Pho, It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore; Kristina & David in Vietnam 2009
Jul 22nd, 2009, 05:56 PM
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Pho, It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore; Kristina & David in Vietnam 2009
This trip has been in the works for a very long time. Really, as far back as our Around the World trip in 1998. But then, when we were considering going to Vietnam, the country was beseiged by massive floods and we ended up in Nepal instead. Which wasn't so bad, considering.
Years later, I planned a trip but was shocked at the sky high prices for airfare from the US during the summer months. While July and August may be low season in Vietnam, it is high season for the airlines. At that point we decided to use frequent flier miles for our tickets. The problem is, FF tickets go fast and they have to be booked 11 months in advance, as soon as they become available. I was too late by the time I started checking for a summer '08 trip. But I got smart and set an alert in my Outlook to let me know when to call for the next summer.
Dutifully, I called on the appropriate day and there were no tickets to be had for my dates. What? How is that possible? Diligently, I called back and after a few days, I was able to secure two Business class tickets on Japan Airlines (in conjunction with American Airlines) for July 2009, LAX-Tokyo-Hanoi and for the way home, Bangkok-Tokyo-SFO-LAX. That was the best I could get.
<b>Itinerary</b>
July 2-19, 2009
Hanoi-4 nights (Hotel Hanoi Elegance 4)
Hue-2 nights (Villa Hue)
Hoi An-4 nights (Victoria Hoi An)
Saigon-3 nights (Sheraton Saigon)
Bangkok-3 nights (Peninsula)
<b>Booking Ahead</b>
I booked almost everything myself, but also used a local Vietnamese Travel agent, Tonkin Travel, to book the hotels in Hue and Hoi An as well for a couple of transfers. They had much better rates for those hotels than I could book myself. For the Sheraton, I used SPG points plus cash and for the Peninsula I found a good rate which was 3 nights for the price of 2, including breakfast.
I also had Tonkin book our internal flights on Vietnam Airlines, from Hanoi to Hue and from DaNang to Saigon because I could not get the Vietnam Airlines web site to work for me. For the SGN to BKK route, I found a $12 fare (plus taxes) on Air Asia which certainly beat Thai Airlines $175 per ticket.
<b>Weather</b>
It was HOT and HUMID and it rained a lot, but that didn't deter us too much. In some ways the rain was preferable, because when it was clear it was so much hotter outside. It's very easy to become dehydrated (I did) so be careful.
More to come...
Years later, I planned a trip but was shocked at the sky high prices for airfare from the US during the summer months. While July and August may be low season in Vietnam, it is high season for the airlines. At that point we decided to use frequent flier miles for our tickets. The problem is, FF tickets go fast and they have to be booked 11 months in advance, as soon as they become available. I was too late by the time I started checking for a summer '08 trip. But I got smart and set an alert in my Outlook to let me know when to call for the next summer.
Dutifully, I called on the appropriate day and there were no tickets to be had for my dates. What? How is that possible? Diligently, I called back and after a few days, I was able to secure two Business class tickets on Japan Airlines (in conjunction with American Airlines) for July 2009, LAX-Tokyo-Hanoi and for the way home, Bangkok-Tokyo-SFO-LAX. That was the best I could get.
<b>Itinerary</b>
July 2-19, 2009
Hanoi-4 nights (Hotel Hanoi Elegance 4)
Hue-2 nights (Villa Hue)
Hoi An-4 nights (Victoria Hoi An)
Saigon-3 nights (Sheraton Saigon)
Bangkok-3 nights (Peninsula)
<b>Booking Ahead</b>
I booked almost everything myself, but also used a local Vietnamese Travel agent, Tonkin Travel, to book the hotels in Hue and Hoi An as well for a couple of transfers. They had much better rates for those hotels than I could book myself. For the Sheraton, I used SPG points plus cash and for the Peninsula I found a good rate which was 3 nights for the price of 2, including breakfast.
