nickharris87

Japan Australia and Vietnam February 2015 Photo version for web

The above link should open a .pdf file of our diary, complete with photos for our recent trip.

There should be a much easier way of doing it, and in the next few days I hope to refine the post somewhat.

For now – please enjoy.

Nick

Welcome to my humble diary/blog of our 2015 trip Down Under – if you are a first time visitor, you will see that it is currently just prose – which I know is a bit boring, but I will add some of our photos to break it up a bit, when I get time.

If this is your first visit – you may want to start at the beginning with the introduction page here – http://wp.me/p2xBxk-i

If you are a returning reader – thank you – please feel free to leave a comment, and carry on reading –

Wednesday 11th / Thursday 12th / Friday 13th March 2015

We decided were were going to have a chill morning, so we got up at 7.40am. It is the first day for a while first with no deadlines until we fly out tonight, so we can really please ourselves. Once we were washed and dressed we went down for comped breakfast in the restaurant. We had full run of the huge buffet but were seated in a with special roped off area just for Golds! It was an excellent meal and really good service. Once again several different stations offering food to suit different ethnicities. We ate our fill and had a read of the paper before going upstairs to pack and check out.

This is a huge hotel, the staff have been excellent and the facilities are first class, I am not entirely sure why it is badged as a Courtyard ad not a full service Marriott. I will errantly give it a good write up on trip advisor. After some debate about how to spend the day, we decided to stick to plan A which was to have run out to Stanley Market. It is a typical Hong Kong weather day, a bit drizzly but fairly warm and okay to walk round in.

It is a fair trek south to the market, but it only involves two buses, we could have done it quick if we had used the MTR (metro) but there would have been more changes. We went out to get the bus and just missed a 680 but another one came along in a few minutes and we were on our way down towards Hong Kong Island. We went down through Kowloon City and through the Eastern Harbour Tunnel under Kowloon Bay to Hong Kong Island. We drove parallel to the Bay and eventually got off at Admiralty. On the bus I saw my first Tesla car in the flesh, as it overtook us going towards the Island.

The bus to Stanley Market is the 260. We managed to catch it just outside Admiralty bus station. The trip is fairly familiar, we drive past there hugeHappy Valley Racecourse and Repulse Bay where there appear to be lots of new buildings. It is a very interesting drive along mountain hugging roads that don’t seem big enough to accommodate small cars, never mind big double decker buses. The drivers her are very skilful but even so there are some apparently dodgy moments when we are close to the cliff or the edge.

It didn’t take long to get to Stanley and we got off. We had a walk round the market, that we have been to several time before. I went to my favourite tie stall and got 6 from a great selection for HK$100 (about £8.50). We split up and while Sue explored the market I had a wander to Stanley Plaza, which is a shopping centre along the front from the market and is now a lot bigger than on previous visits.

When we met up Sue had got a few gifts and bits from the market. I saw my second Tesla as I wandered round the back streets. Next stop was for coffee and cake at our hip coffee shop, which is called Saffron bakery. It stocks Dean Morris cards, so is very cool. We had a brief look at the temples and shops near the plaza, then had a wander back towards the bus stop topping up Octopus cards with a $100 credit at a 7-11 as we did so.

Instead of getting the direct express, we got the Number 6 back to Hong Kong town. It went round the houses a bit, but missed the road works and queues on the main road we had seen on the way out through Happy Valley. We got off at Admiralty and went into the huge Pacific Place mall. The mall is the home of the JW Marriott we stayed at on our first trip here. We had a good wander round but our credit cards stayed in the wallets. Sue had been looking for a chemist shop so we walked out of the posh shops and into the back streets a bit where the shops were more every day and we found the brand she had been looking for.

Eventually, we went to get the bus at the Admiralty bus station – we found the one we wanted sat at a stop empty. We were the only ones waiting for a couple of minutes but we were joined by another lady,so we were confident we were in the right place. After we set off it got very busy in the Hong Kong rush hour, stopping every couple of minutes as it made slow progress though the very busy streets. Back to Ravana Gardens and then over to the hotel, where they very kindly let us se the leisure club changing rooms to get changed into our travel gear. Once we were sorted we made our way outside to get to the airport, by this time it was dark and still very busy. As always happens when you aren’t in a hurry, we had a very easy run to the airport. The A14A arrived as soon as we got to the stop.

All this meant that when we arrived we were too early to check in, as the check in doesn’t open until 8pm. We only had to wait about 20 minutes and took advantage of the free wi-fi. We were then sorted as soon as check in opened. We got rid of our bags and made our way to the train and to the tranquility of the Clubhouse. Despite our quick check in there were a few people already in the lounge, but we found out they were Eva Air passengers who left a few minutes after we arrived and were were able to claim prime seats obey looking the concourse and with multi power points.

We both had drinks, Sue had some champagne and I had Tsing Tao. To start, I had steamed pork gyoza, Sue had warm roast beetroot and goats cheese salad with balsamic dressing. Other starters available were soup of the day or a green salad.

Mains I had Clubhouse BLT and Sue had Prawn Laksa, with fried tofu and noodles. Others available were Confit of Duck, served with mashed potatoes savoy cabbage and puy lentils.

Grilled polenta cake wild mushrooms, poached egg and a red onion and watercress salad

Wonton noodle soup yellow chives, spring onion and chilli sauce.

Sweets
Chocolate and hazelnut torte

Fresh fruit salad

Ice cream

Cheese board.

We both had another drink then chilled for a bit, catching up with yesterday’s papers and the internet. Before boarding we both had chocolate torte to set ourselves up for the flight..

Later – We were called to board at around 2300 and walked to gate 23. We got our in seats 2D and 3D in a fairly full UC cabin. We were given sleep suits and champagne. There are 216 passengers on board, the CSM is Phillip, Flight time will be 12hours 33 minutes. We pushed back at 2325 wheels up was 2342 and the plane is Soul Sister.

