Vietnam

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We were told we were insane to attempt to road travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, so we scheduled a flight from Luang Prabang, Laos and arrived in Hanoi late at night and did not have a very pleasurable first impression of the dirty city. We were robbed/scammed on the way to our hotel and by the time we figured it out, Karl had to make a choice between following the guy in this unknown city and leaving KT on the street at night, or letting him and our money go. He chose to let him go. Money is replaceable, our lives are not. It was a pretty tough pill to swallow since we're on a budget and he got away with enough money to last a few weeks, but we were determined to move on. In 8 months of travel, that is the first time something like that happened and we were both safe, so we still felt lucky.

The streets of Hanoi are INSANE. You literally take your life into your own hands whenever you cross the street. There are thousands of motorbikes zipping by. You have to cross the street and stare them down so they do not hit you. It is nuts. It was cold and rainy the entire time we were there. We saw some crazy street markets where they sell delicases such as grilled dog. It's interesting to see 4 dog heads on the grill instead of some hot dogs and hamburgers. We have some good video of it, but not any photos.

We went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum with it's strict rules to follow when observing the embalmed body of the great leader. You must keep your hands by your side at all times and it is completely silent. It's quite a scene. We visited the famous "Temple of Literature" which was exquisite. We took a cooking class and endulged in Bia Hoi with the locals. Bia Hoi is the local beer that on draught for about 50 cents is the best deal in town. Although we had a bad experience when we first arrived in Hanoi, we made the best of the situation in this chaotic city.

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Photos

Hoan Keim Lake
This peaceful lake in the old quarter is a nice escape from the insane streets of Hanoi.

Hanoi Hotel
The owner was "classic". Mr. Hong hooked us up..

View outside our window
The surrounding area was not pretty. Chickens killed and sold off in parts right across the street from us. You got used to it.

View.
Lovely!

Stamp Maker
He made any stamp you could imagine. The process so intricate and quite impressive.