I Love the Smell of Street Food in the Morning

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After awaking early in the afternoon, we stumbled out of the hotel, surveying the chaotic streets of Hanoi with our bleary eyes. Upon the hotel's recommendation we headed down the road to a very basic establishment for lunch. It served only one dish, Pho, a traditional Vietnamese dish consisting of noodles, beef, broth and herbs. A small group of women squatted on tiny plastic chairs partially in the street as they made the dish, cooking it over a small fire. It was surprisingly tasty for such a simple dish, though I wasn't keen on the presence of lemon grass.

After eating our Pho, we had our first experience of crossing the road in Vietnam's hectic capital. There's no point in waiting for a clearing in the traffic, as you'd be waiting all day. Instead, we took the advice of the travel guides and others who'd been to Vietnam: walk calmly across the road at a constant speed and try not to crap your pants, the mass of scooters will simply ride around you. It's bloody scary the first few attempts, but fairly soon we grew to have a deranged appreciation for the art of Vietnamese road crossing.

We spent the afternoon exploring the area around Hoan Kiem Lake, a rare spot of solace amidst the madness, and the bustling old quarter. An early night followed, ready for our early morning ride to Ha Long bay.

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