At this stage all appeared to be normal. We had drinks after take off, it seemed a little strange not to be by the window, but we coped. Just after take off the pilot called for a medical volunteer, but we didn’t pay too much attention. I watched the new Hunger Games film Mockingjay Part 1 and Sue watched the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything.

The meal was served fairly quickly, no starter for me Sue had a Salad to start. We both had the excellent chicken main course.

Menu. Starters –

Crispy salad – a mixture of tender asparagus, capsicums and vegetables drizzled with Italian dressing

Chestnuts and mushroom soup
Pan fried Maguro – tuna fish with French beans and new potatoes Green olives with mild pimento.

Mains
Grilled chicken with pomelo sauce – Tender chicken breast coated with traditional Japanese spicy citrus Yuzu paste and topped with a tangy grapefruit sauce. Buttery green pea and potato mash and roasted mixed vegetables.

Deep fried halibut – delicious white fish with firm meaty texture and fluffy steamed rice topped with a kick of Szechuan chilli sauce.

Pean and mint agnolotti – fresh bite size Italian pasta squares coated in a tomato, basil, garlic and cheese sauce with broccoli and pumpkin.

Sweet –
Warm pear crumble tart

Belgian chocolate mousse cake

Cheese and port.

I finished with the pear tart, then made my bed up and settled down. Just over two and a half hours out Captain announced turn back, by which time I had settled down and was about asleep. Apparently the passenger who was taken ill earlier wasn’t any better and they had made the decision to go back to Hong Kong. We had to get dressed, put the bed back to seat form, and the pilot made a 180 degree turn round. We had to do new immigration forms. The pilot announced that the Chinese authorities wouldn’t let him dump fuel in their air space, so he had to circle round near Hong Kong for a while dumping a lot of fuel into the sea.

It was just after 4.30am when we landed smoothly in Hong Kong. We were asked to remain in our seats as the “casualty’ walked off breathing onto an air mask. A chap appeared at the door and announced that UC passengers were being put up in the Regal hotel, which is within the airport. PE and economy passengers were going to be bussed to Marriott Sky City, which is nearby and in our opinion a much better hotel.

After de-planing around 5am we made our way through an almost deserted immigration to baggage reclaim. I had a text conversation with Christopher, to update him and let him know that unfortunately he had wasted a day off. We had a very long wait of well over an hour for our bags, which wasn’t very welcome. The staff could have dome more to chase them up, but essentially it was out of their hands.

When our bags eventually appeared, we walked to the Regal where there was a special check in for Virgin passengers. We were given a key to room 3158 and meal vouchers for breakfast, lunch and dinner and were told that don’t have to vacate the rooms until we go to to check in at the airport tonight so Virgin will have to pay for two nights. The room is okay with two single beds, nit a Marriott by any stretch of the imagination, but still okay. Sue decided to go for some breakfast and I turned in. It was nearly 7am before I went to sleep.

At 10am we were woken by persistent banging and drilling, which seemed to be coming from just below us. Sue rung and was told a lot of work was being done in the hotel and they offered to move us! Why they didn’t put us in a quiet room first I have no idea. We had quite a wait for a hotel employee after we had dressed. Eventually he appeared with key to room 5085, but by this time I was wide awake so decided to get up. I went downstairs and did the diary and tom advantage to the 30 minutes free wi-fi. At 12.15pm I decided to go for had lunch, which I have to say was a very nice buffet. There were lots of carved meats and various ethnic stations. Also pizza and if you wanted it pop corn. I finished with apple crumble and ice cream, then read a bit and did more diary.

At 1330 I went back to room and Sue was up, so she went to eat. When she came back we decided to go out to City gate Outlets, even though the weather wasn’t great. We are on familiar ground so we know where to go to get the S1 bus to the mall, the cable car and the MTR station. At the mall we split up for a wander. Nothing tempted us in the Adidas, Nike, New Balance or Fortress stores. There is also a big supermarket that is very familiar from other trips. Despite not buying, it was nice to have a wander round the very busy mall. Together again we got the S1 bus back to the airport. There is loads of building work in the area as they are apparently constructing a huge bridge over to Macau.

Back at the hotel we chilled for a bit, had a bath and did a bit of diary. We can’t do online check in and are not sure if we will have the same seats as last night. At 6pm we went down for yet another buffet meal, which I have to say was excellent. Lots of different choices including some really nice carved lamb and very good curry. We passed on the octopus sushi but had a very diverse choice of foods and ate our fill.

Once we had eaten enough we went back to room, grabbed our bags and went to check out. We walked to airport for abut 7.40pm and joined the small queue. The staff arrived a little early after we had been stood chatting for a few minutes with a chap who gave us the run down of the events of last night. We were soon checked into the same seats as last night for tonight’s flight which has the callsign VS1201.

The familiar walk and train to the Clubhouse, where we were apologetically greeted by same staff. We were too full to eat, so I had a Tsing Tao and Sue had a glass of champagne and we grabbed the English papers with a real sense of deja vu that lasted all evening.The staff were great, constantly plying us with drink. The other plane (VS201) is leaving first, but the Clubhouse isn’t too busy.

The time passed very quickly and we walked to a different gate, to be greeted by the same crew as last night. There are a couple of passengers missing (including the casualty and his wife) so there are a few empty seats. Flight time is 12 hours 37 minutes, push back was 2344 and wheels up at 0007. We passed on the first drink run as I started to watch The Equaliser with Denzel Washington and watched Sue Paddington. We both had the same excellent chicken meal, but no sweet. There was a fair bit of turbulence early on in the flight, but we both got a good sleep.

When we woke I watched the end of the film and we were served breakfast. I just had a bacon roll and rosti potato followed by fruit salad and coffee. Sue just had cereal. We came into and at 0440, just after the 0430 curfew and went straight to Immigration, just behind the passengers from VS201. Our bags very quick and in Revivals just after 0500. It wasn’t busy at all I had Eggs Benedict and lots of coffee, while Sue went for a shower and then she had eggs with salmon.
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It was soon time to catch the tube to London King’s Cross. It was very busy after a couple of stations as we are in rush hour. At the station Sue went to change tickets. The staff at Virgin trains said we wouldn’t have to pay an excess and were very helpful, even going down with Sue to the ticket office, where they were trumped by the not so helpful ticket office staff who said we would have to pay extra and claim it back.

