Hanoi

Hanoi Old Quarter.
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Well Leaving Hoi An it is about a 45min drive back to Danang and then an hours flight back to the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi. Returning to Hanoi for the second time we decided to stay deep in the old quarter. The streets are very narrow and congested with motorbikes, street vendors, building materials and rubbish. This is a part of town where you use the road as a footpath as the footpaths are for shops to store their excess product, street vendors to set up restaurants, motorbike parking etc. It is far safer to walk the road as if you are traffic. One of the most noticable differences in the people here compared to the western world is how patient and relaxed they are with regards to traffic. In our eyes its chaos but I guess to them its normality.

Biking through the quiet country roads.
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Saturday we walked to the Temple of Literature and had lunch at a restaurant called Koto (Know One Teach One). Koto is a project providing training and guidance to former street kids and giving them an entry and the skills needed to work in the hospitality industry. This project has had a 100% success rate and the food was excellent. This project is very similar to one in Phnom Penh Cambodia we went to.

Yesterday (Sunday) we took a full day tour to Ninh Binh and the Tam Coc Caves two hours south of Hanoi. This place is described as the Ha Long Bay in rice paddy fields. What a beautiful place. We also did a bike ride through the villages in the area. All in all a great day although very very hot.