Tag: en route

Now trying to relax in transit in Singapore.

Singapore Airlines is one slick operation. Flights arrive and leave on time. Flight attendants fashioned from magazines are more than decorative.

Thanks to covid, there were no other passengers within sneezing distance, so I spread myself over three seats.

My vapes got through in cabin baggage.

The only downside of the trip was a 4-year-old screaming throughout. Seriously, they should ban under-5s from all but designated trips. That way the rest of the populace wouldn’t have to suffer from one parent’s idiocy. Said parent was bottle-feeding milk to the little monster before boarding, just to make it suitably wired. Sheesh.

Whining aside, leg 3 to Auckland starts in 2 hours. Nine hours plus, and two meals.

I’m armed with eggs and sardines.

I blundered my way through the vastness of Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

I even found my way to my Thanh Long Hotel, where I’m now recovering with the help of the air conditioner. Leg 1 finished.

It seemed the Method of Least Resistance was called for, so I stumbled over to one of a dozen kiosks shouting about taxis. Ten minutes and NZD 10 later, I was at the hotel.

It’s comfortable, even a little bit … decadent ( expensive NZD $33 ), but that’s ok.

Now the order of the day is to herd those ducks into a row for the big trip tomorrow / Monday.

And so it begins.

Leg 1, Nha Trang to Saigon. With a goodbye to Mr. Duc of Moonstone.

He’s as cheery and impish as ever at 5.45 a.m. He knocked on my apartment door at 4.30 a.m., a cigarette dangling from a grin.  I, being a stress merchant, had two words for him – “Busy! Busy! “.

There’d been a nasty fright settling the power bill.  He finally arrives to do this at 7.45 pm, after I’d asked early yesterday to settle it during the day. Rather than when I’m fixing for bedtime, ready for a 3-day trek. It came to about 100 NZD for 6 weeks.

I surprised myself by nailing the weight limit target for luggage, and passing Cam Ranh airport security with such contraband as e-cigarettes.

I’m now waiting to board at the  airport, with nothing better to do than chat to myself, after a 30-minute takeoff delay.

More soon.