Vietnam

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After KL, we flew to Vietnam, where we spent 3 days in Hanoi in northern Vietnam and 3 days in Hoi An in central Vietnam. Our first impression of Hanoi came from the crazy cab ride into the city from the airport, which involved more horn honking than I've ever heard before in my life. We had read about how crazy traffic in Hanoi is, but that didn't make it any less overwhelming. Basically how it works is that the traffic never stops, but drivers expect people to cross the road, so what you have to do is just step out and start walking. As long as you don't run, the drivers (almost all on motorcycles) will be able to predict your path and will just drive around you. It seemed to work pretty well but it took a leap of faith and a small pep talk the first few times.

Our first day in Hanoi was spent visiting some of the major tourist sights, including Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and a museum dedicated to him. We also went to the Temple of Literature, which was beautiful, and spent some time wandering the chaotic streets in the Old Quarter.

We took a day trip from Hanoi to Halong Bay via a tour bus booked through our hotel, which while it was significantly cheaper than the prices we were quoted at real travel agencies, turned out to be not the best idea. Basically, we were picked up at the hotel by a bus with a driver and a guide, but we were the only tourists on it. As soon as we got out of the city, the driver began to stop in all of the small towns along the way to pick up passengers, and we realized fairly quickly that we were basically subsidizing a public bus. Once we got to Halong Bay we were passed off to a slightly more legit tour group, and things went more smoothly from there. Our first guide told us on the way in broken English that we were going to see cockfighting, which scared us a little. Finally, after some more explanations, it turned out that he was only referring to some rock formations in the bay that look like two roosters fighting. (ironically, we did end up seeing a cockfight on the street in Hoi An a couple days later)

After Hanoi and Halong Bay we headed south to Hoi An, a small shipping and trading town that was in its heyday in the 16th and 17th centuries. Hoi An was a great place to hang out. It gets a fair number of tourists and is set up to encourage you to spend your whole time shopping and eating, which we gave in to pretty easily. While we were there we ate five small meals a day instead of three normal ones just so we could have the pleasure of eating more often. The food was amazing and so cheap and all of the restaurants and bars were so comfortable. We also spent time shopping in town for tailored suits, shirts, and jackets, and got some great deals.

- Lindsay

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