Hanoi

Trip Start Aug 15, 2006
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Trip End Aug 13, 2007


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Friday, November 3, 2006

We arrived in Hanoi with a few reservations as the only bad stories we had heard about Vietnam were from Hanoi. Funny enough we only arrive and we are ripped off by our taxi man, our hotel recommendation is fully booked and we end up checking into a dump for $4 a night. Very damp, musty smelly room - uggh. After a couple of hours sleep (we arrived very early in the morning) we head off out to see Hanoi. It is true the people here are different from South Vietnam - they are alot more in your face but not as bad as we had been told. But sure after China everyone seems polite.

We managed to change our flight from Singapore so we fly direct to Sydney and we put it back 10 days so we will fly Christmas day. We are delighted to have more time in Southeast Asia.

Booked a 3 day trip to Halong Bay which looks fantastic and also went to see a water puppetry show. The show was really good and very popular - we had to book well in advance. Spent some time by Hoan Kiem Lake and drank too much Hanoi beer. We had dinner by the lake one evening and while watching the rush hour traffic, we seen a grandad with his grandson in a remote control car driving along the main road!! As if its not crazy enough on Vietnams roads.

We enjoyed our time in Hanoi even though we weren't expecting too. The Vietnamese in the South kept telling us we wouldn't like it up North but it wasn't that bad.
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