I also had Tonkin book our internal flights on Vietnam Airlines, from Hanoi to Hue and from DaNang to Saigon because I could not get the Vietnam Airlines web site to work for me. For the SGN to BKK route, I found a $12 fare (plus taxes) on Air Asia which certainly beat Thai Airlines $175 per ticket.
<b>Weather</b>
It was HOT and HUMID and it rained a lot, but that didn't deter us too much. In some ways the rain was preferable, because when it was clear it was so much hotter outside. It's very easy to become dehydrated (I did) so be careful.
More to come...
Jul 22nd, 2009, 08:25 PM
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<b>Food</b>
I will be writing a lot about the food because, well, that's what interests me. I'm willing to eat almost anything, almost anywhere. This means that we ate everywhere from markets, to street side vendors, to "local" and "tourist" restaurants, to our hotels. I'll try and include addresess and/or directions to the places we ate where possible.
I'll say this up front; yes, I got sick. No, it was not debilitating, and no, I did not require medicine. I'm not even sure what was going on with me was food-borne considering that my husband David ate everything I did and did not get sick.
I do my best to make smart decisions when I eat, but I probably take more risks than some here would be comfortable with. On the other hand, I've had similar stomach issues in Paris and Rome, eating in "nice" restaurants, so it could be just that my tummy does not like to travel as much as the rest of me does. ;-)
<b>Packing</b>
We each had a 22" roll aboard and a smaller carry-on bag/backpack. We did not plan on checking our bags, at least not on the way there. Neither bag was stuffed full.
We each wore everything we brought. We had laundry done mid way through the trip in Hoi An for $1 per kilo, spending about $10 to have 2 loads of all of our clothes combined done.
I also had a knee length wool coat made, bought 2 purses, many scarves, a 10' table runner, and 4 single serving Vietnamese metal coffee filters plus coffee. I was able to add all these items to my suitcase without having to expand it.
David bought 5 golf/polo type shirts plus a couple t-shirts and they all fit in his bag without expanding it.
The point is, one <i>can</i> travel light, with some proper packing and planning.
My packing list can be seen on my updated packing page on my web site;
http://www.wired2theworld.com/BasicPacklist.html
<b>Photography</b>
I took over 1500 photos in 16 days. I use a Nikon D40x DSLR and will be posting links to photos on my website as I go. Be patient, that's a lot of photos to wade through!
<b>Planning</b>
I did not do much day to day planning up front. I did do a lot of research however, mostly online. You can see my process on the Planning Page on my website here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/vietnam2009.html
There are also links to google maps I created for each city (except Hoi An).
We brought two guidebooks with us, Fodor's "See It" Vietnam and the DK Eyewitness Guide for Vietnam. At first glance they seem very similar, but I found that in many ways, they filled in where the other was lacking.
<b>Technology</b>
We brought a 5 year old, 2 lb laptop with us. Every hotel we stayed in offered wifi, and we used it to keep in touch with family and friends (email, facebook, twitter, fodor's), do on-the-fly research about places we wanted to see, and David was able to keep up with Wimbledon, the Golf British Open and the Tour de France. I also tried to download my photos every day as a backup.
Finally, I did some posting while I was there, so if you want a little preview, check out this thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...in-vietnam.cfm
I will be writing a lot about the food because, well, that's what interests me. I'm willing to eat almost anything, almost anywhere. This means that we ate everywhere from markets, to street side vendors, to "local" and "tourist" restaurants, to our hotels. I'll try and include addresess and/or directions to the places we ate where possible.
I'll say this up front; yes, I got sick. No, it was not debilitating, and no, I did not require medicine. I'm not even sure what was going on with me was food-borne considering that my husband David ate everything I did and did not get sick.
