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Published: September 8th 2011
We got off the plane in Hanoi bleary eyed and weary at 10pm last night. We were approached by a Belgium couple asking to split the cost of a taxi and we agreed. They had just returned from Cambodia and they gave us some good traveling tips. We stepped out of the coolness of the airport and into a hot and muggy night that envelopes you with its oppressive heat. The sharp odors of city living lingers in the air but it's comforting in its own way.
Waking up this morning we decided to spend the day searching for a better and cheaper hotel and we planned to spend the whole day on our mission. Surprisingly Joel wanted to take the first hotel we were shown and he bargained the girl down from $15 a night to $13 and got her to include breakfast. Since we had the rest of the day to explore the city we trekked 3 blocks to Hoan Kiem Lake. Legend has it that in the 15th century Emperor Ly Thai was given a magical sword that drove the Chinese out of Vietnam. The day after the war he happened upon the lake and a giant
tortoise rose to the surface and swallowed the sword and disappeared into the water. It is known as Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Sword) because the tortoise restored the sword to its divine owners.
While walking around the lake we spent some time hanging out under a tree while a deluge encased the city. 10 minutes later the sun was out and we decided we needed sustenance to keep us going. Our first meal in Vietnam was of course, pho. The steaming bowl of noodle soup was just what we needed to revive us from our jet lag.
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karen le
non-member comment
thanks for the update!
great job on the blog! sorry i am such a worry wart about everything, the pictures are awesome! your blog will be a hit. love mom