We stayed on the same train in first class. We went up to the new lounge briefly, bit it was soon time to board. The train was on time for our first trip on Virgin trains, we had a nice breakfast (my third) and good service.

Later – Train on time Christopher met with Ross and James – swap driver and head to home.

GREAT TRIP!!

Tuesday 10th March 2015

Early start again for the penultimate flight of the trip. Our concern here is case weight, as this is the only flight where we haven’t managed to pay up front for extra baggage – our allowance is only 20kg per person. We have thinned out as much as we can, by ditching liquids and non-essential items. The alarm was set for 6am and we went down for breakfast in the restaurant. It was as good as yesterday, though we avoided the jellyfish salad and stuck to the usual plate of fruit and yoghurt followed by a hot selection and a couple of pastries.

Back in the room for more repacking and juggling items, sneaking heavier items into our carry on bags. Using the bathroom scales, we weighed the cases, we know they were over but weren’t sure by how much. We checked out and got a taxi. It is wet again and the drizzle looks set for the day. We know there is a toll road out to the airport, but the driver decided to head through the city instead. The traffic is manic all the time, but as rush hour the chaos is multiplied, with traffic going in all directions, we just smiled and were thankful again someone else was driving.

It is quite a long run out to the airport, it started very slowly but as the traffic thinned out the pace increased and the estimate of 45 minutes was about right. The fare was 350,000VND, which is just over a tenner. We made our way inside the new looking huge international terminal the Vietnam Airlines area was absolute bedlam, with people queueing up to get into the area where the check in desks are located.

A quick scout round revealed that there very few people in web check in queue. The problem was getting in the bartered area. We used our height and Englishness and managed to barge our way to the web check in desk, where there were only three young Vietnamese lads in front of us. they were being sorted by a young, stern looking agent, who made them take items out of their cases to get them down to 20kg. It didn’t look good for us.

Eventually, they managed to get their cases sorted and it was out turn. Sue’s case was 24.1kg and mine was 23.7kg. we expected to pay $80 in excess baggage charges but the agent gave us a stern look but didn’t say anything. he just attached tags to the bags and put them through. We debated whether he didn’t want to upset tourists, or wasn’t confident enough to communicate to us. Whatever the reason, we were happy with the result.

We quickly made way through security and immigration to gate 23. Immigration was very slow and thorough, much more so than when we came in. There is no Priority Pass lounge here, so we set up at the gate – it is a very impressive bright, airy, clean concourse and has free wi-fi. there aren’t many shops or restaurants, but that wasn’t a problem as we are still full of breakfast. For the first time on the trip, the gate announcement came that out plane has been delayed.

The delay was announced as 30 minutes but was actually a lot less than that. While we were waiting I got a message to say our room in Hong Kong was ready! We boarded at 1030 and sat in seats 16F and 16G on a pretty full plane with a 3-3 config. I was next to the window and Sue was sat next to a lady who lives in Florida, but is actually from upstate New York, just like our great friend Eileen. (except that Eileen has now moved back to New York State.

Push back was 1035 and wheels up on runway 11 was 1105. I had to content myself with reading the newspaper as it was very cloudy and we lost sight of the ground a few seconds after take off. Then came a real surprise. We got a full meal service, on a flight of less than two hours. We were given a choice of beef or fish. we both had the fish and it came with a prawn salad starter, a really generous pice of fish with rice and veg, followed by a fruit salad. Very nice indeed.

During the flight we put our watches forward one hour. Despite our delay, we came in to land on time. Immigration was no problem, it always seems quick and efficient in Hong Kong – as does the badges, which came through very quickly again. As soon as we were landside we got Octopus cards – each has a $50 deposit and $100 credit, which sounds a lot, but there are $11HK to the pound at the moment.

We are staying out in the New Territories at Sha Tin, as the prices of Hong Kong hotels appears to have skyrocketed and also it is an area we haven’t really explored before. Thanks to Flyertalk I knew that we could easily get to the hotel by A41P bus to Ravana Gardens. We walked to the bus station and there was one at the stand about to leave – perfect! Both of us jumped on and settle down – it wasn’t busy. It is a long run along the 8 towards Kowloon before the first stop. First of all we passed the familiar Tung Chung area with Citygate Outlets,then had a quick ride out to the 9 and finally over the Shing Mun River to Sha Tin -as always in Hong Kong we were amazed at the number of huge high rise flats that are everywhere.

Once we had crossed the river and turned left, the second stop was Ravana Gardens, which took us by surprise a bit, but we managed to get all of our stuff of and we saw the huge Marriott opposite the bus stop. We walked under a subway to the hotel and checked in, no problem. They have lovely staff who gave us lots of info about the hotel and the local area, as well as giving us an upgrade to a river view room 2509.

Once we had got our bags up to the room, we went down to the lounge area to chill and discuss options. The actual lounge is being refurbished at the moment , as they have cordoned off an area adjacent to the lobby. We had a coffee and Sue chatted to the girls and established the the huge local mall is walkable.

The New Town plaza is the biggest mall in the New Territories – it has 350 stores and 50 restaurants on 8 floors, including M&S. We had a nice walk there along the banks of the river with the evening joggers and walkers. I was in shirt sleeves, but it was a little chilly. At the mall we split u and had wander – there is even a Snoopy World Theme park! I had a wander round the camera and electrical shops, but was most impressed with the two Mac computers they have a customer services for guests to use free. Neither of us bought anything and we decided to get the 284 bus back to the hotel – It is a $3.8 fare (about 30p) and stops at Ravana Gardens.