I do my best to make smart decisions when I eat, but I probably take more risks than some here would be comfortable with. On the other hand, I've had similar stomach issues in Paris and Rome, eating in "nice" restaurants, so it could be just that my tummy does not like to travel as much as the rest of me does. ;-)
<b>Packing</b>
We each had a 22" roll aboard and a smaller carry-on bag/backpack. We did not plan on checking our bags, at least not on the way there. Neither bag was stuffed full.
We each wore everything we brought. We had laundry done mid way through the trip in Hoi An for $1 per kilo, spending about $10 to have 2 loads of all of our clothes combined done.
I also had a knee length wool coat made, bought 2 purses, many scarves, a 10' table runner, and 4 single serving Vietnamese metal coffee filters plus coffee. I was able to add all these items to my suitcase without having to expand it.
David bought 5 golf/polo type shirts plus a couple t-shirts and they all fit in his bag without expanding it.
The point is, one <i>can</i> travel light, with some proper packing and planning.
My packing list can be seen on my updated packing page on my web site;
http://www.wired2theworld.com/BasicPacklist.html
<b>Photography</b>
I took over 1500 photos in 16 days. I use a Nikon D40x DSLR and will be posting links to photos on my website as I go. Be patient, that's a lot of photos to wade through!
<b>Planning</b>
I did not do much day to day planning up front. I did do a lot of research however, mostly online. You can see my process on the Planning Page on my website here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/vietnam2009.html
There are also links to google maps I created for each city (except Hoi An).
We brought two guidebooks with us, Fodor's "See It" Vietnam and the DK Eyewitness Guide for Vietnam. At first glance they seem very similar, but I found that in many ways, they filled in where the other was lacking.
<b>Technology</b>
We brought a 5 year old, 2 lb laptop with us. Every hotel we stayed in offered wifi, and we used it to keep in touch with family and friends (email, facebook, twitter, fodor's), do on-the-fly research about places we wanted to see, and David was able to keep up with Wimbledon, the Golf British Open and the Tour de France. I also tried to download my photos every day as a backup.
Finally, I did some posting while I was there, so if you want a little preview, check out this thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...in-vietnam.cfm
Jul 22nd, 2009, 08:36 PM
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One more planning note:
<b>Personal Guidebook</b>
From the information I put on my Google Maps (restaurants and sightseeing) and information cut and pasted from various trip reports here (thanks to all of you who posted here before me), I created my own "guidebook" for each city. I've done these type of notes for my last few trips and they really come in handy. I arrange them by area or neighborhood, so if we are some place and want to stop for lunch, it's easy to find something.
I'm happy to say, the restaurant recommendations I had steered us in the right direction at least 80% of the time. The tailor recommendation I had was a good one. And the sightseeing notes I had from http://www.reidontravel.com/ came in very handy when we didn't have a book with us.
<b>Personal Guidebook</b>
From the information I put on my Google Maps (restaurants and sightseeing) and information cut and pasted from various trip reports here (thanks to all of you who posted here before me), I created my own "guidebook" for each city. I've done these type of notes for my last few trips and they really come in handy. I arrange them by area or neighborhood, so if we are some place and want to stop for lunch, it's easy to find something.
I'm happy to say, the restaurant recommendations I had steered us in the right direction at least 80% of the time. The tailor recommendation I had was a good one. And the sightseeing notes I had from http://www.reidontravel.com/ came in very handy when we didn't have a book with us.
Jul 23rd, 2009, 04:39 AM
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Nywoman-yes, it may be an "occupational hazard."
I'm starting to think my tummy issues may be one part change in diet (when I travel I tend to eat more spicy and/or rich foods and drink more alcohol), one part psychosomatic (I am starting to expect it and it stresses me out), and only a small part bacterial.
I'm starting to think my tummy issues may be one part change in diet (when I travel I tend to eat more spicy and/or rich foods and drink more alcohol), one part psychosomatic (I am starting to expect it and it stresses me out), and only a small part bacterial.
