Like a hurricane (Siem Reap-Singapore-Sydney)

Uncharacteristically Jayne woke before the alarm and, as a consequence, woke me. Why, dear reader? Because she could. We deposited the suitcases outside the door prior to 6am, as requested and walked to breakfast one last time. There were more people in the dining room than I expected at this early time. If they were heading to Angkor Wat for the sunrise, they had missed that opportunity.

As we made our way back to our room to collect our hand luggage, it was obvious that our larger bags had not been collected. They were waiting patiently by our door. We would have to do the unthinkable and manage our own bags. That, is certainly a first world problem.

Unlike the bustling foyer of Hà Nôi, the lobby area at the Siem Reap Sofitel exudes a perpetual calm. This morning was no different. We checked out and before we could even sit down, our guide was next to us ready to shepherd us to the car. A guide? Unnecessary? Absolutely, but he was heading to the airport to pick up the next group of guests, this time for little brother company, Travel Marvel.

The drive was about 45 minutes and we chatted about the trip, Cambodia and the new airport provided, as a gift, by China. It is beneficial because it removes air and ground traffic from the Angkor temple precinct which will assist in the preservation of this amazing, historic site.

The airport was almost deserted when we arrived. It has been in use for just over a month, having just been officially opened by the prime minister, and is still shiny and new, from the marble floors to the giant golden statue of Buddha that greets you on the happy side of immigration and security. 

The face of Buddha.

This facility along with the new road system infrastructure, is a source of great pride and the embodiment of the promise of a brighter future for the next generation of Cambodians, after such a dark recent past. Our guide told us that the vast area surrounding the airport, currently undeveloped 'jungle' as he termed it, is earmarked to become an urban area in the coming years, providing housing, jobs and community facilities.

Plenty of space at the new airport.

Inside the complex, the airline lounges are not yet open, although there is a generic user-pays option for $35USD per person. An option we did not take. We sat down near our gate and watched the crowd slowly build. In the next two hours we only saw two planes, both small discount versions of larger airlines. A very different feel to other international airports.

A busy day ahead.

Our plane was late arriving and the ground crew moved to a pace and rhythm all their own. There is no need to rush. After all, we have a significant layover in Singapore. The champagne welcome on the plane made the wait worthwhile. Qantas could learn a thing or two about short-haul Business Class. The trip from Sydney to Perth is twice as long as this trip and the seats and service are half as good.

Piper Heidsieck in hand, ours, the head steward then came around to take our lunch order. And refill our champagne.  All went well. We watched movies we either won't remember or won't admit watching. By 3:15pm we were seated in the Silver Kris Lounge in Singapore, counting down the hours until the flight home. The layover was longer than I thought it would be, at least 5 hours until we bored. Sorry, board. I was getting ahead of myself.

The last leg of the trip will also be travelled in style. The top deck of the A380, my favourite aircraft. I'm ready for my champagne, my pre-ordered lobster thermidor and a lot of sleep. In the meantime, let's talk toilets. Generally when I've been on a stopover in Singapore, it's been for work and I was in the Qantas Lounge where everything is westernised to cater for the clientele. The Singapore Lounge is, well, different. When I opened the door to the cubicle, the toilet seat rose to greet me. Then I was surprised by a heated seat. Not needed in this climate, I would suggest. Of course it came equipped with a Japanese style bidet and even a 'bum gun' that is popular throughout Vietnam. Naturally the  toilet also flushes itself. After a slight misunderstanding with one of the staff (not the Alan Jones sort), I was somewhat dismayed to find that I had to wash and dry my own hands.

Jayne remarked on more than one occasion how much better the Singapore lounge was when compared to the Qantas lounge. The choice of food and drink was both quality and extensive. And then there's the toilets. Jayne came back laughing. It really is quite the experience. A pity I couldn't take a photo.

The plane was on time pushing back but slightly delayed at take off as we sat in a queue. Regardless we arrived in Sydney on time. Dinner on the last leg, courtesy of 'book the cook' was Lobster Thermidor accompanied by several glasses of Piper Heidsieck bubbles. Very civilised. I watched a movie, sorted out my bed and went to sleep to be woken 30 minutes out from Sydney. Business class is the only way to travel on a long haul flight.

Lobster thermidor.

That, as they say, is a wrap. Until February next year. The northern lights, Scandinavia and Europe. 

Oh, the title? Well, dear reader, we commenced this trip with a song because it is a favourite of mine, so it is only fitting that we conclude in the same fashion. Like a hurricane by Neil Young. The man is a musical genius. He's also produced some pretty average stuff. Don't believe me? Try playing his catalogue from the beginning through till today. I did. Once. Epic fail. No one is that strong. So yeah, don't do that. No one deserves that much punishment, except maybe Morrison, Abbott, Howard, Dutton. Not necessarily in that order. Anyway, have a listen. One of the best guitar solos ever.

