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The next morning, we woke up at 6:30 a.m. and took one last glorious shower before embarking on the three leg, two day journey home. At 8 o'clock, we headed down to breakfast. We lingered over one last breakfast in this exquisite hotel. We dined once again at Le Beaulieu, in the colonial-style dining room with white walls and ceilings with dark wood accents. The waitstaff were friendly and professional, and we filled our plates at the buffet stations with delectable baked goods, fresh fruit, fresh home-made yogurt, cheese, and bacon. We sipped fresh juice and coffee. It was a delicious, leisurely breakfast, in a hotel that had truly become like a home to us. It is certainly a contender for one of our favorite hotel experiences ever.
We met Cuong in the lobby shortly after 9:30. We loaded our bags into Mr. Giang's Toyota Innova for the last time, and we headed to the airport. We got one final glimpse of the beautiful Hanoi Ceramic Road, a mosaic mural covering 4 km of dyke walls along the Red River in honor of the millennial celebration of Hanoi which occurred in 2010. The ceramic pieces came from the ceramic-producing village of Bat Trang, which we visited earlier in the trip. We now knew that this beautiful wall is very close to Cuong and Nhung's home. I was so relieved that Craig was feeling back to normal, and was physically strong enough to embark on this long journey. Things usually have a way of working themselves out. When we got to the airport, we said goodbye to Mr. Giang. He was a wonderful driver and companion, and we had become very close to hgim despite the lack of a common language. Cuong accompanied us into the airport and guided us through check-in. We checked our duffel bags the entire way through to Boston, keeping only our small carry-ons and a bag of souvenirs. Cuong walked us up to security, which was as far as he was allowed to go. It was very bittersweet saying goodbye. Wehad really found a kindred spirit in Cuong, and we would miss him. He is a top notch guide and a wonderful friend, and we trust him implicitly. It had been a wonderful trip and although we were happy that Craig was in good enough shape to make the long trip, we were sad to leave this fascinating country and its lovely people. After going through security, we sat in the large, cavernous, hangar-like waiting area. There were many little shops selling reasonably-priced souvenirs, and we bought several last-minute items. Our flight was 15 minutes late arriving, so we took off at 1:15 rather than our scheduled 1:00. It was very hot on the plane, and the only complaint that we have against Singapore Airlines is that their planes do not have individual air vents at each economy seat. It was very stuffy, and Craig overheats easily. He really appreciates air movement, and the lack of it made things a tad less comfortable than we would have liked. Changi Airport, Singapore We arrived at Changi Airport in Singapore at 5:30 p.m. As we approached the runway, we could see numerous container ships in various states of full-ness off the coast. It was impressive and the city lived up to its reputation as a shipping hub. When we got off the plane, we found ourselves in a terminal decorated with many stunningly beautiful orchids. These were only some of the local touches in the airport. Another were some statues of the Red and Yellow M & M's characters in front of a M & M's store. One was inspecting a durian, the classic spiky stinky fruit of the region. The other was inspecting a similar-looking porcupine. We took the sky Train to Terminal 3. Our flight wasn't until 11:45 p.m., so we had a lot of time to kill. This airport is known as one of the best in the world for its amenities, including movie theaters and even a swimming pool. Earlier in the day they run city sightseeing tours which start and end at the airport. If we hadn't arrived so late in the day, that would have been a wonderful opportunity to see a small slice of Singapore. There was also a butterfly farm and nature trails at the airport itself, but it was getting dark and these were closed for the day. Though the airport is massive, there are many nooks where you can relax and not feel overwhelmed by crowds. We found some comfy chairs in front of a high-def TV that was showing the National Geographic Channel. We settled in to watch some shows about marine life and also one about the construction of Singapore's own Marina Bay Sands building. It was a nice way to pass the time. Craig got us each an ice cold 7-Up to quench our thirst. Nearby was a koi pond with some of the largest koi we had ever seen. On my way to the ladies room I even passed a door leading to a butterfly farm. The bathrooms themselves were immaculately clean. Attendants were constantly cleaning and shining things, and each restroom had a touchscreen app where you could rate its cleanliness. One at a time, we each took a turn in a chair that massages your feet and calves. It was a free, 15-minute foot and lower leg massage. Our next flight would last 14 hours, so we wanted to be as loosened up as possible. At 10:30 p.m., our gate was announced and we headed to A2. We went through security and waited to board our flight. The gate was full of British rowers who were wearing their London Olympics jackets. We boarded the flight and wound up sitting next to a very unfriendly woman. The flight attendants passed out the menus to let us know what our food options would be throughout the flight. It was very hot on the plane. The woman next to me was covered head to toe with a blanket. I don't know how she could stand it. When we got up to use the restroom, we could feel cooler air movement elsewhere in the plane. Is there an upgrade fee we could pay to get some of that? We had a nice pork piccatta with spaghetti for dinner and then tried to get some sleep. Craig was feeling a bit dehydrated and woke up at one point to ask the flight attendant for some juice. Before we knew it, several hours had passed. When we woke up, the flight attendant appeared with a can of cranberry juice. She apologized, saying that she had just remembered it. We all had a good laugh. At least she eventually remembered. And we had been sleeping anyway. |
 Breakfast at Le Beaulieu, Metropole Hotel  Breakfast at Le Beaulieu, Metropole Hotel  Final glimpse of the millennial mosaic on the ride to the airport  M & M Guys confuse a porcupine with a durian  Comfy chairs and HD National Geographic Channel at Changi Airport  Craig in a comfy chair at Changi Airport 
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In the early morning, we watched The Love Market (Le Marche de L'amour) again twice. We had watched this documentary about the ethnic minorities in Northern Vietnam on our flight to Hanoi two weeks ago, but it was amazing how much more we were able to absorb it now. We recognized the Sa Pa market and Catholic church. We recognized the Red Dao and Black Hmong interviewees by their style of dress. We now had context in which to place this information.
We were served eggs for breakfast, and after what seemed like an infinite flight, we landed at 5:55 a.m. at Heathrow, London. We went to the Virgin Atlantic counter and waited for them to open at 7:15 a.m. They had been unable to assign us seats for this flight upon check in with Singapore Airlines in either Hanoi or Singapore, so we needed to see an agent here to get seats for our transatlantic flight. Heathrow Airport, London After getting our seats, we made our way to Terminal 3. We saw signs for No. 1 Lounge Bedroom and Spas, and decided that we would check it out. We had another long layover (9 hours). After just having experienced a 14 hour flight, the idea of having a private room in which to unwind and freshen up was too tempting. We asked about the availability of a bedroom with a private bath. The woman told us that she could book us into a double room for a minimum of 3 hours. We did some mental math and booked it for 5 hours. We went down a little hallway and found ourselves in room # 11, a very small but modern room with bunk beds, fridge, and TV. Our private bathroom had towels, body wash, shampoo, toothbrushes, etc. After 14 hours on a plane, it felt great to take a nice shower and lay down on the bunkbeds , stretching our cramped legs out under a clean and fresh fluffy white duvet. The bunk beds were made of metal and were not the sturdiest. When one of us turned over, the whole structure shifted and swayed. But that didn't matter in the least. After a nice rest, we went out to the lounge. There was a complimentary breakfast buffet which we enjoyed in comfortable chairs with a view of planes taking off. We enjoyed juice and cans of Fanta, as well as yogurt with granola and baked goods. Kids played in a game room (which had foosball as well as computer games), and there was also a movie room. Free wi-fi was available, as well as free newspapers and magazines. Our bedroom had come with full lounge access, but it is also possible to buy lounge access separately. We checked out at 12:15 p.m. It was worth every penny to have been able to freshen up and rest in a quiet, non-crowded atmosphere. We would definitely keep this in mind for future trips. We went out to the bullpen and people-watched until 1:45 p.m., when our gate was announced. We got singled out for an extra security check at boarding time, but it wasn't a big deal. We took off at 3:25 p.m. We were in a row of 2, so we didn't need to worry about disturbing anyone when we needed to use the rest room. We were once again given menus for the several meals we would have on this flight. We watched Crossfire Hurricane, a documentary about the early days of the Rolling Stones. Craig got mincemeat pie and I had an aubergine bake for lunch. The food was quite good. The flight was starting to make me sleepy, so I took a nap. Craig listened to Alvin Lee and Ten Years After on the iPod (Alvin Lee having recently passed away). We were served coffee, followed by a cheese and onion sandwich, and a cupcake. We landed shortly after 6 p.m. in Boston. We went through immigration and for some reason were singled out as having brought food products that needed to be checked. The customs officer asked what food we had. We said that we had no food with us. He waved us through. We don't know what that was all about, but it was still smoother, friendlier, and faster-moving than any time we enter the country through Miami! We picked up our luggage and called Craig's brother Steve to come pick us up. We bought drinks at Dunkin Donuts and then headed out to the refreshingly cool 50 degree weather, enjoying the sunset over the city while waiting for Steve arrive. We were home safe and sound after another grand adventure. Postscript: When we got home, we inquired with Toni at Myths and Mountains to find out who had paid for the hospital charges. We had purchased trip insurance, so there was no need for the tour company to be responsible for the cost. Toni was able to get us the hospital receipts easily. The ambulance ride turned out to have only cost $24. The remainder of the hospital fees (for IV, EEG, ultrasound, and the private overnight room with beds for each of us) cost $249. We were amazed at the affordability, and our trip insurer covered the whole cost, as well as the unscheduled additional night at the Metropole. In fact, they even reimbursed us for the second night on the boat, since we hadn't been able to utilize it when Craig was hospitalized. The entire process was very straightforward, and we were very happy with Myths and Mountains' recommended insurer, Arch Insurance Solutions. |
 Room #11, No. 1 Lounge Bedroom and Spas, Heathrow Terminal 3  Room #11, No. 1 Lounge Bedroom and Spas, Heathrow Terminal 3  No. 1 Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3  Sunset at Logan Airport, Boston |
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