Jul 23rd, 2009, 05:25 AM
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<b>Flight Day
LAX-Tokyo-Hanoi
AA and JAL, Business Class
July 2, 2009 </b>
We're up early, to do last minute prep for departure. This is the first time in 7 years that we will be away from home for this long. Fortunately, our flight doesn't leave until 12:45 pm so it's not like we have to get up at 4am to get to the airport.
Nevertheless, my pre-trip anxiety is in full bloom and is has me wondering if the trip is worth this much stress.
We leave the house on time and make it to LAX with more than 2 hours to spare before our flight. Because we are flying business class, we have access to the AA Admiral Lounge. While the lounge is nice and spacious, it's pretty much a disappointment. There's no free wifi access, unless you are an Admiral Club member, and any food is virtually nonexistent, unless you want to buy a pre-packaged sandwich. They do give us two free drink tickets each though, which we promptly use for a celebratory pre-trip spicy bloody mary.
<b>AA Flight, LAX-Tokyo</b>
Ah yes, we are in business class. I managed to cobble together enough miles after years of hoarding them and transferring some SPG points to get enough for 2 tickets (see my planning page for more on this). When I see our seats I can honestly say, yes, it's worth it. I'll suck it up if the flight is cheap enough (see our upcoming trip to Rome), but for 12 hours in a seat, it's really nice to be able to stretch out.
These are AA's newest business seats and they look like they are already showing some wear and tear. Pieces are starting to come apart. The seats do go flat, but are slanted and when fully extended, it's almost impossible to keep anything under the seat in front of you. Still, it's "better than coach" which quickly becomes our mantra. We're each given a full size pillow and a quilted blanket. The amenity kit has all the standards (socks, eye shade, toothbrush, etc) and Burt's Bees lip balm and lotion. There is an AVOD entertainment system with lots of movies and TV shows and it works well.
The food is, well,... "better than coach". There's a nice selection of wines and a 20 year tawny port so D is happy. We both opt for the beef dish and it's over-cooked. I think I should have had the Japanese selection.
Our captain comes on at the beginning of the flight and tells us some facts about the Boeing 777 we're on. I can't really remember any of them now, except for something about how heavy the aircraft is and how we're going to burn something like 165,000 lbs of fuel on this flight. Yikes. Talk about a big carbon footprint. I almost feel guilty about taking this trip and then I smack myself. What am I supposed to do? Take a slow boat across the Pacific?
LAX-Tokyo-Hanoi
AA and JAL, Business Class
July 2, 2009 </b>
We're up early, to do last minute prep for departure. This is the first time in 7 years that we will be away from home for this long. Fortunately, our flight doesn't leave until 12:45 pm so it's not like we have to get up at 4am to get to the airport.
Nevertheless, my pre-trip anxiety is in full bloom and is has me wondering if the trip is worth this much stress.
We leave the house on time and make it to LAX with more than 2 hours to spare before our flight. Because we are flying business class, we have access to the AA Admiral Lounge. While the lounge is nice and spacious, it's pretty much a disappointment. There's no free wifi access, unless you are an Admiral Club member, and any food is virtually nonexistent, unless you want to buy a pre-packaged sandwich. They do give us two free drink tickets each though, which we promptly use for a celebratory pre-trip spicy bloody mary.
<b>AA Flight, LAX-Tokyo</b>
Ah yes, we are in business class. I managed to cobble together enough miles after years of hoarding them and transferring some SPG points to get enough for 2 tickets (see my planning page for more on this). When I see our seats I can honestly say, yes, it's worth it. I'll suck it up if the flight is cheap enough (see our upcoming trip to Rome), but for 12 hours in a seat, it's really nice to be able to stretch out.
These are AA's newest business seats and they look like they are already showing some wear and tear. Pieces are starting to come apart. The seats do go flat, but are slanted and when fully extended, it's almost impossible to keep anything under the seat in front of you. Still, it's "better than coach" which quickly becomes our mantra. We're each given a full size pillow and a quilted blanket. The amenity kit has all the standards (socks, eye shade, toothbrush, etc) and Burt's Bees lip balm and lotion. There is an AVOD entertainment system with lots of movies and TV shows and it works well.
