“I won’t be doing another blog this time” kept on going through my head as I figured that everyone who has been reading previous issues of my blog has had enough of Vietnam by now. Being my 8th trip since my inaugural journey back in 2008, I would have believed that I have seen and done it all in Vietnam. However, it is not a case of just seeing and doing a country, but rather experiencing the moments in time which are never the same. Add to this the fact that I am travelling with my brother which makes it a very nice experience.
In 2008 the first trip was done by means of a 7 day organised motorcycle tour of the far northwest of the country with a further 7 days traveling south, all the way to Saigon. Little did I know that even before leaving I was already hooked on this country !
In 2011 I went back with my son-in-law Paul and a friend from work to ride the North Eastern loop and visiting Halong Bay. That year I met a Dutchman named Eddie who was living his dream up in the high mountains of the north to open a bar/restaurant/accommodation complex in the valley beyond Sapa.Several times I returned either on my own or again with my son-in-law, who seemed to be hooked as well, and later with my friend Gert, who you met in the last blog.
The Dentist.This trip was to be different. As written about before, many dentists in Vietnam are very good and very cheap. They are also more modern than many in the West as it is a new industry here and most of the new clinics have invested in the very latest (read painless/clean) technology. Recently I broke a tooth and also had an issue with another tooth. Going to a dentist in Vietnam is way cheaper than getting teeth fixed in Australia. I figure if anyone is in need of a major dental repair job, they could book a return flight to Vietnam, have a nice holiday with good hotels, good food and it would still be a lot cheaper than in their home country. Meanwhile, the broken tooth has been rebuilt, three cavities filled and one root canal treatment completed. After about 2.5 hours in the chair the bill came- 165 US dollars.
Hotels are good and cheap – check this one out - Time Hotel, Dao Duy Tu street Hanoi. Very nice and comfortable. $15 USD per night and that is for a room for 2 people including a good breakfast and great service. (A few minutes ago some staff saw us sitting at the table writing and brought over two glasses of tea just to be nice).

Anyway, back to the start. My original plan was to go for 5-7 days just to get my teeth fixed. A few weeks ago I rang my brother Frank and asked if he was interested in coming along too, and yes, he was - but just for 5-7 days was a bit short. So, suddenly the plan became three weeks and we are now traveling around this wonderful country seeking some new adventures.

As stated in my first line - "no blog, this time" - I thought. ...

However. I had already had several requests from friends who mentioned that they had looked forward to some more pages coming their way. So. I have given in, but will do a somewhat different blog this time with fewer words, selective pictures - and only every few days

This time, the flight departed from Brisbane Airport rather than from the Gold Coast. Singapore Airlines took us through the night to an early landing in Singapore and then a quick flight straight to the brand new and very modern Nobai Airport near Hanoi. My contact Eric, who hails from Holland and runs his travel agency, had arranged a “visa on arrival” for us. This used to be a headache where one would face a long waiting period sitting on the marble floor, but now it is just a matter of handing over the documents and waiting 15 minutes in a comfortable chair until your name is called.

In the past, I have always arranged for a taxi to take me from the airport to the old quarter of Hanoi, but this time opted for a cheaper way, which, as is often the case, also turned out to be a more interesting way. Instead of paying between US$12-15 for the trip we took the local bus which stops just outside the domestic terminal and got to our hotel for 60 cents - with the added pleasure of the company of school children trying to practice their English on us. For a person (Frank) who has never been here, a far better way to be introduced to Vietnam than driving along a freeway into the city.