The Hanoi Hilton

After 31 hours of travel by airplane and taxi, over thousands of miles, an ocean, two seas, international datelines, and (surprisingly) the Russian arctic, we've finally arrived in Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport at around midnight.

The 15 hours from Dulles to Seoul were presided over by very attentive Korean Air flight attendants, and featured an endless selection of video entertainment. Our seatmate, a Filippino bound for Manilla, was pleasant company, chatting about how we reminded her of her daughter with regard to travel, age, school, and her upcoming wedding.

The Seoul/Incheon airport was exceedingly convenient (as Korean Air will be sure to tell its passengers with a multimedia presentation during landing). It was great to not have to pass Korean customs or re-check our bags. Totally hastle-free and time saver. This allowed us to enjoy the terminal, a veritable Tysons Galleria with an airstrip attached. I have never seen a shopping center with four different Gucci boutiques. We used our two hour layover to hunt down some Korean fast food. The noodles with hot Kimchee were a lifesaver after the less-than-appetizing meal options on the airplane. Key takeaways: Incheon Int'l Airport is extremely convenient and a great stopover when connecting through Asia, and Seoul (at least at this time of year) is 13 hours ahead of the East Coast.

We landed in Hanoi and luxuriated in the communist "efficiency" at the baggage claim for what seemed like hours, while crushed, duct taped boxes of what may have been formerly live animals or Cambodian immigrants continued to circulate on the belt. With the hassle of the simple tasks like collecting one's luggage, we braced for a customs nightmare. We were relieved(?) when we passed through the line with barely a glance at our American passports by the 14-year-old "officer." Per the research we did prior to travelling, we opted to bypass the "taxicab mafia" who would be sure to drive us to a sham hotel in order to extort, rob, or otherwise take advantage of us. Instead, we met a very friendly and helpful information desk girl who called us a legit cab, gave us free maps, and her cell phone number (in case we needed anything else)--our first taste of the world famous Vietnamese hospitality. Even though the cab ride was in the dark, we still excitedly squeezed hands in the cab while exclaiming, "honeymoon!/can you believe we're in Vietnam?" We also tried to squint out the windows at the darkness to pick out the french colonial buildings, concrete and rebar residences, and brand new high rise construction projects as we wound through the warrens of Old Hanoi.

For the next couple nights, we are staying in the 5 Star Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel located directly in the Old Quarter and with a great next-door view of the French Colonial Hanoi Opera House (can't wait to post pictures of the opera house when it's not dark out). We opened the door to a beautiful sweet and a honeymoon gift from the hotel: a bottle of bubbly on ice and roses around the room.


Anyway, while it may not seem to exciting yet for those at home, we cannot wait for the prospects of adventures, great food, and agressive haggling to come. More soon.

Katie and Adam