03.04 - Day 79 - Hanoi to Los Angeles
Wednesday 3rd April - Hanoi - Los Angeles (Day 79)
Our last half day before departing, I replicate Kate’s early morning stroll from yesterday, creeping out and walking a lap of Hoan Kiem Lake of 1.5 km. Many locals are at the water's edge doing their morning exercises whether walking, Tai Chi or dancing. It varies from groups of 3 up to a posse of 50-60 copying an energetic, pink outfit wearing teacher equipped with microphone and speaker. I’m sure they’re here everyday and we’re just viewing a tiny snippet of normal life.
Our Little Hanoi Deluxe kindly let us stay in our room until our taxi to the airport at 2:30pm so there’s thankfully no rush to pack up. More school work is crammed in knowing we will probably lose a couple of days with travelling and jet-lag. Sienna finishes first so qualifies for another coconut ice cream from the Coconut Cafe across the road.
For lunch the kids grab a Banh Mi eaten in our tiny alley Pho place where Kate and I eat our last beef Pho. With farewells to Emily in hotel reception (hugs for Kate and the kids) we’re whisked to the airport for our Starlux flight departing 17:45.
The kids are super excited to be back on a plane with seat back TVs. Seb watches a Paw Patrol movie from start to finish, and as soon as the credits roll he scrolls the screen back to the start to watch it again. He must watch it four times over the course of our 2 hr and then 12 hr flights. These are only broken by two hours in Taipei airport, the only highlight of which is a set of bicycles generating (small amounts of) power and the library.
Sleep is stilted as it usually is with children and interruptions for meals, but thankfully the earthquake that morning 100 miles south of Taipei doesn’t interfere with our travels and Starlux delivers us promptly and safely into LAX.
It’s even plain sailing and quick through the airport - the Immigration Officer even cracking a joke with the kids. Despite leaving at 17:45, flying for 2 hours, layover of 2 hours, flight of 12 hours we arrived at 20:45, just three hours later still on Wednesday 3rd April.
Outside the airport our friend Daniel is there to collect us and drive us an hour south to their home in Mission Viejo. Our Southeast Asia chapter is closed and so begins our North American Adventure.