WE finally got to Hanoi. There was a funny guy waiting for us at the airport we had already asked the hotel manager for this service since I'd heard a lot of problems with possible scams and people who try to drive you to a hotel where they get a comission for that.
The driver was waiting for us with a sign saying WElcome and my name on it. we did not have any problems with the visa we had ready from Spain- something really useful when travelling to this part of the world-.
Our first impression was chaos, extremely hot and wet ambience and a lively and stressful city, waht at first could have been terrible was a funny feature I can attach now to Hanoi.
It was more than 40 º C and we were dangerously driven to the hotel a great one (Hanoi Elegance 2) in the city centre in the old quarter what I really recomend.Error: Photo does not exist in this entry
Cars, motorbikes, Xiclos were everywhere left and right you can see 4 or more people on a motorbike or people transporting a cupboard or a statue or even a coffin on their bikes. Amazing.
We were really excited to go out to see the city, but I have to recognize that it's not an easy thing to do for an occidental who is accostumed to cross the street when the traffic light is green and where nobody plays the honk at least to warn or protest... In Hanoi there are not oprerating traffic lights, no zebra crossing and the worst everybody honks endlessly just to say I'm here.
Crossing the street was a real odissey cause you have to do it really slowly with no hurry just for the others to preview your reaction and to dodge you suceesfully. and contrary to what we could expect there are no accidents altough tourist are really in danger!!!
Hanoi is not a very large city and is a really tradictional place its old quarter reflects quite accurately what Viet nam, culture is. I really loved it more than the capital city which a bit more modern and full of capitalist businness, here every shop every reaturant and stall are traditional vietnamese.
Prices are amazingly low here you can pay 30 cents of euro for a beer or 6 € for a great dinner at 69 restaurant.
But watch out we were scammed the very first afternoon my friiend got its shoes mended for 200.000VND ( nearly 20 €) what is a fortune and we could see everybody in that street were laughing at us, it was a very funny moment cause for us it was not a fortune but maybe we've pais more than a month salary to that clever boy who was telling avrybody how dumb were the spanish team. But undoubtedly we learnt from our experience.
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Hanoi Hotels
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