In Alice Springs we had a day of sorting out, a little shopping and a bit of lazing by the pool in 40 degree plus heat. We also saw some of the reptiles we might have met but thankfully didn't in a visit to a reptile house, and then visited the museum dedicated to the Flying Doctor Service. It was all very interesting. We met a young couple who were just about to start working in one of the aboriginal communities, science teachers who were very enthusiastic about the year they were to spend there, including what they would learn about the outback. It was a refreshing attitude after seeing some of the social problems around Alice Springs. Education seems one of the answers.
We headed for Darwin by plane, a short and pleasant journey. Darwin gets a bad press between the weather, the crocodiles and the jellyfish. Well we liked the place. Although it was officially the wet season and the TV weather forecast had the usual rain cloud and lightning flash we had two days of sunshine with not a crocodile in sight. There is a new waterfront development with wave pools, lovely seating areas and expensive shops and flats. It was hot but not as hot as Alice Springs, maybe mid-thirties. We visited Lyon's Cottage, a small museum and art gallery and were interested to read about a family called "Bald" who had a residence here. After enquiring we found out that there were lots of roads etc named "Bald". More research is required.
Our hotel was quite luxurious - probably the best so far - and again a pool to chill out in, but it was only an overnight stop before heading to Singapore. We had a very interesting companion on the flight, a German lady who had retired from her job as a lecturer but was now travelling the world on cruises, lecturing about the countries she was visiting. She claimed to have visited 160, putting our 46 or so into perspective. Her open-minded, positive attitude to other countries and indigenous people was refreshing and entertaining.
It was only a few hours to Singapore and we arrived in pouring rain, which didn't stop the whole time we were there, but we were doing laundry and catching up in a very nice hotel with a covered link to a shopping centre, so it hardly mattered.
Next stop was Vietnam Airlines and on to Hanoi. It was a lovely flight once we left the turbulence behind. We would happily recommend Vietnam Airlines to anyone. The service was excellent, and the legroom on a modern A320 Airbus was the best we've seen. Arrival at Hanoi was trouble free and our visa on entry was sorted out by a collection of bored officials before our baggage had appeared. No more flights for three weeks thank goodness.
As promised there was someone waiting with a board with our names on it for our hotel transfer. He told us to wait and disappeared for a few minutes. Then he returned, moved us to another part of the airport and disappeared again. This happened several times until we were at the taxi rank, where we assumed he was finding us a taxi, but no, he turned up himself in an unmarked car and proceeded to drive us incredibly slowly down a broad dual carriageway towards the city, with other traffic whizzing past on either side with horns blasting, all the while talking away on his mobile phone. Finally he pulled over to the side of the road near a big junction and apologised for a two minute delay. A motorbike appeared from the side road and pulled up to the passenger door. Words were exchanged and we heard money being counted out and changing hands. Were we being sold into slavery? Was this part of a Graham Greene novel? Well no actually. The driver apologised again and drove us to our hotel at the same speed as the rest of the traffic, leaving us with an unsolved mystery. Maybe it happens every day in Hanoi.
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