Today. We arrived at Taipei around 5 in the morning? Then waited 3 hours in lounge chairs at gate A8. There is this thing where the airline calls the flight, and asks for anyone with kids or who needs extra help to go up to get on the plane first. This was when everyone stood up and crowded towards the gate. A secret code, I guess. Julie and I sort of just looped in behind something that appeared to be a queue and got on the plane. I dozed a lot on this one, taking us to Hanoi.

The air stepping off the plane was warm, which was nice after the air conditioned plane. Lots of air conditioning. Our hotel room is like a fridge and we have warm blankies to keep us warm. I have wooly socks.

Change to itinerary. We go to Halong Bay tomorrow morning instead of Saturday as was planned due to incoming tropical storm, which is expected to land Saturday.

We met our tour group at 6pm and trip group leader discussed the particulars of the trip.

For dinner we went to a restaurant serving what people is Hanoi might eat at home. I liked the fried morning glory and the various chunks of meat. I ate something from a cow I don’t usually eat: marrow or tendon or something. I could chew it so I wasn’t fussed.