On the Way to Vietnam

I am waiting at the Budget Terminal at the Singapore Changi Airport for my Tiger Airways flight to Hanoi.  It's a 3 1/2 hour flight.  One nice thing about being in Singapore is that there are a lot of cheap flights from here.  Over the last few years, quite a few budget airlines have sprung up.  They are mostly modeled after Southwest Airlines in the US - get you from Point A to B, and no frills.  You pay for your check-in luggage and even a bottle of water on the plane costs $3.  There are many budget airlines flying in Asia;  the most popular ones are Tiger Airways, Jetstar and Air Asia.  You can fly to many places in Asia for very cheap.  For example, my round-trip airfare to Hanoi is less than US$200.
I am looking forward to seeing my Vietnamese friends again.  Most of them are young - in their late 20s' or early 30s'.  They all speak good English.  Unfortunately, the system in Vietnam put them at a disadvantage.  Unless you have the right connections, you won't be going anywhere.  That's the fact of life in a communist system.
I will be staying at the Royal Palace Hotel, which is not far from the IBM Office and the Old Quarter.  This is the area that I am very comfortable with, having spent 9 months in Hanoi.  When I first got to Hanoi in 2010, I did not know a lot of people.  So, I spent most of my free time exploring the city, especially the Old Quarter.  To me, it was interesting and exciting.  A lot of things were new to me and whenever I come across something I don't understand, I'd ask my friends when I come back to the office.  I tried different kinds of food, although some of the food stands don't look too clean at all.  If you haven't had a chance to read my Vietnam blog, here it is:    http://menginvietnam.blogspot.com

I arrived at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport without any problems. The flight was quite full but it left on time and arrived on time. The flight attendants don't look the most professional but that's okay. All I want is to get to Hanoi. I bought a small meal of Japanese curry and rice for S$10. It's enough to tide me over until I get to Hanoi.
Upon arrival at the airport, first thing I did was to go to the "Visa-on-Arrival" Office.  In some countries (like Cambodia and Laos), you can just arrive at the airport and apply for the visa when you arrive.  The fee is usually around US$25.  But Vietnam is different.  You have to apply for the visa before you come to Vietnam.   You do it through any of the agencies that advertise when you search under "Vietnam Visa."  It costs around US$20 to have one of these agencies apply for you.  You then get an email a few days later, saying that your visa has been approved.  The email includes an attachment with your name and other applicants that have been approved on the same application.  At the airport I gave the attachment and a completed form plus $25 and "Viola!" I got my visa.  If you don't pre-apply, I heard that the Vietnamese authorities do not hesitate to send a traveler back to its last port of origination.

The Royal Palace Hotel on Quan Su Street

The hotel had a driver pick me up at the airport.  It's nice.  Otherwise, it costs around US$15 to take a taxi to town, which takes about an hour.  Arriving in Hanoi for the first time is quite an experience.  After leaving the airport you see rice paddies on both sides of the road.  The traffic here don't seem to have any rules and don't follow the lanes.  Pedestrians and motorbikes just cross the streets in front of the  cars.  It looks chaotic but you actually see very few accidents.  The drivers and pedestrians are quite alert.  Above you see a picture of the hotel, considered a 3-star.  An air-conditioned room with breakfast, costs me about US$27 a night.  Hotels are quite cheap in Hanoi.  You can get cheaper ones, even less than US$20.  You can also sleep in backpackers' hostel for US$5 a night.  One place I saw even offers free beer with your stay.  What a deal!
I already have my first meeting with some of my friends at Hoa Vien restaurant and brewery.  It has a micro-brewery in the restaurant and the beer is quite good.  Vietnamese are some of the most hospitable people.  It was nice seeing them.  Some of them have left IBM where I used to work when I was here.  I look forward to seeing them more the rest of the week.