Back at the hotel we discussed meal plans. It is the last night of the holiday and the hotel does a very nice buffet, but it is over £40 a head, and neither of us are that hungry. We eventually decided to eat free in the lounge. They had some lovely hot chicken, as well as tuna baguettes, crudities , pork dumplings (gyoza) and some lovely little quiches. this was followed by green tea cheesecake and washed down with Carlsberg lager / sparkling wine.

After we had eaten, we had a chill and repacked our stuff into three bags instead of the two. The hotel is very impressive and is a full service Marriott in all but name.

Monday 9th March 2015.

Up early, so that we could have breakfast, and then catch the 9am shuttle into the city for some sightseeing. Breakfast amazing, even by this holiday’s standards of amazing breakfasts in various hotels. It is served in a huge dining room with lots of different stations. We started with our usual fruit and yoghurt, then we explored the hot options, Indian, many variations of cooked eggs, pizza, even ice cream to finish! The Israeli couple that Sue had been chatting to last night were on the next table.

After eating breakfast, we got sorted and got back downstairs in time for the 9am shuttle. there were only four of us for it, including Israeli couple, form the next table so they put us in taxi which they paid for. It is a drizzly morning again, but keeps stopping for a while, and it is quite misty so I borrowed an umbrella from the hotel and we set off along the busy road that we had come in on yesterday.

Once he had fought through the rush hour traffic, the driver dropped us on the edge of Hoan Kem Lake at Hang Doa, right next to the Old Quarter. There are lots of shops in the Old Quarter loads of them selling bags that Sue is after. There are also lots of dodgy food stalls, ladies carrying produce on their shoulders and some really, really dodgy electrics.

Today is a case follow our noses, which we love, we wandered around shops, then walked along the edge of the lake to the French Quarter / Town. here there are loads of new upmarket shops and very modern mall called Trang Tien Plaza,this is in direct contrast to the rundown area we first saw. Next stop was the Opera House with a huge Hilton, then to the War Museum, which was about to close for lunch when we arrived. As we walked there were loads trike drivers badgering constantly to give us a ride, but I think we walked faster (and safer)

Our wanderings took us well out of the tourist area and we finished up near a huge bus station next to the road we came in on yesterday as we recognised a huge mural. The maps we had weren’t that great and we finished up using a combination of a compass and a large scale map to work out the way back to the centre and the tourist land. We made it okay and stopped at a Starbucks for a drink and to consult that internet about any must sees we had missed.

The Hanoi Hilton (prison) and the huge Cathedral we had seen from the taxi were nearby so we wandered in their direction but aren’t entirely sure if we saw the Hilton or not. Eventually we were back at the lake having wandered through an area full of low end (and smart) tourist hotels. Sue bought a new backpack to put some heavy stuff in tomorrow.

It has been a day of a lot of walking today so we decided to get a taxi back to the hotel. We got a company recommended by the hotel and showed the driver a hotel card, which he immediately recognised. He drove us out along busy roads again, but I think we are before the real rush hour. Back at the hotel, we went up to the lounge for coffee and cake. The lounge staff had tried, but couldn’t help with our baggage weight issue for tomorrow. i thought I may be able to resolve it at OLCI, but I couldn’t.

We didn’t fancy any more walking , so we went up to the huge pool on the roof, though it is covered over fortunately – we say chilling and reading for a while before going back to the room for the massive task of sorting and repacking.

Once we had done as much of that as we could, we went back to the lounge for the evening offerings. Tonight the hots dishes include some lovely made to order chicken or beef Quesadillas which we really enjoyed, and we also had some nice breads, cold meats and salads. We caught up on the events happening in the world and followed the conclusion of England’s win or bust match against Bangladesh. They had kept Bangladesh down to a chasable total of 275 and we were optimistic, but they kept losing wickets. Joe Buttler and Ian Woakes looked like they may bring us home, but once Woakes was out Jordan, Broad and Anderson followed in quick succession and we lost by 15 runs and our world cup is over.

We had another drink to commiserate, and printed off the boarding passes for tomorrow, then went back to the room for more packing, re-packing and sorting.

Sunday 8th March 2015

Our alarm was set for 6.15am so that we can go for breakfast at 7am. It is another misty and very still morning. Breakfast only consisted of cereals, cakes and coffee, as we are also due to eat brunch, before we leave the boat. Another option was tai-chi on the sun deck but we didn’t partake. After we had eaten we went onto the sundeck to take photos as we sailed past a floating village.

At 9.30am we took to the tenders to a fishing village – the village consists of lots of huts floating together in the calm water. We docked and then transferred to a series of small drowning boats. Ours had a lady rower who took us through a small opening into a vast cave that then opened up into a hidden lake – great photo op then the three rowing boats from our party clustered together and the guide told us the history of the people who live in the floating villages. Once we were back on the dock we all tipped the rower in US dollars.

Back to the boat for brunch. It was a very nice meal but we were still full from breakfast so I just had a bacon cob and some fruit. Once we had eaten we had to check out, pay our bar bill and take our bags from the cabin, so that they could be loaded into the tender. We were having a very slow cruise in towards the tourist dock while were eating, and drinking coffee. We exchanged emails and details with the Aussie and German couple before we got back to the bay and disembarked into the tenders.

Back at the dock, we had a short wait for bus and had two extra passengers, both Aussies who had been out here for two nights. On the way back we got the back seats of the bus but Sue kept getting dripped on from the air con unit above. It was very noticeable on the way back that the roads and the fields were not as busy as the day before and we put this down to it being Sunday

Our stop on the way back was at a similar sort of craft shop at Thanh Dong. The shop was very quiet and very expensive, we didn’t even have a coffee as we are still full. Sue took her chance to move forward to the bus next to the two new Aussies. Not long after we were back on the road, the driver picked up what we assume were his wife and child to take them into Hanoi.

Just before we hit the city the driver seemed to divert off the busy main road into a development, that would have ben at home in Florida – huge palatial houses and condos, that looked brand new the development was called Vinhomes Riverside and my guess is that the diversion was to make sure the tourists saw the new affluence of Vietnam.

