Onwards to the capital of Vietnam....

Trip Start Nov 16, 2008

Trip End Feb 07, 2009

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Flag of Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam
Friday, December 19, 2008

Onwards to the capital of Vietnam....

Left Hoi An in a taxi via Marble mountain to Danang to take a flight up to the capital and upon arrival we headed into the old quarter to try and find some accommodation. Being near Christmas we knew it was going to be difficult and probably more expensive than what we were used too but on the second attempt we found one with free internet and breakfast but with a token family of rats living on the roof.... quite funny to see them scurrry down the pipe work and into the place where the free breakfast is and come back out with their faces stuffed with jam....that be why the breakfast is free then!! (Prince 1 hotel in case you want to avoid it).

The old quarter in Hanoi has lots of character but is very cramped and polluted. Seems to be a destination for most tourists and is geared up with lots of restaurants, bars, shops, markets etc.

Hanoi definitely has a different vibe to Saigon and is also a city where the rules seem to be different with the policemen serving as bully boys and carting off every scooter that is parked more than an inch over the line. It is here you start to feel that you are in a communist country and the people are very patriotic with Vietnam flags and pictures of Ho Chi Minh (one of their famous ever leaders) everywhere. They are also very shrewd at business and it is a little more difficult to try and haggle with someone here than it is elsewhere in Vietnam.

After a day exploring the sites we booked ourselves on a cooking course and also a trip to Halong bay. One thing you will notice in Hanoi is the sheer volume of travel agents all touting for your business just outside their doors. After a recommendation we found ourselves booked on to a live aboard boat to experience the bay area and all the stunning scenary we saw in the brochures. We set our expectation levels low after hearing how over crowded the bay has become with over 500 boats doing the same thing and also the pollution in the area and waters.... We even thought at one point that we had over paid for our tour as our hotel proceeded to tell us that they could have booked it for us for a fraction of what we paid.... But coming from the guy who just laughs when he sees one of the rats stealing our breakfast.... we decided to stick to our original plan... We'll keep our fingers crossed for some sun which has been absent for most of our trip!