Hanoi !

Dear all,

We departed the busy Ho Chi on Tuesday for the splendid Hanoi. Our flight was delayed slightly (a little expected in VN) however the very efficient Vietnamese made up for this: it took around 5 minutes to load a full plane and around 3 minutes to clear it - never have I seen people so eager to pickup their bags at the airport either.

Hanoi is a slightly polluted city (from what we have experienced), however this only slightly detracts from its appeal - it is a city that has a European feel with tree lined boulevards that run at a Vietnamese pace. The city transitions almost seamlessly from daytime work to a vibrant and active nightlife.

Some highlights so far:

- Bia Hoi (Beer Garden) for 30 c a glass!
- Jennifer found her Vietnamese home at the consulate (see below)
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (see below)
- We stumbled upon the Hanoi Botanican Gardens - where, as it turns out, every couple in Hanoi was getting married (smart right? obviously so all the men in Hanoi won't - hopefully - forget their anniversary)
- Ho Chi Minh Museum
- Ngoc Son Temple
-  And a heap of other things that you can see by the photos!

Beer - for 30c a glass!

Jennifer at Home.

Jennifer at the DIY BBQ Restaurant

Hanoi

Having coffee

Tree-lined.

Changing of the Guards at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Jen photograph-ing

The Lakes.

Spot the Brides.

Lunch - Jen guessed as we couldn't read the menu - Mitch: 1, Dog: 0

Old guys playing a VN game?

Some place where you can go to close or the guard blows a whistle.

Hoan Kiem Lake

 

Look out over the next few days for Jens post on food in VN and especially the Quan An Ngon restaurant in Hanoi!

We're now getting ready to leave Hanoi, we'll be making our way to Lao Cai by night-sleeper-train arriving on Saturday. We will then make our way to Bac Ha and stay a night or two there for the Bac Ha markets.

Stay tuned for a new post in the next few days!

Mitch and Jen