What happened and why am I back in Hong Kong

After Callie left the Philippines, it was just me, and no place to stay.  I looked around, and eventually found a cheaper place away from the beach called Private Mountain Casitas.  These beautiful little huts sat up on the Bulabog mountain on the other side of the island from the white sand beach.  It meant a taxi whenever I went out, and a walk up to the cabin, but the were relaxing, and secluded, and I only came and went once for dinner.

I left early the morning of the 4th for the airport after hearing about Jon's experience arriving early only to find the plane decided to leave early as well.  I was a little too early, so I hopped on an earlier flight, and headed into Manila.  At the airport I was almost finished checking in when they asked for my visa paperwork.  I had been told by American Express Concierge that I wouldn't need a visa for less than ten days (I had requested that they look into this).

The woman at the counter called the Vietnam embassy, and suggested I run over to pick it up.  She told me that it had been arranged, I just needed to go in person.  I took a cab all the way across Manila where a surly official at the embassy told me essentially to screw off, he wasn't planning to do anything until Friday at the earliest, and I had interrupted his lunch. 

Dejected, I caught a return cab (which was half the price, though for a 40 minute cab ride, 4 dollars or two dollars is rather inconsequential.  At the airport I requested to use my ticket for standby for the next flight back to Hong Kong since I was barred from flying to Vietnam.  I was told it was no longer good, and had to purchase a new one way ticket to Hong Kong.

I arrived in Hong Kong under the false pretense that I could fly standby to Osaka, I had confirmed this with both the airline that I was flying, the airline whose ticket I had, and American Express.  Again, all three after reviewing fare rules, confirmed that would not be a problem.  All three were mistaken. I was given the option of 7 days in the airport here, or pay a fee.  I chose to leave, and am schedule for a 1:15PM to Taipei, then onward to Osaka.  Last night, I decided to sleep in the airport, which meant that I woke up exhausted.  It means less money on hotels is more money I can spend exploring Japan.

I will come back and see Vietnam.  I am frustrated it won't be this trip, I had my mind set on it, but Japan should be spectacular.