Hanoi, Vietnam

Trip Start Jun 26, 2006

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam
Wednesday, April 18, 2007

we think our bus forgot about us leaving hue to hanoi, because usually with an equal amount of tourists and vietnamese people, we ended the last people on the bus with all vietnamese people. not that that was a problem, the problem was we got the last seats on the bus, and had a very long uncomfortable ride with the wheel well under our legs. the bus ride was about 12 hours long, needless to say, morning didn't come quick enough when the legs cramps set in. on a positive note we witnessed a beautiful sunrise over kilometer after kilometer (go metric sys) of rice paddies, beautiful limestone formations, mt, and many small villages. we arrived in decent shape considering and secured a guesthouse in the old quarter near one of the many lakes in hanoi.

we were in hanoi 3 times, using it as a stopping ground between a few other destinations.

to describe the ambiance, it is the capitol city and very bustling as you would expect, and the part of town we stayed in (old quarter) consisted of very small winding streets, with vendors lining the streets selling anything and everything you could ever want. traffic was constant, 95% moto bikes, 1% cyclo's and 4% cars....not a very pedestrian freindly town, we became easily frustrated by this situation. the streets were so busy, and crossing the street is a art-form....and riding a moto bike behind a local is straight insane. we are lucky to still have all our limbs. still we preferred hanoi to saigon (hcmc).

mostly wandered the streets of hanoi. went to the markets, walked around the lovely lake in the middle of town, visitied a pagoda, and drank lots of green tea and vietnamese coffee (have we mentioned how good the tea and coffee are in vietnam?)

after two nights, we left for cat ba island in ha long bay..