Beyond Bali and before Vietnam

Monday, February 11, 2013
Bangkok, Thailand
Monday was a long travel day. We left the hotel in Jimbaran around 10:30 for a 1 pm flight to Kuala Lampur, and then on to Bangkok, gaining 1 hour in route and arriving about 7 pm. There was a small problem on the flight to Bangkok. I was assigned to a non-existent seat. My new seat assignment was the window seat on the right hand side on the last row of the airplane. It was the last available seat on the plane. However, it was only a two hour flight and there was more legroom than on US planes, and we had dinner and wine, so it wasn't the worst flight I've experienced.    After immigration, and customs in Bnagkok, it was almost an hour to our hotel. I'm not sure why traveling is so tiring, but all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. However, I did start to repack, so that I could leave things in Bangkok and have room to buy more things in Vietnam.  

This hotel was originally built as condominiums, but converted to a hotel . My suite was enormous. Besides an entry hall there was a living dining room combination larger than I have at home, a full but compact kitchen, a bedroom, dressing room and large bath. There was also A large balcony. It was a lot of room for a stay of less than 12 hours. I was too tired to take pictures, but will be sure to do so on the return trip.  

The next morning we were up early to return to the airport. It was also an opportunity to meet the other 8 people in our group. Airport checkin went smoothly and the lines for departure weren't too long, so we had time to check emails on the free wifi. Shopping was not a priority since we will all be returning to Bangkok.

the flight to Hanoi was only about 90 minutes, but we were once again wined and dined. The service was good and the immigration and customs procedures were some of the easiest that I've ever experienced. After claiming our baggage, we met our trip leader. I was very surprised to learn that Tam . "Call me Tammy" was a man.  

It took about an hour to reach our hotel and in route we learned more about the history of Hanoi and some details of our trip. We checked in to the hotel and then had a brief orientation meeting and a walking tour of the area. It is still Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. It usually lasts for 7 days, but because of the calendar this year, there are two weekends. During the holiday people eat special food, spend time with family and friends, visit temples, and follow certain traditions. Some businesses are closed for the entire period, but some are beginning to open. After the walk, it was time for our Welcome Dinner. If it seems like all we do is eat, it may be close to the truth, but the food is delicious.

Comments

2025-02-15

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank