March 5th arrived and we headed out bright and early to get our flight to Bangkok. With Covid making another resurgence, flights were restricted and the direct flight from CNX-HDY no longer operated which resulted in a connection in BKK. We hoped to be able to make the trip in one go, so booked a taxi pick up and ferry tickets for that afternoon hoping we could make it work. The flights were on time and our taxi driver was a maniac so we arrived in time to grab some snacks before getting on the boat.

Our flight from BKK was mostly empty with maybe 25 people on board the Thai Airways Boeing 777, including crew. We were advised that masks must be worn for the 45 minute journey, and that no food or beverage would be served. It wasn’t a problem for us as we had a large breakfast before we left the hotel. The take off was pretty epic. You could really feel the difference in acceleration due to the very light load. No idea why they needed a 777 to fly 25 people for 45 minutes but it was nice.

After an uneventful flight from Taipei, we landed on time in BKK. When we disembarked, there were staff in full PPE giving directions where to go, probably a staff member every 10 feet or so. It was fairly easy to follow since everything was roped off and we could only go one way. We were in the first group to disembark so we were lucky to be in the front of the pack. We had to stop at the document check where we had temperature checks, were assigned numbers and handed over our paperwork for review. Once staff confirmed we had everything, we moved on to the health check area. We had a temperature check, had our test results and fit to fly reviewed, then answered questions. After that we were escorted to immigration where we had our Certificate of Entry reviewed, confirmed our arrival flight before going through to be officially stamped in. It was a very smooth process.

December 13, 2020 and we are off on our next adventure… hopefully! We packed up the apartment and Paul’s parents took us to the Cranbrook airport for a quick hop to Vancouver. Once there, we masked up and headed to the Marriott Vancouver where other than the Covid-19 tests, the plan was to hideout until Wednesday at midnight when our EVA Air flight leaves. If everything goes to plan, we will then be on our way to Thailand.

We have been hiding from the wrath of COVID in a small town which until recently had less than 5 cases… lucky us! In October we had moved into our little apartment out in Lister, BC and expected to continue working on the van. Unfortunately the universe decided to continue the spread of COVID and it was becoming even harder to get items we needed. Sure we could get a few things but it was turning into more of a struggle, delays were longer and costs increasing. The weather was also changing… which is a big factor when you don’t have an indoor area for the van.

We decided to skip the ferry this time and flew from Kuala Lumpur to Hat Yai. While we were in KL we tried to find sanitizer and masks, but didn’t have any luck. When we landed in Hat Yai there were sanitizer stops to get through customs, temperatures were checked and sanitizer again when finished. We stopped to get some water before heading to our taxi. While there, we asked if the store sold sanitizer and the lady gave us a bottle. An unexpected kindness. We had booked a private taxi with Thai Beach Travellers, we’ve used them before and know the owners so like to support them, not to mention they also provide excellent service.

This was a very short visit… less than a week in all. We decided we needed to see the dentist for a cleaning, it had been a year! That and we liked the food and comforts of Kuala Lumpur. There was a lot more caution around travel at this point, people were wearing masks and using sanitizer. We had tried to get some masks but they were sold out everywhere.

Kampot again you say… well yes, there are a few places that we have been that keep us coming back and Kampot would be one of those places. Of course, being able to see our friends like Lee, Dean, Dhieu and the kids, Paula and Sydney. Hang out at our favorite places like the NYNY with Tavi, Stumble Inn with Harry and Keemi, Aroma House with James or Couch Potatoes with Jem. There are constant changes but it always feels good to be back.

Hanoi January 11 - 22

We flew from Chiang Mai to Hanoi, it was a short flight and we arrived in the afternoon. We cleared customs and headed out in the chaos to find the bus. There was a shuttle that was advertised by Vietnam Airlines that could take you down by the Hoan Kiem Lake for 35,000 VND. We thought we had found it but they wanted to charge us 200,000 VND so off we got. Luckily we were able to find the bus that took us down to the lake area for the right price. They were really nice and asked where we wanted to go so that they could let us know when to get off the bus.