This early part of the trip was planned to perfection. We flew in through Klia2 Airport. Only a 1hr 20min layover then onto Hanoi. Including extra luggage, meals, taxes etc, the flight cost $418AU total. We couldn’t get a red eye flight with Scoot so we opted for Air Asia. There were plenty of micro sleeps on the journey. It seemed like it was enough…. but more about that later.
We landed in Hanoi, our bags were one of the first to arrive at baggage claim, then a brief stroll of the airport to find the taxi area. Soon enough we were on our way to our Airbnb Rental. Our driver didn’t have too much trouble finding the address. We arrived early and a quick phone call to our host had us checked into our Penthouse Apartment in no time. We got familiar with the apartment, had a quick shower, change of clothes and then it’s time to explore.
Our 1st priority was to find a money exchange. Walking the streets seeking an exchange also allows us exploring time and to familiarise ourselves with the streets. JC had a small amout of Vietnamese Dong (cash) but I had none. To our surprise, it would prove to be a big challenge to change money. We did lots of walking, even checked every marked spot on Google Maps but they were all banks and all closed because it was Saturday. Although we had not found any money exchange places that were open, we had a good feel for the town and could chalk it up to a good amount of exploration.
It was well into the afternoon by this stage and we were both super hungry. In all the walking we did, we discovered the backpackers area a bit earlier in the day in the lower section of The Old Quarter. There were lots of funky Cafe’s and Pubs there so we decided to head back there for a bite to eat. Rockstore is the pub we ended up choosing. It has an awesome yet quirky set up for the decor. It has a Rock’n’roll theme but with touches of many other quirks including Star Wars. Having given up on finding an exchange, we ordered some food and enjoyed that first beer. That first gulp tasted so amazing. There was so much to look at inside this pub. An X-Wing starfighter, a Stormtrooper in a leather jacket and more.
I Gazed around outside and across the road, a sign caught my attention. It was a “Currency Exchange” sign. It was hanging at one of many tour outlets in the area. We finished our food, plus an extra beer for good measure. It was time to get cashed up in Vietnamese Dong. We went to the tour shop and asked about the exchange rate. The staff there could’t help, only the boss can do this they explained. A minute or so later the boss arrived, pulled out a pencil cash full of cash and a calculator. As expected their rate offer was not the
We headed back to the Penthouse for some chill time with the plan of visiting the night markets later in the evening. The red eye flight with tiny micro sleeps, then, a full day out exploring had taken it’s toll. Before long after laying down on the couch in front of the TV……. then it was all over. I made my way to my bed at about 3am. JC never even made it to his bedroom, he was still on the couch when i got up in the morning.
See here the route to Rockstore from our Penthouse Apartment.
