Day 1 Christchurch to Hanoi

Day 1 and we are off. Leaving Christchurch at 6 10 pm. It was relief to see the McKenzies at the airport and know our adventure was set to begin. Flew to Auckland and after a short delay onto Singapore. 10 hour flight was ok and on arrival the airport was beautiful and plenty to see after train ride from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. Two hours there before leaving for 3 hour flight to our destination- Hanoi. Arrived in Hanoi to be met by our bags and Wide Eyed Tours guide. An hour long drive into the city was an eye opener! So many people (over 8 million) and 6 million scooters! They were everywhere, all tooting and jostling for a space. After a swim in the beautiful hotel pool we headed out. What an experience- just crossing the road was a challenge. The guide’s advice was “close your eyes and follow your heart”. Thousands of scooters everywhere- some also carrying up to three children, and cars and buses all driving on narrow steets with vendors all along them. The buildings were incredible, many stories high, mostly old and hundreds of little allies and side paths. The smells were also interesting as a lot of cooking was going on the footpaths. All in all an eye- opening experience. We found dinner at a nice restaurant and ate typical Vietnamese dumplings, pancakes and pho. We were all pleased to roll into bed at 8pm after a long 24 hours.Read more