Day 10 - Hanoi

---

25 May 2009

Best bed so far. Two large singles together for a king sized bed and softish with good pillows. Breakfast buffet style, eggs, bacon, fried rice, fruit, bread and all included for only $40 a night. Add computer with internet in each room and you have great value. Laundry done for $1US per kilo so $5.50 for a weeks worth of washing - wonder if they accept postal parcels from Australia?

We had organised before we came for Hanoikids to show us around Hanoi. Hanoikids are a group of Uni students who offer free tours around Hanoi in exchange for practising their English. The two girls (Mai and Ngan) that arrived at our hotel to pick us up were brilliant - they talked to us the whole time (6 hours) and took pride in showing us their city. We visited a trditional house, a temple, the Opera House and the bridge over the Red River before lunch at a local restaurant (4 meals, 6 Cokes and a beer for $8).

After lunch we caught a taxi to Bat Trang pottery village. it was a $10 taxi ride (about 30 minutes, 15 km) to the village which was very quiet as it was a Monday. Kim did her best to turn around a slow trading day. After a drink (fresh sugar cane juice) it was on to the public bus ( I haven't caught one at home for twenty years) for the trip back. Kim nearly made one man's day when she almost paid him our fare= he wasn't the driver just a very astute commuter.

Back at our hotel we farewelled Mai and Ngan with a small gift of a Koala.

Dinner tonight at Little Hanoi - I don't know which one as since they were recommended by Lonely Planet other restaurants with the same name have flourished.

---