Nico and Jo’s Excellent Adventure

Hanoi is: Crazy, Crowded, Loud, Busy and Amazing!

We left early in the morning from Laos and took a 50 minute flight to Vietnam. Vietnam’s infrastructure and architecture is amazing!!

On the cab ride from the airport, we (Ryan, Ayumi, Nico and I) kept marvelling at the houses we saw. A combination of French and Vietnamese architecture…gorgeous verandas, red tile roofs, dark mahogany colored shutters, doors and rooftop gardens. It’s amazing!

Upon arrival in the Old Quarters, we were overrun by people carrying hotel fliers, trying to get us to stay at their hotel. We originally chose one, but they pushed hard on getting us to buy tours from them. (Most hotels in Hanoi have travel agencies attached to them so they make their bread-and-butter on the tours and not the hotel rates) When we refused to buy from the original hotel, they were suddenly ‘booked’ for the night. We gladly left.

Tired and hot from carrying around our packs, Nico and Ryan decided to drop Ayumi and I off at a cafe with all the bags and look for a hotel on their own. On one hand, it was easier for them to manuveur the streets. On the other hand, Ayumi and I spent the time they were gone worried if they’d ever find us again. When Nico, Ryan AND a guide rode up ON A SCOOTER (yes, ALL THREE), we didn’t know if we should laugh or rejoice. Nico and Ryan found an awesome hotel, brand new with aircon, satellite TV and marble flooring…for $17 a night!

We spent the rest of the morning vegetating in our air conditioned rooms watching MTV.

Later that day, Nico and I walked along the streets in the Old Quarter. Hanoi is NOT a pedestrian city. There are more scooters and cars here than I have ever seen in my life! And they all feel the need to honk their horns every 3 seconds. Coming from sleeping little Vientienne, it’s both exciting…and draining. But, there’s plenty to see (we are going today to see several monuments including pagodas, temples, museums and the huge lake in the middle of Hanoi), plenty to eat (anything from French food, to pho – vietnamese soup – t0 noodles cooked any which way) and of course, plenty to drink. (draft beers are about 60 cents!!…served in a chilled glass beer stein!)

Ryan and Nico have decided to try snake meat. Ayumi and I aren’t convinced. 🙂 We’ll see.

Tonight we are going to a reknowned water puppetry show. Hanoi is known for it so we’re really excited. There is also an amazing jazz club we discovered as we bar hopped last night. We’ll post pictures soon!

We have also decided to cut off our visit to Cambodia. We’re a bit travel weary from going one place to another and will be heading back to Thailand the last week of August from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We’ll spend the last weeks just in the southern part of Thailand in Phuket, Krabi, Ko Lanta and going to the Full Moon Party in Ko Pagn Ngan. 🙂

Miss you all,
Nico and Jo

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 13th, 2005 at 11:02 pm and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.