Vietnam: The plan

On an idle summer afternoon in 2022, right after Bijo had given notice at work and I was, as ever, lamenting that I had office every evening, we were walking down First Avenue after lunch. Or maybe coffee. That's not important. We were talking about taking a trip in a few months and about where would be doable. Options tossed back and forth included Puri, Digha and Mandarmani, and I think Darjeeling,but I'm not sure. Then Bijo had a stroke of genius, saying if we were going to take a week or so to travel, why not visit somewhere outside the country, somewhere considerably cheap, like, Vietnam? I had never had a single thought about Vietnam as a place one could go on a leisure trip. For me, the terms Southeast Asia and vacation, taken together, always implied that someone was talking of Thailand. I was awestruck, faced with the concept that Vietnam was indeed a place to visit. 

As we do, Bijo and I, suitably excited about a "project" and armed with very little geographic knowledge, chalked out a travel plan. On surveying a map, which, we realized we should have done before creating an impossible itinerary, we discovered it was ridiculous. The shape of Vietnam is a somewhat vertical column, and we had included cities on either extreme. But we're nothing if not quick to adapt to circumstances: a thorough revision of plans was carried out at a cafe down the lane and we had prepared a presentable programme in an hour. 

Next, we journeyed to our local travel agency. (I can take the credit of discovering it but DMG actually spotted it on one of our lunch outings when my mom had entrusted me with the task of finding a travel agency ahead of a trip, which was eventually postponed). One of the greatest things about Bijo is that she has a good head on her shoulders, can ask pertinent questions about things and generally gets things done with people. I, on the other hand, can't call a doctor. So, there we were, with Bijo putting forth queries about travel things: cost, comfort, convenience. And we came away with a rough outline. 

Subsequently, Bijo left for Bhubaneswar to finish her notice period and I continued going to office here. 

She came back for good (for a while) and we bought the various tickets that we needed: Kolkata to Hanoi, Hanoi to Da Nang, Da Nang to Hanoi, Hanoi to Kolkata. I wasn't yet aware that I could have bought tickets through my office account and would have gotten certain perks. Anyway, Bijo and I, sequestered in her room with Gouri mashi offering me food every 15 minutes, managed to book flight tickets, inform the agent, and chill for a while. 

Our trip was planned for September. We tried to get tickets for 10th but since money was a concern, we chose a 1am-ish flight on the 9th.

Visa was not a big hassle. It was an online process and the papers came in within a week or so of application. It was to be my first international trip where I was of sound mind and I was justifiably excited. 

On D-Day, Ma and I picked Bijo up and headed towards the airport. A WhatsApp group was formed with Bijo, me and two parents (one from either side) for updates and photographs. And then we were in! 

Armed with credit cards that would supposedly allow us entry into the lounge, we checked in and travelled up to aforementioned lounge for food and rest. We had about an hour or two to spare. Bijo's card worked; mine didn't. So Bijo had he's swiped twice and I later realized mine had worked as well, but had taken time to update. We sourced tetra packs of juice (for something to sip on the flight and ate a bit at the buffet. Then commandeered a settee with our cabin luggage and waited. At 12am, amid calls wishing me a happy birthday, Bijo gave me chocolates (which travelled through Vietnam in my bag till I went back to Kolkata and devoured them). 

On the flight, we managed to glare our third co-passenger on our row away to sit with her family elsewhere and Bijo and I flew at leisure, both of us starting on a new book and I, for one, catching up on nap. 

It was a truly magical start to what the kids call "a birthday week", although I suspect they call the week leading UP to the birthday that while I call the week STARTING on the birthday that. 

We were up in the air and headed towards an adventure!