The food is, well,... "better than coach". There's a nice selection of wines and a 20 year tawny port so D is happy. We both opt for the beef dish and it's over-cooked. I think I should have had the Japanese selection.
Our captain comes on at the beginning of the flight and tells us some facts about the Boeing 777 we're on. I can't really remember any of them now, except for something about how heavy the aircraft is and how we're going to burn something like 165,000 lbs of fuel on this flight. Yikes. Talk about a big carbon footprint. I almost feel guilty about taking this trip and then I smack myself. What am I supposed to do? Take a slow boat across the Pacific?
Jul 23rd, 2009, 05:49 AM
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Ok, you've almost convinced about the carry-only thing.
But what do you to for 2 weeks worth of toiletries? I'm fairly low maintenance, but find that I can't fit enough sunscreen, conditioner etc for 2 weeks in a small Ziploc bag.
But what do you to for 2 weeks worth of toiletries? I'm fairly low maintenance, but find that I can't fit enough sunscreen, conditioner etc for 2 weeks in a small Ziploc bag.
Jul 23rd, 2009, 06:05 AM
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Cruisinred:
Toiletries; if you are traveling alone it is harder. But if you are traveling with a partner, I think it's possible. There are many things which can be shared.
I brought small 2 oz bottles of shampoo and conditioner, but we really only needed them for the first 2 hotels. The last 3 had nice stuff. And truly, we only needed conditioner as every place had shampoo. You'd be surprised how far 2 or 3 oz of conditioner will go. Try using a bottle that size in your shower for 2 weeks, and see how long it lasts, especially if you are judicious.
For sunscreen, I bought some 3 oz bottles at Target and filled one with sunscreen and one with aloe vera sunburn gel (which we never used). I also bought another container of face sunscreen. You can see these in the top middle bag in the photos of my toiletries. Also in there is David's Jaico mosquito repellent. He carried that bag and I carried the one with all the little bottles in it. You can always buy more sunscreen there if you need it.
I also fill tiny makeup/skincare promo jars I've saved with things like face cream, cleanser, etc.
Toiletries; if you are traveling alone it is harder. But if you are traveling with a partner, I think it's possible. There are many things which can be shared.
I brought small 2 oz bottles of shampoo and conditioner, but we really only needed them for the first 2 hotels. The last 3 had nice stuff. And truly, we only needed conditioner as every place had shampoo. You'd be surprised how far 2 or 3 oz of conditioner will go. Try using a bottle that size in your shower for 2 weeks, and see how long it lasts, especially if you are judicious.
For sunscreen, I bought some 3 oz bottles at Target and filled one with sunscreen and one with aloe vera sunburn gel (which we never used). I also bought another container of face sunscreen. You can see these in the top middle bag in the photos of my toiletries. Also in there is David's Jaico mosquito repellent. He carried that bag and I carried the one with all the little bottles in it. You can always buy more sunscreen there if you need it.
I also fill tiny makeup/skincare promo jars I've saved with things like face cream, cleanser, etc.
Jul 23rd, 2009, 06:15 AM
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<b>Food revelation at 35,000 feet</b>
Later in the flight I ask for one of the optional snacks of soba noodles. They are cold. I'm shocked, expecting something hot, with broth. Instead, they are served in a little lacquered box with a dollop of wasabi, some sliced green onion, a beaker of soy sauce, and a cup.This is a revelation to me. How could I have never had chilled soba noodles before? It's so refreshing and light! I'm going to have to investigate this dish more and make it at home. Who knew you could learn something about food on an airplane?
<b>Tokyo JAL Lounge </b>
Some time during the flight we cross the international date line and it's now late afternoon on July 3rd. Upon arrival in Tokyo, we have a couple of hours. First, we have to go through security again and then once we're on the other side, we find the JAL lounge.
