitcases and the bag that carries my walker were simply not there.
Happily, the fellow assisting us knew what to do and how to handle the situation. We were taken to the ‘lost luggage’ counter and made a claim about our bags. We were tired and frustrated as we finally left the airport empty-handed with promises that ‘they’ would look into the situation and get back to us. We were taken to the taxi area and made a connection with the driver who would take us to our hotel.
As time went on, we got settled into a very pleasant room in a busy, busy area of Ho Chi Minh City. We had a bit of breakfast at the hotel along with some coffee and then went to our room, all the while wondering how our bags had missed the plane.
Being tired, our processing of information was slow but finally we realized that when the flight to Chicago was cancelled all of those passengers had to have their flights changed, just as we did. And all of that baggage would have to be retagged and reloaded. We are very hopeful that our bags remained in Toronto and will be sent on a plane to Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow. Thankfully we have a few essential items that we packed in our hand luggage. Fingers crossed.
Our hotel is quiet and comfortable and serves a lovely breakfast which we enjoyed after we arrived this morning. Nap time was certainly going to a feature of the day. Between long flights and time zone changes, we are quite exhausted.
We had a quiet and pleasant day in our hotel. Sleep was a critical element of the day as well as planning how we would spend our time in the city over the next few days. We also had the opportunity to watch the live-streamed funeral of a close friend in Australia. Robert passed away last week. He and Geraldine were the first visitors to our home in Waterloo after we returned from Australia. We have maintained regular contact with them for over 20 years, often playing bridge online or participating in a group chat with others on a monthly basis. We were happy that the timing worked perfectly for us to actually attend Robert’s funeral.
It was early evening before we emerged from our room. It was dark and pleasantly warm as we walked down a crowded street toward the restaurant we had chosen for dinner. Hoang’s Kitchen, about a 15 minute walk from our hotel came highly recommended. The food was delicious, the service notably good and the cleanliness, impeccable. We enjoyed perusing the extensive menu and ultimately selected Bun Cha Wraps, a combination of rice vermicelli noodles and charcoal grilled pork, served with dipping sauce, herbs (lettuce, mint, cilantro) and veggies. Wraps accompany the ingredients and the diner constructs his/her own combination of flavours and textures along with the sauce. It was fun, a bit messy, and delicious. To finish off the meal, we enjoyed a coconut coffee … also delicious. Made with coffee, coconut milk, coconut ice cream and toasted coconut on top. Also worthy a repeating!!
A short stroll down two lively streets took us back to our hotel. It had been a very long day. Sleep is happily anticipated with a fresh start in the morning.
Tomorrow we will explore this city. It is just as crowded as it was last time we were here (2010). Tuktuks and bicycles have been replaced with motor bikes and taxis. Still no apparent rules for driving and we still cannot figure out how to walk across the streets safely.
 We'll keep you posted about our luggage.
Good night!
Saturday, January 17, 2026
We are still dealing with some jetlag and our luggage has not yet arrived. Apparently, our bags did go to Chicago, even though we did not. Our two main suitcases have been located and we are told they have arrived in Ho Chi Minh City today via Singapore Airlines. We are awaiting their delivery to our hotel.
The large bag containing my walker is still in the wind. Hopefully with some additional information that Jim sent to the search party, it will be recovered soon and also sent to Ho Chi Minh City. Thankfully, our original plan to remain here for a few days to overcome travel fatigue is working. We will not move on until all the luggage has arrived.
Today, we visited the famous Ben Thanh Market, one of the largest and most crowded markets we have ever seen. All sorts of merchandise and food items are displayed in small stalls along a myriad of narrow passages. T-shirts, children’s clothing, handbags and backpacks, fish, meat, cheese, vegetables, shoes, nuts, candy counters, fresh fruits – some whole and some nicely carved, beverages of all sorts, and so it goes on. Products were intermingled throughout the market with no apparent plan. It was fascinating meandering the aisles and also enjoying the invitational nature of the vendors. “Would you like some sunglasses?” etc. from every stall.
  When we left the market, we felt the need for a refreshing beverage. A nearby café seemed to call our name and we stopped in for a lovely coffee. It was fascinating to see the alternate service that was available inside the café. Nails, makeup application and hair styling was available at one table from two different practitioners. Along with your coffee, you can get a beauty treatment at the same time.
We headed back to our hotel for an afternoon rest (we have only been here for two days and jetlag is still a factor.) and then made plans to go out for dinner, returning to the same place we ate last night. The reviews are excellent, the food was delicious, the service was friendly and the place was packed at every table.
In the evening, we strolled through the neighbourhood where our hotel is located. The streets were busy all the time, day and night. Traffic is a combination of cars and motorbikes, replacing previous bicycles and tuktuks. Intersections are controlled with traffic lights but as soon as the lights change, look out!! The motorbikes weave in and out of several unorthodox narrow lanes, moving with great speed. Taxis and other vehicles travel in more traditional lanes but the motorbikes weave in and out at a much higher speed than the cars.
The community where our hotel is located is primarily populated by small businesses, hotels and restaurants. The streets are busy with vehicles and the sidewalks are filled with pedestrians. It is an active area, to say the least. Variety stores, nail salons, and restaurants of various sizes are perpetually open, drawing upon the pedestrian traffic to sample their merchandise. The sidewalks are cluttered with moveable carts offering all sorts of beverages and food. We have been advised not to indulge in those due to the potential of unsanitary conditions. It is fun to look though.   We headed back to our hotel for an afternoon rest (we have only been here for two days and jetlag is still a factor.) and then made plans to go out for dinner, returning to the same place we ate last night. The reviews are excellent, the food was delicious, the service was friendly and the place was packed at every table.
Tonight, we had mango salad, pho (Jim had beef, I had chicken) and a mango smoothie with coconut ice cream for dessert. Having enjoyed it again tonight, we plan to go back again tomorrow.