Until next time, stay safe.

Lover, you should've come over (Hà Nôi, Vietnam)

Another adventure begins dear reader, and this time we're off to the previously unvisited countries of Vietnam and Cambodia. To be fair, I have been to the former for work but I'm not sure that counts. Flying visits for trade presentations or 'meet and greets' for prospective students (and their parents), demonstration classes and the like. I really didn't see much of the country and have been keen to return, so when APT offered us a discount trip on the back of some minor problems with our European River cruise last year, the answer was swift and in the affirmative.

This cruise. It was hard to take.

Of course Qantas wouldn't come to the party and wanted some ridiculous amount of money for the airfares so we jumped ship, so to speak, and booked with Singapore Airlines. More on that later.

As with our previous blog posts the title will be a song. Generally the reason for the selection is obvious. Sometimes not. Where possible I'll hyperlink the music somewhere in the post as I explain my choice. Not only does it allow me to share my excellent taste in music, it also provides a window into my thought processes. Probably best not to dwell too heavily on the latter.

Another trip commences with the perennial problem of how to get to the airport. No chauffeur this time. APT thought they had been generous enough. The train to the airport costs around $30 each and we have to travel into Central or out to Wolli Creek and change because, ridiculously, the airport line skirts around Redfern. An inconvenient first world problem and not the last we shall encounter I'm certain. An Uber was projected to cost around $52ish, cheaper than the train and a limo was $80. Then Jayne scored an email from Uber offering a 25% discount for pre-booked fares. Bargain. Uber it is. Booked for a 6:30am pick-up, door-to-door and cheaper than the train and less hassle with the bags.

Despite having booked the ride a week earlier, Richard our driver was only made aware of it that morning. He was on time in his new car that was purchased through SPLEND. Google it dear reader. It's a lease-to-own scheme that ties in with car-share companies like Uber. Richard was spot on time and we were at the airport and heading through customs before 7am. 

On the drive we discussed how Uber actually works. It's quite interesting and certainly not for me. As it is a US based company the pre-booked rides all come through the central program at the same time. Regardless of country. Super keen Uber drivers need to be up and ready to go before 4am when the day's fares come through. It wouldn't take much to tweak the software to ensure a more effective and timely delivery of information.

Sadly there would be no Qantas First Lounge today, but the Singapore Lounge was fine and we settled in for breakfast and the obligatory glass of champagne before we boarded the plane.

It was going to be a long day. Sydney to Singapore, change plane and terminal, then Singapore to Hà Nôi. The layover time in Singapore you ask? Less than an hour. I wouldn't have trusted Qantas to make that narrow window, let alone transit our luggage as well. Spoiler alert. Singapore Airlines nailed it.

The second flight was as uneventful and nowhere near capacity. We discovered "Book the Cook" a little perk of flying Business Class where you can pre-order meals from a much more extensive menu than is usually supplied. Good one Singapore Air. Perhaps Qantas ... nah, not in the current climate, it might shave 1 cent off the dividend.

We breezed through customs. Almost. The official I had seemed intent on reading every stamp in my passport. It's new, I replaced my old one last year, so if all my China visits came up on the screen there was no evidence on the pages before him. After what seemed an eternity the open page was stamped and I was allowed to join Jayne in Vietnam.

Bag collection was also fast and efficient. Unlike Qantas, who promise the world and rarely deliver. The Business Class bags were tagged and actually arrived first. Through the doors and out into the humidity and cigarette smoke, towards the man waving the APT paddle. Thi guided us to our car, outlined the program that would begin in a few days, pointed out some sights and made some recommendations of places we might like to visit.

At the hotel, we were handed over to Long, a former academic who looks only about half of his 50 years. He will be our Tour Director as we cruise down the Mekong.

The room.

The hotel is the Sofitel Legend Metropole, recently refurbished and definitely holding onto its French heritage. We scored a room upgrade because of my years with Accor. Bonus. Waiting in the room were a fruit platter, macarons, chocolates and a drink voucher. More importantly, after being in transit for around 16 hours it was time for a hot shower and then to test out the King sized bed.

The bathroom.

And to the title of this post. OK, I struggled finding a song (a) that was suitable for this post, (b) hadn't been used before and (c) wasn't about the war. In the end I just went random. Surprised? If you've been looking for the link to Jeff Buckley's Lover, you should've come over and found one, I'd love to hear it, because the only reasoning behind it is I like it. A lot. Anyway, have a listen. A great talent gone too soon from this world.

Until tomorrow.