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Published: September 16th 2013
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All exhaustedly laying on our beds in the air conditioning, Kasey has a headache for the second day in a row so she's trying to sleep, am hoping it is just the heat. Spent the morning walking the street of Hanoi old quarter and spending lots of money. Am convinced we are paying too much but can't be bothered going to more than one shop for anything, Am not one who enjoys bartering and everyone here wants to talk price.
we were out for about 3 hours this morning and felt like a whole day, there really are no footpaths at all, any spare space is covered in mopeds or motor bikes, or as the day unfolds the sidewalk eating spots which line so many streets. No footpath means walking on the road either against or with the motor bikes, you really become resigned to it and now we all walk in single file and hope for the best, people just avoid you but it is really crazy and makes going anywhere very exhausting.
We saw all sorts of things, lots of people chopping up meat such as chicken and pork on the street, and on the
footpath eating
this is how everyone eats and it seems like they do it all day, actually walking on footpaths is impossible between this and the motor bikes parker everywhere street means squatting down chopping while everyone tries to avoid you. Meals are prepared just on footpaths and served at very low tables with very low seats ( would like to bring a few seats home as souvenirs).
We found a fake soccer store, Cooper limited himself to one kit and a few extra bags for the demitos and Caleb, total 450,000 dong. Then to shoes, I know we should have shopped around but ended up buying 7 pairs including nike, adidas, converse and vans at one place for 12000000, I really could be bother looking and no one was interested, Next stop was hats- Greg initially was going to pay 2000000 for 4 hats until Cooper pointed out that was 100 aus, ended up walking away and getting them for 300,000, about 15 aus. Bags - backpack for Cooper, adidas predator and Kasey was a blue one she liked, total 600,000, about 30 aus, again probably way over priced but I guess if you drink enough 50c beer everything balances out. One turn later and we were sort of lost, but after much walking staggered in to rest for a few hours before we head out to get
posing before crossing
looks quite at the moment some more cash and snacks for the trip to and from Ha Long bay tomorrow.
I mean before I head out for snacks and cash, then sorting/packing. Kasey still isn't well so she slept a bit. Dinner was a recommendation from reception, in the backpackers area. I must say that we really haven't seen many other tourists at all, a few where we're staying but on the streets hardly any at all - very unlike our last trip, once we hit the continent tourists were everywhere. Not so here.
Dinner was great, beer,s soft drinks Hanoi spring rolls, fresh rolls, beef with lemongrass and chilli, chicken with sweet and sour ( we come all the way to Vietnam to have Kasey discover sweet and sour!), frog with garlic and butter and rice, very full by the end and all for less than 20.00 aus!!!! Walking here is really amazing, you can never forget where you are at all. I commented that this place is unlike anyother, like a city on steroids.
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