This is a trip of a lifetime for many reasons but the foundation of this experience is travelling with friends and everyone being independent at the same time!
It’s been more than 2 weeks since we left Canada, in fact the trip is slowly coming to an end. We made it to Tokyo first for an overnight. We all agreed we would love to come back to Japan.
After a 10 hour flight with our first “dreamliner” (Westjet) we arrived late afternoon at the Narita airport in Tokyo.
It was kind of complicated to fill out the digital arrival form for immigration, customs, and tax free shopping as it would jump back and forth to pages already filled out. Also you need to check off “tax free shopping” as a “yes” or it will not work at all. If you cannot finish it you can fill out a paper copy after arrival which is no problem at all. Also no fees to this!
https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/
Everything was so perfectly organized, clean, everyone so respectful and helpful, and it made it much easier to deal with the long distance to Vietnam.
We basically had zero jetlag the next day!
After a quiet night at the Narita Garden Hotel (about 30 minute drive on the free shuttle bus from the airport) we made our way back to the airport the next morning.
Arrived at the airport in Hanoi, went through immigration and it took a while to get our bags. Lots of people travelling for New Year’s Celebrations, the year of the fire horse on February 17th.
We had to get visas for Vietnam, and Laos ahead of time. Both had a cost attached.
Thailand which we will visit at the end of our trip just required a border entry which we could only get 3 days before arrival.
https://tdac.immigration.go.th/arrival-card/#/home
Got picked up by Kien, our guide and Diep our driver for the first 8 days. They were a great team, always smiling and cheerful and we learned so much about Vietnam!
Driving a car or motorcycle yourself would be quite the challenge with traffic flowing in and out, very few traffic lights, and often left turns across 3 lanes and huge traffic circles outside of downtown. Traffic seems to be flowing in and out, no road rage and honking is a communication tool! Very different from our Western world where it’s s symbol of frustration and aggression. It’s being used by all vehicles, from scooters to big trucks!
Motor bikes transporting everything from flowering peach trees for the New Year celebrations on February 17th, to bamboo poles in the countryside, chickens and ducks, clothing, ……
Our biggest accomplishment on our first evening in Hanoi was crossing the streets! At first it seemed impossible, scooters and motorbikes, cars, trucks everywhere.
We have seen and learned so much about Vietnam: history, traditions, food, rice fields, water puppets, birds, markets, happy water, karaoke, and on and on the list goes.
Outstanding is the friendliness, respect, humour, mindfulness and attention we’ve been met with.
Instead of individualism this country is all about community. The three major pillars of tradition are worshipping the ancestors, the mother, and nature.
The first 3 nights we spent in Hanoi ……
Du machst das ganz wunderbar und man bekommt einen guten Einblick