This plane was HUGE! 336 seats and a crew of 15 flight attendants. |
Every flight attendant was impeccably dressed with matching hair, nails, makeup and jewelry. |
Daddy and I just after takeoff from Atlanta. Those are our before the 15 hour flight smiles. :) |
Lunch on board Korean Air ~ Bibimbap, seaweed soup, pickled vegetables, fruit and free wine! |
Cruising at 40,000 ft high above Alaska |
The mountain views were amazing! |
The glaciers streams created this cool mountain pattern. |
A glacier lake |
So close, yet so far away! We still had 3 hours to go at this point. |
Meet Hoang! He is a summer intern at the International School of Vietnam (ISV). He met us inside the arrival hall after we collected all of our luggage. I loved the sign!
The Noi Bai airport in Hanoi is a wild place! There are people everywhere. Apparently 4 international flights all landed at the same time and it created a mob scene. This is when I realized that I'm living in a developing country. There were people going in a million different directions and scooters weaving in and out of traffic with reckless abandon. Little did I know, that this was calm by Vietnam standards!
After a good nights sleep, I opened the curtains to get my first glimpse of Hanoi in the daylight! Take a good look because there is a lot to take in. The houses are incredibly narrow and tall. There is a house behind our hotel that is 6 stories tall.
Day 1
We ventured out to the bank to exchange money. Boy was that an experience!! It's going to take a while to get used to currency conversion. 1 USD=2,204.73 VND The banknotes come in denominations of 5,000 ($.25), 10,000 ($.47), 20,000 ($.94), 50,000 ($2.36), 100,000 ($4.72), 200,000 ($9.43) and 500,000 ($23.58). I miss round numbers already!! Not to mention that the currency rate changes daily so that'll be interesting!
I had read about the traffic in Hanoi and watched a few videos on youtube, but NOTHING can prepare you for the experience in real life!! I'm not sure which is worse; walking or riding in a cab. Either way, there is a real possibility of bodily harm. I'm absolutely stunned that we haven't witnessed an accident just yet. The people on the motor scooters far outnumber the cars and bicycles are for the very brave at heart.
This intersection has a traffic light and people are actually stopped...for now! That's not to say that they won't just go once they feel like they've waited long enough. |
I took this picture for my Mom. This is certainly not my salon in Greenville, DE. |
Dad and I had lunch in the hotel restaurant. Pan fried rice noodles with chicken and vegetables. It was divine!! Then it was off to the US Embassy, just so I know where it is. Yikes, more traffic! On the way there we saw countless women riding side saddle on the backs of motor scooters texting and chatting on the phone. Hello!! Hold on!!
Mmmm, noodles! |
Riding on the sidewalk is perfectly acceptable here. |
The women ride their scooters in heels. We even saw a woman holding a baby in her arms. At least they all wear helmets. |
The US Embassy in Hanoi |
Love it! And the pics are too funny! Miss you guys!! I feel like I'm on the adventure with you!!! Keep the posts coming!
ReplyDeleteXoxo g
WOW!!! This is all so exciting. I feel like I'm learning all about the country through you. It's going to be a fast week. I know you have lots to do but at least you have the company of your dad.
ReplyDeleteThe pics are beautiful. Keep them coming.
Luv ya,
MOM
This is going to be an amazing adventure for you & I'm so happy that you decided to share. Love you, Linc
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it is a real culture shock but before you know it, it will be the 'norm'. I can't wait for your next post!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to visit so I can be the girl in heels on the scooter!!!
ReplyDeleteWOW it looks so amazing. I look forward to followig the adveture. Great idea takig your dad along. ow vicky is aother story. Miss you already neighbor.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics on your great adventure!!
ReplyDeleteKelly, you are doing a fabulous job (before all your work obligations start!) How awesome that your dad is with you to help you get your bearings.
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