Like having the golden ticket, our boarding passes allow us entrance to this sanctuary. Everyone is smiling, nice, and helpful. There is free wifi. There is a spread of food including sushi and a surprisingly tasty miso soup with tofu made from re-hydrating a compressed brick of dehydrated soup (sounds odd, but it's really good). There are free computers and self serve drinks galore, including Japanese beer on tap. The bathrooms have those special toilet seats which do everything hygienic <i>to you</i>, and no, I did not get a chance to test them out.
<b>JALways Tokyo to Hanoi</b>
Our flight is delayed by more than an hour so we're happy to hang out in the lounge. But we're both starting to hit the wall because the body clocks are saying "you should be sleeping now." The JALways flight is on a Boeing 767 and it's old-school business class. The seats recline, but not flat and I don't even look at the entertainment system I'm so tired. The food is "ok" but again I'm too tired to eat much. There is no amenity kit. I manage to get a couple of hours sleep though, and soon (after about 5 hours) we are touching down in Hanoi.
Later in the flight I ask for one of the optional snacks of soba noodles. They are cold. I'm shocked, expecting something hot, with broth. Instead, they are served in a little lacquered box with a dollop of wasabi, some sliced green onion, a beaker of soy sauce, and a cup.This is a revelation to me. How could I have never had chilled soba noodles before? It's so refreshing and light! I'm going to have to investigate this dish more and make it at home. Who knew you could learn something about food on an airplane?
<b>Tokyo JAL Lounge </b>
Some time during the flight we cross the international date line and it's now late afternoon on July 3rd. Upon arrival in Tokyo, we have a couple of hours. First, we have to go through security again and then once we're on the other side, we find the JAL lounge.
Like having the golden ticket, our boarding passes allow us entrance to this sanctuary. Everyone is smiling, nice, and helpful. There is free wifi. There is a spread of food including sushi and a surprisingly tasty miso soup with tofu made from re-hydrating a compressed brick of dehydrated soup (sounds odd, but it's really good). There are free computers and self serve drinks galore, including Japanese beer on tap. The bathrooms have those special toilet seats which do everything hygienic <i>to you</i>, and no, I did not get a chance to test them out.
<b>JALways Tokyo to Hanoi</b>
Our flight is delayed by more than an hour so we're happy to hang out in the lounge. But we're both starting to hit the wall because the body clocks are saying "you should be sleeping now." The JALways flight is on a Boeing 767 and it's old-school business class. The seats recline, but not flat and I don't even look at the entertainment system I'm so tired. The food is "ok" but again I'm too tired to eat much. There is no amenity kit. I manage to get a couple of hours sleep though, and soon (after about 5 hours) we are touching down in Hanoi.
Jul 23rd, 2009, 06:52 AM
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Loving all of the details. Linda also has the tummy issues when we travel, I think I just get the "nervous" stomach syndrome.
If you like the cold soba noodles you might want to try a cold somen salad sometime. I'm sure they would have it in an LA Japanese restaurant somewhere or it is easy to make. Really hits the spot on a hot summer day.
Looking forward to more.
Aloha!
If you like the cold soba noodles you might want to try a cold somen salad sometime. I'm sure they would have it in an LA Japanese restaurant somewhere or it is easy to make. Really hits the spot on a hot summer day.
Looking forward to more.
Aloha!
Jul 23rd, 2009, 10:43 AM
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<b>Arrival in Hanoi, July 3rd, 2009</b>
It's 10:30 pm, about 85 degrees out and raining. As soon as we step off the plane and onto the jet way, I smell smoke in the air. It's a distinct smell, one I associate with South East Asia, and coupled with the heat and the moisture, I am instantly at home here.
