Vietnam Diaries: Hanoi Part 1

We first experienced a little bit of Vietnam in June 2010 and enjoyed Ho Chi Minh and Mui Ne so much we vowed to come back.

It took us 4 years to make good with that promise that when we finally did it, I was bursting out of the seams from happiness.

Our flight from Manila to Hanoi last September 2014 was delayed by a full day because of Typhoon Mario/Kalmaegi but even that did not dampen our giddy spirits.

We arrived on schedule at past midnight at the Noi Bai International Airport (IATA code: HAN) and after picking up our luggage at the carousel we followed the signs to the exit and found our prebooked airport pick up service without a glitch. He was holding a placard of my name in an elegant script and a welcoming smile on his face.

The airport is located some 45 kilometers away from downtown Hanoi and we were soon cruising on a lit traffic less highway towards our hotel with some Vietnamese music playing softly on the car stereo. We were charmed by the music even in our sleepy state.

GOING AROUND:

We’ve learned our lesson after the whirlwhind Singapore-Malaysia-Cambodia trip and since then avoided being too ambitious of our vacation time. The tail end of the typhoon also followed us in Hanoi and the rain brought about a lethargy that is luxurious and enjoyable because we weren’t hung up on a time table and rigidly crossing places and stuff off a list.

We do have our usual printed itinerary but left a lot of room to chance and went on a relaxed pace. Even with a day off less our holiday, we still surprisingly squeezed a lot just by wandering aimlessly and poking our noses at stops that catches our fancy.

(to be continued…)