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#1
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Trip report CX/VN: AMS - HKG - HAN - HKG - AMS
Business trip to Hanoi. Business class on Cathay Pacific between Amsterdam
and Hong Kong, and on Vietnam Airlines (who code-share with CX ) between Hong Kong and Hanoi. Wednesday 24 September 2003, CX 270 Amsterdam - Hong Kong Scheduled 14:05 - 07:50*, Actual 14:30 - 07:50* Airbus 340-300 Train to Schiphol, pick up my ticket and proceed to check-in where I arrive around noon. Many people at economy class check-in, when I go to business class, a guy who is the queue manager asks to see my ticket and takes a long time studying it. I am travelling in "I" class which apparently is discounted C class on CX. A supervisor takes my ticket, and apologizes to me. Check-in is quick and efficient. Passport control and security is quick and efficient and together takes no more than 2 minutes. Buy some chocolate and stroopwafels for my friend and colleagues in Hanoi, and go to the lounge. Have a few drinks and proceed to the gate. Boarding is on-time, and I find myself in seat 15 H which is the first row of the second section of business class. Seat next to me remains empty. Long taxi to the new runway and a short wait for take-off in a NW direction. Slow climb towards IJmuiden, right turn North of Zaandam towards Lelystad, and further NE across Friesland where a cloud layer blocks the view. Pilot and co-pilot have - I believe - Canadian accents. Lunch is: - Seasonal salad with Italian dressing - Crab meat on herb marinated beans with rosemary sauce - choice of chicken breast, salmon fillet, pork ribs or penne with spicy sauce and mozzarella. I go for the penne that are indeed spicy, yummy. The garlic bread is great as always on CX. - choice of cheese board, fresh fruits. (I have the fruit) - Quark cheesecake - coffee or tea. No interesting movies (the choice seems to be Hollywood action or science fiction, or Chinese fighting movies) so I read some articles and books about Vietnam. Off-topic: While reading about the history of Vietnam, it strikes me how many similarities there are between the 1960's - 1970's US war against Vietnam and the current war against Iraq. (politicians lying to the public, more and more troups and money being poured in, unbridled optimism about a quick victory, etc., etc.) Of course, there are differences also, but it should be compulsory for every policy-maker in the US now to (re-)read the history of the US - Vietnam war. Sleep for a few hours and arrive in Hong Kong on-time, landing from the East. At HKG, go upstairs to departures and take a train to the departure gate. Thursday 25 September 2003, CX 793 / VN 793 Hong Kong - Hanoi (operated by Vietnam Airlines) Scheduled 09:00 - 10:00, actual 09:10 - 09:40 Airbus 320-214R Boarding is quick and efficient and there are just a few people in C class. I am in seat 1F. (window) Brunch is served and I have noodles with shrimps and a spicy sauce, and nice rich yoghurt with very good strawberries and kiwi, and a coffee. Nice views on approach to Hanoi. Landing is early, I am the first at health (temperature) check, immigration and customs, I change some euros for dong, and I am in the taxi at 09:55. The entire process is very efficient and a big change from my trip to Ho Chi Minh City in 2000. Friday 03 October 2003, CX 792 / VN 792 Hanoi - Hong Kong (operated by Vietnam Airlines) Scheduled 19:10 - 22:00, actual 19:20 - 21:37 Airbus 320-214R We arrive at Noi Bai airport (about 45 minutes by taxi from downtown Hanoi) around 17:30. When the taxi stops in front of the terminal, we are the only people there! No other cars, buses, people, the place looks deserted. Inside the terminal we find out that just a few international flights are leaving this evening, after our flight to HKG the next one leaving will be the TG flight to BKK at 20:45. Check in is quick and efficient, we pay our USD 14 airport tax, passport control is quick and so is security. In the lounge at 17:50 and I ask for wodka and orange which it seems nobody has ever ordered before. Free use of Internet in the VN/CX lounge. Hanoi has a brand new international terminal which has, how shall we say this, room for growth. I look around and go upstairs where there is a HUGE empty area. In a corner there is a tiny bar/restaurant and that's