We had opted for the "visa on arrival" (see planning page for more on this) and all my worries turn out to be unfounded. There is no line, and the process takes all of 5 minutes. We fill out another form, give them US $25 each and our pre-approval letter, and they paste a full page visa into our passports. There is a swine flu screening to walk though (thermal imaging) and we wait all of 2 minutes at passport control. Because we have carry on only we do not have to wait for our bags. I'd arranged for a pick up from our hotel and the driver is there waiting with my name on a sign.
The car is a small 4 door sedan with a video screen on the front dash =playing a Vietnamese beauty pageant. The trip to the Hanoi Elegance 4 hotel takes about 45 minutes and by now we have been traveling 24 hours door to door. I am surprised at how dark everything seems; there aren't a lot of lights on in the apartments we see on the way into the city.
<b>Hanoi Elegance 4</b>
Check in is painless and our room, a "junior suite" on the top floor is waiting. It's a nice room, though I'm not sure what makes it a "junior suite" other than maybe the tiny sofa and a coffee table? Our room is exactly as wide as the building and we have windows on 3 sides. One thing for sure though, I don't think I'd want one of the regular doubles which are so small, I don't think it would be possible to walk around the bed.
The bathroom has a high tech shower stall with multiple spouts, but it's all glow and no show. The water pressure could best be described as "gentle" if I'm going to be nice about it.
There is a large flat screen TV and David is happy because he's found the men's semi-finals of Wimbleton on the sports channel. Later, we look through the channels, and while there is Animal Planet, there's no CNN which seems odd. The room also has a computer and free wifi (faster than the room's computer). There's a welcome plate of fruit and bottle of Vietnamese wine (which we never try) and a small refrigerator. It's fairly quiet, though during the day you can hear honking from the nearby streets.
Around midnight I'm hungry, but we have no Vietnamese Dong (we forgot to get some at the airport) and we're not sure if there's anywhere to go anyway so we just try and go to sleep.
It's 10:30 pm, about 85 degrees out and raining. As soon as we step off the plane and onto the jet way, I smell smoke in the air. It's a distinct smell, one I associate with South East Asia, and coupled with the heat and the moisture, I am instantly at home here.
We had opted for the "visa on arrival" (see planning page for more on this) and all my worries turn out to be unfounded. There is no line, and the process takes all of 5 minutes. We fill out another form, give them US $25 each and our pre-approval letter, and they paste a full page visa into our passports. There is a swine flu screening to walk though (thermal imaging) and we wait all of 2 minutes at passport control. Because we have carry on only we do not have to wait for our bags. I'd arranged for a pick up from our hotel and the driver is there waiting with my name on a sign.
The car is a small 4 door sedan with a video screen on the front dash =playing a Vietnamese beauty pageant. The trip to the Hanoi Elegance 4 hotel takes about 45 minutes and by now we have been traveling 24 hours door to door. I am surprised at how dark everything seems; there aren't a lot of lights on in the apartments we see on the way into the city.
<b>Hanoi Elegance 4</b>
Check in is painless and our room, a "junior suite" on the top floor is waiting. It's a nice room, though I'm not sure what makes it a "junior suite" other than maybe the tiny sofa and a coffee table? Our room is exactly as wide as the building and we have windows on 3 sides. One thing for sure though, I don't think I'd want one of the regular doubles which are so small, I don't think it would be possible to walk around the bed.
The bathroom has a high tech shower stall with multiple spouts, but it's all glow and no show. The water pressure could best be described as "gentle" if I'm going to be nice about it.
There is a large flat screen TV and David is happy because he's found the men's semi-finals of Wimbleton on the sports channel. Later, we look through the channels, and while there is Animal Planet, there's no CNN which seems odd. The room also has a computer and free wifi (faster than the room's computer). There's a welcome plate of fruit and bottle of Vietnamese wine (which we never try) and a small refrigerator. It's fairly quiet, though during the day you can hear honking from the nearby streets.
Around midnight I'm hungry, but we have no Vietnamese Dong (we forgot to get some at the airport) and we're not sure if there's anywhere to go anyway so we just try and go to sleep.