(Sadly, no luggage yet!)
Sunday, January 18, 2026
It is a red letter day!!! Let me start with our very good news even though it happened in late afternoon. We had three bags in checked luggage on our way to Vietnam. For a variety of reasons that began with bad weather and ended up as a trip around the world, none of our three bags arrived in Ho Chi Minh City when we did. But, less than 5 minutes ago, all three bags were delivered to our hotel from HCMC airport. They were shipped on different airlines with different itineraries and made stops in places we did not ever intend to go. By today, we were quite worried that we might never see them. But, whew!! Here they are. No more airplanes now until we head home. We will keep these bags in our sight!!!
The rest of today, which was lovely, seems a bit diminished now but I will briefly describe what we did. As we often do in cities that are not familiar to us, we rode the Hop On Hop Off busses to see the highlights around the city as well as getting a feel for how the city functions. There are two main routes through Ho Chi Minh City (henceforth HCMC) and we travelled on both of them. We were still wearing our cold weather travelling clothes and today the temperature rose to 30C. It was quite uncomfortable. But we rode on the upper deck nonetheless to have the best unimpeded views of the city.
From the start, we were not surprised at how big and how busy HCMC is. The roadways were packed with vehicles … busses, cars and thousands of motorbikes. How the traffic maneuvred through the streets was a sight to behold. We did not witness a single mishap. Quite a miracle, actually.
Clearly, there were several special events going on in various places. Young women dressed in fancy attire, often carrying flowers, were posing for photographs in front of churches, in parks, and in front of significant buildings. Additionally, we passed by a university where graduating students were lined up to enter, attired in graduation gowns. And there were family gatherings, perhaps weddings, in front of churches.
  Because it was Sunday, several shops were closed but the number of pedestrians on the street was impossible to count. The sidewalks on very street we travelled were packed with foot traffic.
The busses we travelled on took us through major parts of the city. We had a good look at several markets, some significant pagodas, lots of beautifully maintained parkland with monuments, statues, exercise equipment, flowers galore. Of course, we passed by several significant museums: The War Remnants Museum and The History Museum most notably. A cathedral, a palace, a temple, the opera house and several pagodas were also on our route. What a diverse city HCMC has become.    We stopped for a coffee across from our hotel before coming back to our room. Jim had an egg coffee (yes, soft boiled egg yolk blended with black coffee) and I had a coconut coffee, served with a large scoop on coconut ice cream on top. The doorman from our hotel stopped the traffic on the street so we could safely cross. The man who served us our coffee escorted us back across the street when we were finished. Clearly, they did not think we could manoeuvre our way through the traffic independently. That may have been an accurate assessment of the situation. We appreciated their assistance.
For dinner tonight, we will go to the same restaurant where we have eaten the previous two nights. The food is delicious; the service is amazing; the restaurant is impeccably clean; the menu is diverse and the food has been wonderful. We already know we are going to have Vietnamese pancakes tonight. They looked delicious as they were delivered to other diners the last two nights. 
We met the people who were sitting beside us (two women from Wales) and engaged in a lovely conversation with them. They are also going on a Mekong River cruise but it is not the same one we have chosen. Too bad. They were delightful.
It was well after dark (dark comes at 6 pm sharp) when we walked back to our hotel. The streets were crowded with people strolling, on motorbikes, or sitting at cafes. What a lively community this is. Some shops were still open, mostly what we might call variety stores where you can get snacks, essentials and non-alcoholic beverages. Not of great use to us other than perusing a wide range of products we have never seen.
Jetlag, heat and lots of activity is making sleeping easy. Early to bed tonight.
Monday, January 19, 2026
This will be our final day in Ho Chi Minh City. We enjoyed breakfast in our hotel. They serve a wide range of cooked foods, made-to-order omelettes, fresh fruit and a variety of beverages. Jim had an omelette along with other things and I had a bowl of pho as well as an array of tropical fruit. And, of course, coffee. It set us up for the day.
Jim is busily booking a train trip to Hanoi, several days with a couple of stops along the way. We are told that the scenery along east coast is spectacular. We are looking forward to that. So I am using this time to update this blog and to organize photos that we have already taken.
Some mundane things await us. Our laundry is in a nearby laundry shop. Our bags need to be organized. We need to find an ATM as cash is still used here fairly extensively.
As the day went on, it became clear that booking the train was not as straightforward as we had imagined. In the end, we decided to fly (yes, another airplane adventure) to Da Nang which is part way up the east coast of Vietnam and then take the train the rest of the way (also the most scenic part according to all the reviews).
And so we packed up again, collected our laundry and headed to the airport. And what an airport it was. Clearly new, it was huge and beautiful! Large concourses enabled hundreds of passengers to make their way to various gates etc without jostling the crowds. Happily, our check-in counter was the closest to the door we entered. So we handed off our luggage (Jim made sure the tags were accurate), got our boarding passes and a wheelchair, pushed by a delightful young man. It was a very long way from the check-in counter to our gate. Of course, we had to go through the security line, shoes off, belts off, laptops out. It seemed quite simple and fast.
A freshly-made, delicious hot dinner was available adjacent to our gate. And soon the bus to the airplane arrived and we were in the air again, a short and pleasant flight to Da Nang. Happily, our luggage arrived when we did and a nearby taxi transported us across the city to our hotel.
A balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean, bright lights in the city … and comfortable beds. We were soon asleep.  |
I so enjoy following your travel blogs and I am happy that your luggage found you as it had its own lost adventure. You two are so resilient and great problem-solvers. Enjoy! My right hip replacement on Nov. 24th was very successful with a fast recovery. Now my left hip replacement will take place on March 23rd. I hope to walk the trails this summer.
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