Hai Phong, Vietnam

The next portion of the trip took us to Vietnam, where the family awaited. The 8 hour flight to Kuala Lumpur was a long one as Malaysian Airlines was not as comfortable as that of Emirates. From what we saw of the Kuala Lumpur airport, it appears to be very well designed and the layout was easy to get around, however, we found the continuous announcements to be annoying after about an hour of our 5 hour layover. However, the free internet made it all worth while. We were not able to do much on the blogger site, but checked our emails. Rav liked this feature the most. As I slept, Rav worked on the itinerary for the Thailand trip.

The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi was even worst than the previous flight as there was no entertainment, and the food was not that great. We managed to get a couple of minutes of shut eye as we anxiously awaited to see our loved ones. We anticipated the worst at customs but were pleasantly surprised to be thru in minutes. I was expecting to see a small village at the other side of the gate but there was no fan fare at all. However, the family from Vietnam as well as my mom and dad, Derek and Krista, Greg , Arlene, and Nancy (family that sponsored us when we first came to Canada in 1980) and Troy (Nancy’s boyfriend) were all waiting for our arrival at another gate. We meet up with them with hugs and kisses for everyone. It was great to see everyone again, and the family reunion that we had spoken about for so long was finally happening, with the exception of Art and Uncle David whom could not make the trip. It was very overwhelming for Rav as she was not expecting this kind of a greeting full of love from a family that she had never met before.

We all boarded a 30 seater bus and headed for home, making a stop at the outskirt of town where all 24 of us had lunch. Lunch consisted of numerous appies ranging from fries to soups, to vegetables, to fish, to rolls (not the spring roll one), beer, and many others that can only be described by photos. The lunch ended in song and dance as Greg (the performer) sang us an English song, followed by a song in Vietnamese by all of my uncles, aunts, and cousins (as Derek and my Uncle Quoc danced jovially). (Picture above - Everyone on the Bus)

Eating and Singing

Derek and Uncle Quoc Dancing

After lunch we ventured to Hai Phong, the city where most of my relatives reside. It was just after 6:00 pm when we entered Hai Phong and Rav and Krista were overwhelmed by the traffic system in here. We were greeted with open arms by the rest of the Bui clan at the house, as we all drank, ate and sang some songs.

Meeting a few Members of the Family

Meeting with Other Members of the Family

The sleeping arrangements were all sorted out as all 12 new comers were divided into two house holds. We were all exhausted from the travels and the excitement, and were off to bed by about 11 pm that night, resting up for the days ahead.