Our final full day in Hanoi was anything but quiet. A chaotic 5.5km run through broken footpaths and 6 million motorbikes, salty coffee that tasted like seawater, and the surreal moment a train roared past our knees on Hanoi’s famous Train Street. Add a smoky Grab ride, a stomach bug, and 4am alarms… and it was a classic pre-travel day scramble.

Our first full day in Hanoi was slower than expected. With Kia still recovering, the kids battling cabin fever, and travel logistics piling up, it was one of those days where nothing went wrong, but everything felt heavy. From budget blowouts to spicy dinners and missing Australia Day back home, Day 67 was a reminder that travel isn’t always highlight reels.

Travel day out of Tam Coc and everyone is finally on the mend. Pancake breakfasts, a last-minute cash scramble, heavy northern Vietnam smog, Maddie’s classic stop-start car sickness moment, and an unexpected Japanese curry feast in Hanoi. A big transition day before our flight to Austria.