DID: Last leg begins today!!!
Up early to hit a pho place Jason’s been reading about. Just as the reviewers described, there was a big queue even at 8am. Restaurant opens at 6 and serves until the run out of food (usually at around 10). More on that in ATE.
Took a slow walk back to the hotel, hitting a bakery, a café, and a currency exchange along the way. Jason tried to change all the miscellaneous currency we had floating around at an ANZ bank but they wouldn’t buy most of it. Never fear in Vietnam, there’s always someone hanging around who can take care of whatever you might need. In this case it was a woman with a calculator and a head full of forex rates – she and Jason agreed rates for all the Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese and Thai currency he had left. Ended up with just enough money to get to the airport and to pay for visas in Bali (US dollars required).
The hotel staff lined up to say goodbye to Rhys, it was really sweet. He gave them all kisses.
Just enough time in the cab to write all the postcards that had been collecting. Hanoi airport experience uneventful (thankfully).
Flew Singapore Airlines from Hanoi to Singapore and then on to Bali. Airline is quite luxurious compared to all others we’ve been on thus far with the exception of the ANA partner StarFlyer. Lots of movies to choose from and the kids got special meals. Hot towels passed out at the beginning of the flight – Gavin made me laugh because he smelled it and said ‘This smells nice, like wet towel!’ Guess he’s really gotten accustomed to the Asian refreshing-towel-on-arrival-service! Only complaint is that they leave the food trays in front of you for a ridiculously long time. Like pretty much until the pilot announces that the cabin should be prepared for landing. Quite annoying – especially with a toddler who either starts throwing the remaining food items around or wants to sit in your lap but can’t because you can’t put the tray table away. Or just for any normal person who wants to use their tray for any purpose other than holding the remnants of a meal you ate two hours prior.
Bali visa-on-arrival process very well organized. They just want your money rather than to examine your credentials, and they are adept at taking it quickly and moving you along. Our problem was that we’d forgotten to fill out the entry cards on the plane. I remembered this as I was standing at the plane waiting for the stroller (Jason had gone ahead to get in line for the visas). By the time I got to him he had already paid for and obtained the visas and was third in line at the immigration desk. Jason went through first, I moved aside of the queue and finished the paperwork for the rest of us. Took for-EVER - they want passport number, date, expiration, place of issue, place of birth, flight number for your arrival, flight number for your departure, where you are staying, occupation - and some of the info multiple times because you also have to fill out a departure card. Surprised they didn’t also ask for a full medical history, criminal record and a CV. By the time I finished our paperwork Jason had already gotten then baggage and was back waiting for us on the other side of immigration.
Felt like I was in the Gold Coast QLD on the drive between the airport and the hotel. Two enormously tacky/gawdy/god-awful Roman-esque marble gi-normous statues in the middle of roundabouts on the way into town, lots of fast food, all the signs are in English. Hoping that this is not an indication of what the island is like. Resort is a beautiful oasis in the middle of tourist biker bars and souvenir shops.
Can’t believe we’re unpacking the suitcases for the last time before going home – this is it!!
ATE: Breakfast 1 - Pho Gia Truyen at 49 Bat Dan St in the French Quarter. Jason was happy with his although it still did not have all the tripe, tendons and other bits he loves. Maybe that’s just a San Francisco thing? But anyway, the broth was right, meat quality was good, he was happy. Gavin on the other hand was not. I think he must like the Hue style of pho better, he hasn’t really been happy with it since we left there.
Breakfast 2 – sweet buns from PappaRoti. Soft, sweet and buttery (as in a melted butter pocket in the center) – sinful.
Breakfast 3 – iced coffees, fresh squeezed lemonade and apple juice, eggs and a baguette at the Rainbow Restaurant. I’m really going to miss having fresh lemonade at every meal.
Lunch – airplane food. Boys had the kids meal (a chicken burger), Jason had the fish, I had the pork. Blah.
Dinner 1 – more airplane food. Boys had chicken pasta, I had the fish, Jason had the chicken. More blah, didn’t really eat it. The bread was accompanied by Australian butter. Didn’t realize it until my tongue was coated in the familiar, rancid flavor. Downside of being away for two months is that I’m going to be hyper-sensitive to it now and will have to go back off dairy. Good excuse to load up on ice cream while in Bali!
Dinner 2 – Room service at the Hyatt. I had a club sandwich, Jason had nasi goring (fried rice, meat skewers, spicy tomato sauce). Both pretty good, but quality was not as important for this meal – we were starving, it was midnight, Jason’s sugar level was low, etc.
Dessert – Some kind of chocolate-liqueur Happy Anniversary cake that was waiting in the room for us on arrival. Delicious!!
SLEPT: Hyatt Bali in Sanur. Car search and bomb check at the resort entrance, then another bag search/metal detector at the lobby entrance - they are not messing around! But once through, it’s like Hawaii. They gave us leis, escorted us to a seating/lounge area to wait for a member of the front desk staff, and then served us juice and cool wet towels. We’re staying here thanks to my parents (10-year wedding anniversary gift) – they’ve set us up with a week’s accommodation in a Hyatt Club room, no less!! Free breakfast and happy hour drinks – woo-hooooooooooo! Hotel looks like it was designed by the same architect as the Swissotel in Bangkok, it’s 4-story concrete pyramid structure. Room was really decked out when we arrived - flowers, champagne, anniversary cake, tub filled with floating rose petals. Celebrations, commenced!
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