We were soon back in the madness that is the centre of a very busy in Hanoi -even on a Sunday. When the driver stopped to drop the Aussies at their hotel we jumped out and grabbled one of the taxis that was queued nearby. I showed hm the JW Marriott website and he nodded saying he knew it. We loaded our bags and off we went.

The journey was about 20 minutes through busy but fairly fast moving roads, past lots of new looking developments and shopping centre but also a lot more of the abandoned partially built structures that are so common. The taxi rode was 160,000 VND (less than a fiver) and he dropped us at the door of the massive JW Marriott, which is a very large impressive looking structure.

When we went to the check in desk we were escorted up to the concierge lounge where, once again we were given the VIP treatment with drinks and information as we sorted the formalities. We are in room 663 on the same level as the lounge – they said the hotel has 450 rooms and they are all full tonight and tomorrow. We booked the 9am shuttle and went to the room.

It is another lovely room with Bose sound dock Nespresso coffee machine and a very big TV, there is also a huge bath and a sit down shower – all very, very nice. It wa sonly just after 3pm when we arrived and they serve sandwiches and cake in the lounge from 3pm- 5pm, before the cocktails start at 5.30pm.

From a letter we had been given, we were not sure if cocktails includes food, so we had quite a few sandwiches and cakes and caught up with the world now we have a fast internet connection again. We need not have worried as Evening cocktails 1730 – 1930 did in fact include a lovely spread, they highlight of which were made to order Sliders. Very soon the smell of frying steak was wafting over. and we just had to partake, even after the sandwiches.

While we were in the lounge we asked two concierge staff Tung and Diamond for help about our Vietnam Airlines weight issue. Since I booked I have been trying without success to find a way of increasing our 20kg allowance. Diamond took it on as her project and said the offices were closed on Sunday evening but she would sort it tomorrow when she came to work at 11am and would let us know the result by leaving us a note in the room.

We also managed to have a phone chat with Rupert to thank him and Thuy for their help and hospitality. We also had a nice FaceTime chat with Christopher to get an update on his new job. The Lounge Manager is a Brit and he came over to have a chat as well. The evening was very pleasant full of chat eating and drinking. Sue had a nice sauvignon blanc and had some more Bia Ha Noi.

We aimed for a reasonably early night. I went for bath Sue got chatting to an Israeli couple before she joined me.

Saturday 7th March 2015

Today is our boat trip out to Halong Bay, so it was a very early start. The alarm was set for 5.45am. Before we set off we had a very nice breakfast buffet that was unexpectedly included in the price of the room. We then packed and went down to the lobby at 7.15am for the bus at 7.30am. We were told that this was the time on the ticket but in reality it was usually much later. As it turned out it was a good job we were’t too much are as the mini bus arrived at 7.50am

One couple from Oz were already onboard, then we went to another hotel to get a German couple. This bus took us all the way out to the bit after the driver had issued us with a bottle of water, he set off though the awful traffic. It was even busier than normal, as we hit the rush hour. We were soon into more rural areas – lots and lots of paddy fields. It was a fascinating drive, watching the people in field after field after field – a lot which had gravestones in, which looked strange.

There was also an unbelievable amount of crazy over and under taking by every type of vehicle that could. After an hour or so, we had a stop for coffee at service area that had a workshop and retail areas for things made by disabled people, it was a popular stop with lots of coaches and mini buses all apparently heading for Halong stopping there. We didn’t buy anything apart from coffee, but enjoyed the free wi-fi and were surprised by the photo testimonials of happy buyers, that included their full addresses and emails.

Back on the road, we continued towards the coast, the driving just got crazier as we passed through the various towns – the overtaking just got more desperate – the worst bit being when we were on a dual carriageway and came to traffic lights where we wanted to turn left against the traffic. There were two lanes of traffic that were queueing and then two more formed making four – completely blocking the traffic causing much beeping horns and chaos as everyone in the four lines tried to merge into one lane.

Eventually we arrived at a resort area that was still being built and we parked up. There were lots of buses and loads of people. We are at Ha Long Tourist wharf, there are several of tender boats waiting to take passengers out to the cruise boats moored out of the harbour. Our guide asked us all to follow him and we sat in a waiting area – he explained that there was us six plus some Italians in one tender and we and waiting for group of 8 Russians (who later turned out to be Latvians!) for the other tender.

They turned up a couple of minutes later and we took the tender out to our boat, which is called Harmony. We boarded through the rear and were guided up into the bar / restaurant area where we were given a drink and a bit of a briefing. A time table was handed out and we were given room key room to cabin 201 on second deck of three. We got our bags and took them to the cabin, which is very nice with a shower / loo and storage areas – it isn’t the biggest room we have had, but it will be more then adequate. The boat also has free (but very slow) wi-fi.

As we set sail we were given a buffet lunch, which included a very nice shrimp salad, cooked meats and and hot fish. Very nice indeed after we had eaten we went up onto the sundeck, as it has now stopped raining. We set off from the harbour and cruised out to Halong Bay in a flotilla of at least 40 boats that we could see.

Our first port of call were the aptly named Surprise Caves. We all got into one tender and headed for the dock. Again, it was really well organised, with our party being split into two – one with an English guide and the Russians with a native speaker. The caves were huge and the path through them was well marked. our guide posted our several points of interest and explain that during the war many locals came to the caves to hide away fro the bombing and fighting. One rock that wa shaped like a turtle had a bowl full of money left to it, as locals believe that giving money to turtles brings prosperity.

After exiting through various gift shops and gift boats, we rejoined the tender for a trip across to Titov island. The tender dripped us off and we had a choice of staying on the very nice man made beach to soak up the (non- existent) sun and swim or climb the 500 plus steps up to the top of the tower for a panoramic view of Halong bay. We elected to take the step challenge. It was hard work, but the view was worth it. I even managed to drop my glasses on the way up, but someone picked them up and asked whose they were when they got to the top after us.

