Really rather Hanoi-ng overall
Trip Start
Feb 25, 2008
1
12
22
Trip End
May 06, 2008
Hanoi,
Vietnam
Monday, March 17, 2008
PP&VB moved queue and we raced them through, Holly beat them which was a plus point for us. didnt see them at baggage reclaim and hope never to again.
After shouting at a guy who looked like Creepy Thin Man crom charlies angels, about following us trying to get us to go to his hotel we got a cab into ManiasVille.
I have never been anywhere like it in my life, half the population of the 8million strong city own a moped, and arent scared of using a horn. we followed some 5 year old school children as we crossed the road, feeling safer behind them than crossing, holding hands, on our own.
The first night we were joined by poofy haired Carol, who was from Brittany and thought very little of our plans to go clubbing. we found a pub that sold beer for 25p, which is fabulous, except it was a bt like gnats piss. Titanic was the name of the club, and i know, you are thinking 'that bodes well', well i know, we should have known. despite being recommended in both guidebooks it WASNT there. annoyiing. on our way home a Van of police officers followed us. What sort of country is this? we were disappointed, disgusted at them, and totally disheartened.
The next day we decided to change guesthouse, wise move, went to a place called Mahn Dung, comedic yet homely. had a whirlpool bath. and TOWELS! its raining and we Hate Hanoi and so we look around for some tastey breakfast, teh place is gone! so we eat somewhere else and they put hotdog sausages in a full english breakfast sandwich. disgusting. We go see a temple at the lake, which has an interesting selling point of a preserved tortoise. luckily we enter witha group of fat, loud amerkin tourists so we dont pay, which is just as well as it is basically a tiny island covered in trees on the lake. with a crinkly tortoise in a perspecks box. it was more interesting watching the amerkins attempt to move around sed small island and talk to each other about sed reptile 'gosh! isnt it increeeeeeedible Howie?'', 'whhhay yeess Doooooreeeen, it isss' etc etc.
The best bit of the day was eating icecream at a place called Fanny. What more to lighten the mood than some toilet humour...which i have no need to repeat as it was all fairly obvious...had Rice flavour which was kind of like what i imagine to be Ambrosia (having never eaten it i wouldnt know). Excrutiatingly sweet but nice. i believe hannah had two fannys that day.
from there we saw a cathedral which was pretty standard except for teh keen bean grannies all crammed in the front pew singing along to a cd of hymns in high pitched voices. we only went in cos it was colder inside, but it was interesting.....then we ate at a place called Bittet, which is basically steak and chips vietnam styleeee. delicious, seemingly the best part of Hanoi is the Gastronamie.
At our hostel we book from a LOVELY girl (who has a cat which is 85% dead) a trip to Ha Long Bay, up north...were due to leave Hanoi as soon as possible, thank god. She is very helpful and we discuss the fact that hannah is so pale that it seems like she must only go out at night. true dat. and we watch a hillarious musical soap with her that the Beeb should look into filling the old Neighbours slot with..
