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Published: February 9th 2009
Hanoi
The busy streets of Hanoi!Vietnam is so cool!
We took a flight out of Vientiane, Laos yesterday and arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam around 3:30 PM. We flew Laos airlines, it was a one hour and fifteen minute flight and they served us lunch! How cool is that. USA airlines have totally gone downhill. Not that it was a delicious lunch or anything, but it was at least more than pretzels.
The airport is about 40 minutes outside of Hanoi, so for $3 per person we took a taxi into the Old Quarter of Hanoi and found a dorm-style hostel called Hanoi Backpackers. The best part is that our dorm room was all to ourselves, until our Irish friends showed up and were able to request the same dorm room. When you're sleeping in a room with 7 other people, it's nice to have known them for at least a week or so.
Last night we headed out into the city. It's absolutely crazy here. People use their car and motorbike horns probably as often as they blink! There are traffic lights, but I'm pretty sure they're rarely obeyed. The traffic is insane and to cross a street is like "playing Frogger with
Hanoi
Our first meal in Hanoi. you life and no conintue," said Cameron. You pretty much just walk out into the street and keep walking...the motorbikes, cars, buses, taxis and bicycles will all go around you.
So we headed out with a destination of the well talked about bar called Half Man Half Noodle. Once we found it and realized that they only served two options for food, we went across the street to a little restaurant packed with locals. We sat at tables and chairs that looked like they'd been pulled straight out of the local pre-school. Each table had a hibachi grill and they brought us a huge plate of veggies and beef, with individual side dishes of spices and lime. We cooked our food and ate and it was absolutely delicious!
After dinner, Maren and I went back to Half Man Half Noodle for some drinks. I've taken to Hanoi Beer over the other options, though it's just a boring pilsner as most beers in Asia seem to be so far. It cost 15,000 Vietnamese Dong for one beer (which was a bit pricey) and that comes out to about 86 cents. Love it! We ended up drinking with a diverse
Hanoi
Hibachi Grill group of people...English, Americans, Norwegians, Swedish, German, Russian and Vietnamese. We only had a few beers, then made our way back through the crazy streets of Hanoi and back to our hostel.
Today we plan to check out the markets and the prison that John McCain was a POW in from "The American War." More to come soon...
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Melanie
non-member comment
wow, your website is awesome. all the pictures and your stories are so entertaining. what an adventure, I don't know if I could travel the way you are, not at my age, but I am so happy for you guys. I love the same same, but different line, I think I'll borrow it and think of you every time I say it, while all the people around me will think I am insane. Meanwhile our son Alec says yesternight instead of last night, so you could borrow that and then think of your cousins over here. Keep on trekking and blogging, you are one incredible lady!!