Holidays in Hanoi

Over the past couple days we've managed to cover quite a bit of ground. Our hotel is in the historic Old Quarter of Hanoi, and just west of Hoan Kiem Lake. From our hotel it takes about 3 minutes to walk to the lake. The entire city is in constant motion, and silence is a rarity except in the middle of the night. In order to cross the street one must simply walk out into a stream of traffic, careful to maintain a constant pace, and watch as the traffic flows around. None of our traditional rules apply in Hanoi, but we actually found it quite easy to get used to, and in some ways it is a welcome change, despite its apparent randomness. The 30th and 31st were both national holidays in Vietnam so the city was packed with nationals as well as tourists over the weekend.

In terms of shopping, there is certainly not a shortage of merchandise.  Each street is generally full of one specific item.  Our favourite street thus far is silk street, closely followed by shoe street.  Walking through all the sellers can be an exhausting task. We have found that the best way to get out of a sale we no longer want is to offer the seller a ridiculously low price which tends to make them give up.  Dong Xuan Market was one of the most interesting markets we've seen.  Full of different smells, some good, and some not so good...  The smell of the festering cooked duck is surely one we will never forget, as well as the raw meat often seen sitting out in the hot humid weather and the many live animals including fish, rabbits, turtles, and frogs.

View of traffic circle from the restaurant balcony

 Chris and Candice enjoying some fresh juices

 First Pho breakfast in Vietnam (after 45 minutes of searching)

Andrew the Adventurer 

(just prior to someone attempting to steal his camera) 

 Shoe Street!

 Some questionable looking, and worse smelling, chicken

 A typical corner store in Hanoi, no space is wasted

Someone never took Foodsafe..

 This guy, on blacksmith street, has working figured out!

Candice tries her hand at hawking pineapple

 The bar at 69 restaurant, a restored Chinese merchant's home

 View down the street from our hotel

The Red Bridge spanning part of Hoan Kiem Lake

Tomorrow we will be checking out of our hotel in the morning and then catching a train later that evening to the mountain village of Sapa, about 8 hours to the North-west. We will be in Sapa for 3 days, and will be staying in a local homestay one night and a hotel the other night before returning to Hanoi.