it. Downstairs are a few lounges (one for VN/CX, one for EVA Air, and it seems that most of the other airlines flying to HAN are sharing the third one). There are also 5 duty free shops with absolutely no customers, which isn't strange when a carton of cigarettes can be had for 110,000 dong (around 7 USD) in Hanoi and they ask 10 USD at duty free. 3 people in C class only. Same meal as on the way in, I have a white wine which is nice and my colleague has the red one which he says is excellent. Quick flight to HKG and smooth landing from the East. Saturday 4 October 2003, CX 271 Hong Kong - Amsterdam Scheduled 00:05 - 06:40, actual 00:15 - 06:21 Airbus 340-300 On our way to the departure level we have our temperature checked again. Go to The Wing, the CX business and first class lounges close to gates 1 to 4. Busy at the lounge as flights to Europe all leave HKG around the same time. I love the Long Bar which is really long. Service is extremely friendly and we have a couple of drinks. Flight is quite full and I am next to a Dutch lady who is returning from New Zealand where she visited her daughter for the daughter's 65th birthday. I ask how "young" she is and she says 85. She tells me her husband is 95 and doesn't want to travel "too far" anymore....... Fall asleep 10 minutes after take off and wake up not far from Moscow. 8 hours of sleep, not bad. Breakfast is OK (fruit, yoghurt, juice, tea, croissants) and soon we land at the Kaagbaan. At the gate around 06:30, and in the train at exactly 07:00. Sjoerd |
#2
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Trip report CX/VN: AMS - HKG - HAN - HKG - AMS
- Quark cheesecake
Is that Quark from Star Trek ? Off-topic: While reading about the history of Vietnam, it strikes me how many similarities there are between the 1960's - 1970's US war against Vietnam and the current war against Iraq. (politicians lying to the public, more and more troups and money being poured in, unbridled optimism about a quick victory, etc., etc.) Of course, there are differences also, but it should be compulsory for every policy-maker in the US now to (re-)read the history of the US - Vietnam war. And it should have been compulsory for every tech stock trader in the last few years to have studied the history of the dutch tulip market. |
#3
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Trip report CX/VN: AMS - HKG - HAN - HKG - AMS
"Miss L. Toe" schreef in bericht ... - Quark cheesecake Is that Quark from Star Trek ? I don't think so. :-) I copied the name and spelling from the menu card. And it should have been compulsory for every tech stock trader in the last few years to have studied the history of the dutch tulip market. Indeed. Sjoerd |
#4
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Trip report CX/VN: AMS - HKG - HAN - HKG - AMS
"Sjoerd" schrieb im Newsbeitrag ... "Miss L. Toe" schreef in bericht ... - Quark cheesecake Is that Quark from Star Trek ? I don't think so. :-) I copied the name and spelling from the menu card. No, it is not our favorite Ferengi, but some sort of cheese. According to my dictionary it is called cottage cheese in Englisch. Martin |
#5
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Trip report CX/VN: AMS - HKG - HAN - HKG - AMS
"Martin Stahl" wrote in message ... "Sjoerd" schrieb im Newsbeitrag ... "Miss L. Toe" schreef in bericht ... - Quark cheesecake Is that Quark from Star Trek ? I don't think so. :-) I copied the name and spelling from the menu card. No, it is not our favorite Ferengi, but some sort of cheese. According to my dictionary it is called cottage cheese in Englisch. Martin Cottage cheese cheese cake ? Come on Sjoerd - what did it actually taste of ? |
#6
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Trip report CX/VN: AMS - HKG - HAN - HKG - AMS
"Miss L. Toe" schreef in bericht ... "Martin Stahl" wrote in message ... "Sjoerd" schrieb im Newsbeitrag ... "Miss L. Toe" schreef in bericht ... - Quark cheesecake Is that Quark from Star Trek ? I don't think so. :-) I copied the name and spelling from the menu card. No, it is not our favorite Ferengi, but some sort of cheese. According to my dictionary it is called cottage cheese in Englisch. Martin Cottage cheese cheese cake ? Come on Sjoerd - what did it actually taste of ? It tasted like cheese cake. Sjoerd |
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