Since our flight departed late in the evening I am still not sure if that should be considered day 1 and that this morning at Kuala Lumpur International airport would already be day 2. The fact that can consider this as the main thing on my mind means holiday mode has set in. After taking Marlies out of here Asian comfort some last year when we visited Canada and the US this year we are going east again.
Without any real reason besides some positive stories and the fact that neither of has had been there we booked out tickets for a new three week adventure. Additional preparations consisted of buying a lonely planet a day before departure and watching “My travels with my father” of Netflix, thank you Yvonne Bell for the advice.
With our computers shut down, out of offices set we got in the taxi to Schiphol with our backpacks and with the help of one or two films and little sleepsnack the 12 our flight flew by.
Kuala Lumpur international has no secrets for us as we spend some hours here on our first adventure together in 2015. We stroll around, get a Starbucks followed by a beer as we realize it’s actually Friday afternoon. Vietnam airlines is the selected SkyTeam partner to take us to Hanoi, we can stretch our legs as we get the comfort seats and rice and chicken tastes even better when flying over Malaysia and enjoying a Vietnamese Halida beer.
Arriving at Hanoi International we pass the visa office, customs and security and outside we breath the first Vietnamese air. The moment we step outside we are offered a taxi, a bus and a helicopter but decide to stay away from tourist traps and head for the designated taxi cue. The “official” taxi has some meter issues but we see no option to discuss anything with this driver, we sit back and enjoy the ride to the hotel. Half a million might seem a lot for a taxi ride but we couldn’t give a dong. After checking in we stroll around the neighborhood, have a drink and some food before going to bed. So far we are pleasantly surprised by the relaxed atmosphere and look forward to discovering more of Hanoi and Vietnam.