At 5pm we got the tender back to the boat. It has been dry while we have been off the boat, but it isn’t sun bathing weather. Certainly not cold, and there isn’t a breath of wing in the bay. Back on the boat we chilled fora bit and got changed for dinner. When we got to the restaurant, it was happy hour. Buy two drinks, get one free. We took advantage and had some Han Oi Bia. As it was dark I went up on the sundeck to take photos and counted at least 47 other boats around us. there were more, some were tucked behind others.

The evening meal was a lovely buffet, so after the beers it was time for food. A very nice salad then curry and chicken and fish with a variety of side dishes form all parts of the world – including some chips! During and after the meal we had a chat with the Aussies and the German couple, both couples were well travelled and very interesting.

After the meal the only evening activity was Squid fishing off the back of the boat. We watched for a while, but it wasn’t really our thing so we left them to it, but we found out the next morning that none were caught. We had a reasonably early night.

Friday 6th March 2015

Up at 7.30am so that Sue could wash her hair, then instead of a repeat in the lounge, we went down to the restaurant for breakfast. It was a fabulous spread, pork steaks loads of exotic fruit and cosmopolitan hot selection. Pork dumplings gyoza and nice potato with bacon, there was also some hot sauce next to this dish, which was a belter. There were also lots of nice pastries and breads. The temptation is to eat till we burst, but we kept it in moderation.

On the way back to the room we explored what we found to be the fifth floor lounge, which gave us a reverse photo op back up tot eh 21st floor. Back to the room to pack, we checked out in the lounge. I can’t do OLCI for our flight today – presumably a Vietnam thing – so I printed booking page instead.

The taxi to the airport gave us our expected wild ride. Just summed up as traffic chaos that mostly works. The big headache is cars and bikes blocking junctions blocked so only a few vehicles get through at a time at certain crossroads. A nice touch is the countdown feature on traffic lights , both on green and red.

The taxi dropped us off at the Domestic Terminal at 1130, and by 1150 we were checked in, bags tagged and dropped and through security into the Sasco Lounge near gate 12. There were long queues at check in again, but bag drop was empty – all very efficient too. The lounge was almost deserted, it is a Priority Pass and has great food and drink selection and free wi-fi. Though it did seem that the BBC News website was blocked. (but the BBC News app on the iPad worked fine), Facebook chat was also blocked. In the corner of the lounge was a big massage chair which we both had a go on – it was really powerful pummelling backs and legs. We only had drinks, as we still full of breakfast.

At boarding time we walked down to our gate – on the way we heard a call to gate two, which made us lengthen our stride a bit, but it was for the previous flight at that gate. As is is a bussing gate, they called our flight our flight straight after. We were bussed to the plane, which is a Jetstar Pacific Airbus A321-200, it has 2-2 config with very wide seats. We are in 1F and 1G.- Pushback was 1400 with wheels up at 1417. Flight time is 1 hour 45 minutes, so just another hop by our recent standards.

Later – we arrived on time. It was very cloudy on the way in, so we saw little of the Hanoi terrain until we were almost on the ground and the bits we did see looked WET, with many paddy fields in evidence. Our bags were among the first off again.

It was at this point that our first major hitch of the trip occurred – a car that I had booked and paid for through SinhTravel was no where to be seen. There should have been a driver holding a card with my name on. In Saigon, it would have taken us half an hour to scan the crowd of cards, but here, there were only two drivers – neither for us. I tried ringing the office but couldn’t get through. Sue emailed Rupert and he rang. He will get his partner Thuy to speak to the company. He suggested we get a taxi. We had a conversation with a driver, who rung someone for us but the language barrier was difficult to overcome

Rupert helped us brilliantly, we got a taxi into town and en route he rung us to tell us to divert to the travel company offices, where they were expecting us. On the way in, it was drizzling quite heavily and it is noticeably colder than Saigon. We drove over a big new bridge towards the city, it got very busy and the Vietnam moped swarm appeared. The taxi ride cost us 400,000 VND and he dropped us outside the travel office, which took some finding on a tight narrow back street.

The girls in the office sorted us out. They reimbursed the taxi fare in cash, after I had chased the taxi down the road having thought I had left my phone in it (I hadn’t). They also gave us vouchers for the hotel and for the boat trip tomorrow. Once the paperwork was sorted they called a taxi to toe us to the hotel and said the hotel would pay when we arrived. The taxi took us to the hotel Hong Ngoc Dynastie where we checked into room 708. The hotel was a very pleasant surprise – modern, with a nice room, huge bed lots of personalised goodies a huge shower and 69 channels on the TV, as well. We got sorted and rang Rupert to arrange to meet – he said he would come to the hotel about 7.30pm, which gave us an hour or so to get ready.

Once we had changed, we went down to the bar of the hotel and had a Ha Noi Bia each with Rupert and his partner Thuy. We worked it out that it was over thirty years since we had actually seen each other, so we had a great catch up, then they offered to take us for a meal. We got a taxi to Quan an Ngon restaurant which is huge with lots of different preparation stations of different ethnic foods. We left the ordering to Thuy and ended up with lots of nice food – huge prawns, bbq beef and lots of weeds as Rupert called them. Herbs to us. The staff prepared some of the food for us and it was a lovely meal, as well more beer. It was a great evening.

After we had eaten, we all got a taxi past the Hanoi Hilton to our hotel. Rupert and Thuy were off to a music bar, but it was a bit late for us, so we went back to the hotel ready for an early start in the morning.

Thursday 5th March 2015

Up early before 7am this morning thanks to the time change. We decided to have breakfast in lounge today, it is a mix of east and west including chicken curry. It is very nice again with a great fruit selection and the usual hot offerings.

Today is our full day of exploring in Saigon, so we went back to the room to get sorted. It is already a very sunny morning, so we decided our first order of business would be a walk to the nearby Saigon Tower aka The Bitexco Financial Tower. It dominates the skyline near the hotel, as it has a huge helicopter landing pad sticking out of it.

