Two firsts

On arrival at Siem Reap airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh city, the guides presented the Silversea rep with a birthday cake and all sang ‘Happy Birthday’. Then exquisitely decorated small cakes for each member of the party were produced. Nobody wanted them immediately and they were packed in a large cake box. There was talk during the queuing that they could be taken back to the ship for the crew. But Diva pointed out that this was a package given to us by others and that for everybody’s safety it was not going on the plane. People looked puzzled, then the penny dropped. So after going through security (with the cake box), the group occupied an unused security table. This is the first time TSH and Diva have eaten beautiful cake from disposable plates with plastic forks in the security area of an airport. Probably not allowed at Manchester or Heathrow. Surplus cakes were handed to a passing group of Australians but forks had run out. They coped.

On arrival at HCM city, the immigration official was not satisfied with the visa situation. This is definitely the first time that TSH and Diva have been refused entry to a country and turned back from the immigration barrier. The Silversea rep was summoned, officials were called and everybody frowned. Eventually someone senior escorted them through. Presumably TSH and Diva did not look likely to cause trouble or try to stay indefinitely. The root of the problem was the visa rules. US citizens need to pay for visas and are issued with multi-entry ones. UK citizens receive a single entry visa free of charge. But TSH and Diva had used that one and had paid for an additional one. But the paperwork for that one was not quite right – or maybe the officials didn’t understand it. This was not a nice experience.

The plan for the afternoon was to take a short trip into HCM city but the stair rod rain caused a change of mind. Dinner at La Terrazza with new US friends.