Months of planning for and excitement about our Hanoi trip, which was our 6oth birthday gift to our Mom, got dampened by a distressing incident upon landing at the Noi Bai airport in Hanoi. We took a red-eye flight, and we--my sister, her husband, my mom, Francis, and I-- touched down in Hanoi at about 12:45am (15 minutes delayed, but not really bad) only to line up at the conveyor belt and discover that our (mine and Francis') luggage was nowhere in sight. After filling out forms and being assured by the local airport personnel that they'll inform us as soon as our luggage turns up, we all shuffled to the hotel shuttle service so we can finally check in to our hotel. Poor driver, he had to wait for us for a couple of extra minutes because of that conundrum.
Long story short, Cebu Pacific responded to our complaint 24 hours after we sent our email. They confirmed that our luggage got left behind at NAIA. How and why, I have no idea, considering we checked in on time and our luggage had its proper label. So Francis and I had to endure about two and a half days without our essentials: clothes (I planned my OOTDs for each day only to have no clothes at all!), underwear, toiletries. Despite the distress (I cried myself to sleep that first night at our hotel), we still managed to make the most of our trip. Yes, we did have to buy new clothes and underwear, and I had to borrow a few pieces from my sister.
Putting all that (and a few more glitches that I just want to forget so that I'd have good memories of that four-day trip), our Hanoi experience has been generally fun and wonderful. In fact, I enjoyed the city more than I did Ho Chi Minh. Hanoi has more flavors and colors, and there's always something that will catch your eye in every corner. Here are the daily highlights of our Hanoi experience in photos, starting with our first day in the city--left luggage not included.
The very charming details in our hotel--Golden Sun Palace. This is the view from our T&B! I'd like to note that all the hotel staff had been very friendly and accommodating. They helped us follow up our missing luggage, and all were very patient with our requests. |
The amazing neo-gothic architecture of St. Joseph's Cathedral. The church sits gallantly amid the hustle and bustle of the Old Quarter district. |
We explored the grounds of the church, and found equally interesting French-inspired architecture, showcasing the strong influence of the French colonization of Vietnam. |
The Turtle Tower on Hoan Kiem Lake |
Day 2 will soon be up!