It wasn’t busy at all and offered great views around the city. One thing that has already struck me in Vietnam, is the number of abandoned building projects – next door to us us a huge 40 storey office block that is about 70% compete, even with glass in the first few floors, but it clearly hasn’t been worked on for ages. The bottom is boarded up and there are weeds starting to grow al around it.

Back on terra firma we decided to head up to the Botanical gardens, and rather ha get a bus we walked alongside the river along Ton Duc Thang, which is the main road running beside it . we walked past the pleasure boats, the working boats and other river life in the red hot sunshine, and had to stop at a shopping mall for some air con and a cool down. The shopping mall was next to the massive Meridien Residences that have been built overlooking the river and are not far off being completed. We then turned right along another busy road – the pavement was lined with a number of sellers – people with bikes selling goldfish, lottery tickets and flowers.

Next, we walked along Nguyen Binh Khiem to botanical gardens and zoo. It was 50,000 VND each (£1.50) to get into the very big complex. We were only expecting the gardens, as neither of us are big fans of zoos. First stop was a drink from the vending machine and a photo op with a big bird, that we both thought was stuffed! Then the orchid house, before moving onto the animals.

The black bears weren’t too bad – they have a nice environment, but the lions and tigers were in awful conditions. The monkey’s were in a good enclosure, and we enjoyed watching the elephants having a wash, but basically we concentrated on the plants – we also got good photos of some rats on the monkey island. Before we left we had a nice ice cream then headed for our next destination – the Jade Emperor Pagoda.

On the way we navigated some very busy roads, Vietnam style at the busy roundabout at the junction of Nguyen Binh Khiem and Dien Bien Phu. Towering above the island was a huge billboard advertising Dunkin’ Donuts billboard featuring Steve Gerrard and a couple of other Liverpool players. It was so hot that we had another drink at a KFC.

At the Jade Emperor Pagoda, it was bedlam. Outside, there were fish, cage birds, turtles, incense and flowers all being sold to be given as offerings by the many devoted who were flocking to the temple on foot and on their mopeds – the crowds were huge and the moped parking was an art. I had a sit down while Sue went in to have a look round – all fascinating.

We weaved our way back to the hotel, with Sue clutching her map and navigating us through the streets to the hotel. Once we were there, we went straight for a drink and a cake in the lounge, then we went up to the roof top pool on the 21st floor. It was a lovely pool with a great view over the city and the river. We sat and had a read and enjoyed the warmth.

Once the sun had gone down, we went back to the lounge for the evening food and had some, chicken skewers and sausage with salad and lots of other nibbles. We also had beer and cheese, before having a walk out to Saigon Square and Ben Thanh Market. This was great walk and was very busy. I tried haggling a bit, which I quite enjoying but don’t need any more shirts. Crossing roads at night is also quite an experience.

On our way back to the hotel, we made our way back over the metro building site with its Auf Weidersen Pet style huts full of workers. We had another drink in hotel, before settling down.

Wednesday 4th March 2015

Alarms were set for 6am but we were awake long before that, and in fact were washed, dressed, packed and checked out for 6.15am. I have to say it was a good night’s sleep in the Tune and I wouldn’t have a problem staying with them again. We took the short walk to the terminal in the dark and went up to level three and the Air Asia check in area.

Check in was very quick and easy – no problem with the now three checked bags, that are getting heavier with each flight. We went through immigration very quickly and security was bit of a joke, but there is probably secondary, more thorough, screening at the gate. We had another quite long walk to the Plaza Premium Wellness lounge that we had used before flying to Melbourne and it was here that we encountered our first problem – it was closed!

Hey ho, it wasn’t even 7am! McDonalds was next door so we had a coffee there – Sue did some internet research and found it opened 0700-2300 and sure enough about five past seven the doors opened. Sue went first, as I was busy typing and hadn’t drunk my coffee and by the time I joined her she had breakfasted on cereal. We both had some noodles with eggs and soon it was time to board.

There was more thorough security check at the gate Gate P9. Though it was memorable for lots of staff stood around with most doing nothing, this is replicated at many gates throughout the airport and shows Asia’s full employment policy. Our plane is an Air Asia A320-300, we got on board at 0840 for a flight time of 1 hour 55 minutes. We had to put out watches back an hour, then push back was at 0901 and wheels up at 0914. We got great views of KL in the cloudless sky as we climbed and banked back over the city.

Later – We landed at Saigon at 1005, which is on time. We wondered how thorough the formalities would be on arrival, but they were no problem, no queues, and as soon as they saw we had visas we were straight in, no questions. Our bags were among first, and they appeared as soon as we arrived at belt – through in record time. 

Outside was our first hint at the culture shock that was to come, there was a real crush outside the arrival gates – loads of people, many with signs were clambering towards the arrivals area. More than I think I have ever seen in one terminal. There aren’t the tourist info places and welcome areas we have become used to but it was easy to navigate to the taxi area, where uniformed staff were waiting to direct you to a taxi once you said where you wanted to go. I had screen printed the hotel website with a map and the address in Vietnamese, so we were quite easy.

Our taxi driver was a nice friendly guy, among the very few words of English he knew after he had asked ‘Where from ?’ were Manchester United! We now know that were supposed to pay a toll of 5000VND (about 15p) as we left the airport, but the smallest note we had was 200,000(about six quid!), so he had to dig in his wallet and pay it himself. Once outside the airport, we were immediately struck by the thousands of mopeds, that seem to come at you from every direction in total chaos. The traffic is just unbelievable – there is no apparent system – cars, buses and mopeds all compete for the same bit of road and just criss cross and merge, all to the tune of contsant blaring of horns. It doesn’t take long to realise that the ‘system’ works. We actually made slow but constant progress along the road.

All was going swimmingly, we we laughing at the exploits and the loads of the scooters and their drivers and we seemed to be heading into town, our eyes were darting this way and that and we were sort of enjoying it – both glad were weren’t driving. Suddenly the car cut out in the middle of some melee and the driver just couldn’t get it going again. To give him his due, once he had navigated to the side of the road and realised it wasn’t going to go again, he was straight on the radio and another taxi pulled up behind us. Our driver clearly explained where we wanted to go, and our notes were still too big for him. I had been told that US dollars are also welcome here, so he gratefully accepted $5 and loaded our cases into the new taxi.

The second taxi got us to the Renaissance Riverside Hotel without mishaps – it wasn’t until we got out that we realised how hot it was – also very humid. Another $5, which included a very generous tip, later we were inside and ready to check in. As we gave our passports to the girl, she offered us some local sweets, which I have to say tasted a little like bonfire toffee, but we very nice. s soon as her computer told her that we were gold – she clicked her fingers and had us whisked up to the exec lounge on the 18th floor to check in. There, a lovely lady got us drinks and checked us in. She gave us maps and came up with ideas about what we should do here excellent service. We asked the question. Do we say Saigon or Hi Chi Minh City? She told us that locals say Saigon, and if we are being friendly, that is the best – Saigon it is then.

Our room is 1520 on the 15th or 20 floors. The rooms are in a square formation with a huge void going down to the lobby in the middle it is amazing looking down – I don’t suffer from vertigo, but if I did I am sure it would not be good for me. The room has a nice bath, a settee, a desk and lots of space. Very impressive, especially as I had read some so-so reviews before we arrived and so was happy with the quality.

After settling in and freshening up a little, we decided to go out for walk, armed with the map our friend in the exec lounge had given us. Before we set off I split some notes at reception, to get some spending money and had to change my camera batteries.

Outside, we experienced our first Vietnamese road crossing. We had been told to just walk out into the traffic, because it won’t stop for you, but will avoid you – especially the mopeds. It is a little disconcerting at first but, again – it works! We went to a park opposite the hotel, where there is a huge statue of a man called Tran Hung Dao, which gave us a photo op.

With our new road crossing confidence getting stronger, we walked up Dong Khoi, past loads of cafes where people were all sat on tiny plastic chairs eating their lunch. Small shops and cafes are everywhere – it is amazing and fascinating. To get out of the heat we went into a brand new shopping centre called Union Square, which is full of the upmarket Cartier, Prada, Louis Vuitton type shops – not really us. On the opposite side of the street to the mall is a massive Communist party building – capitalism lives alongside its nemesis.

Another photo op at the Opera House, which is opposite a big building site for the new metro that is being built with Japanese finance and will be open in a few years. We then walked up to the Notre Dame cathedral and paused to watch the Hao Binh Primary school band, who were performing on the pavement outside their school.

Our goal was the Independence Palace, and we arrived there at 1pm – coincidentally, the fact time it opens to the public. We bought tickets and then had a welcome cold drink from a vending machine inside.

On the outside in the grounds of the palace there were tanks and a planes from the 1975 war, which gave us a photo op or two. Before going inside we had a walk round the outside, which wa surprisingly interesting with a fantastic variety of trees and flowers, all labelled up. We watched some ‘senior’ tennis players on the court, then went inside.

There are a limited number of room open to the public, but the presidential rooms and dining areas were all very interesting. Up on the roof the Presidential Huey helicopter on still on the roof at his back and call. There was also a games room and full size cinema for his entertainment. Plus the two pointed circles a where South Vietnam pilot called Nguyen Thanh Trung who had infiltrated the enemy air force the bombed palace in 1975.

Last call before we left was the bunker underneath the palace, which could house the President, his family and staff – it had a full comms area so that he could control his army from down there. The comms equipment and phones were positively antique, and reminded us both of when we joined the police in the late 70’s – telex equipment and teleprinters.

In a nod to the decadent capitalist west, we had to exit through the gift shop! We then made our way to the huge Ben Thanh Market, which is indoors and has hundreds of fascinating stalls, including fish, meat, fruit and veg as well as the food stalls, the t-shirts stall and ladies / gents clothing stalls. There ware just so many selling the same things once again it is difficult to imagine them all making a good living. There are very few prices, you are expected to haggle. We spent a good hour wandering and lockage in amazement.

Heading back towards the hotel we stopped so that Sue could have a Green tea ice cream, I had a vanilla one, we also stood watching the street food sellers prepare their wares, but we resisted the temptations to buy any of their ‘meat’ products! At a smaller, cleaner and more organised indoor market, called Saigon Market, we saw that latests cinema releases all on sale as DVDs for 10,000 dong each (30p) they also had lots of TV box sets at 20,000VND (60p). There were also some good looking t-shirts for sale at fixed price, usually around 100K VND (£3).

In order to get back to the hotel we had so get round a huge building site, which is the new Saigon Metro. In the UK Health and Safety would have meant big fences all around it – not here! We were able to walk straight through the middle of it , jumping over holes, and crossing bigger ones on very flimsy wooden pallets put there to help the public. Before we got back we passed through an area with lots of DVD and electrical shops – one again the latest cinema releases were readily available.

Once we were back, we were really ready for a drink, and it was cake time in the lounge, so we went up for cold drinks, cake and some tiny bananas. It was nice to sit and watch the river views, it really is a working river with loads of interesting craft of all shapes and sizes going up and down. Once we had finished our drink, we got changed and went up to the roof top pool on the 21st floor. It gave us a chance to finish a very enjoyable day lying in the sun reading and watching road traffic and the river, as well as catching up with world news on the internet.

Later, we got washed and changed, then went down to the lounge for evening cocktails. The drinks and food were excellent and included some nice ramen, huge shrimps, lovely breads and crab muffins. the lounge was very busy and we were joined at out table by a fascinating Swiss couple – Eric and his wife, whose name we both missed. Both are Vietnam veterans (not literally – they have just spent a lot of time here ) and we spent a very nice couple of hours chatting, drinking G&T and Sai Gon Bia, before settling down, after another long but enjoyable day.

It was certainly nice to have a soak in the bath.

Tuesday 3rd March 2015