Good Morning Vietnam!!!

My big head!
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I have been waiting our entire trip to arrive in Vietnam! Boy was I excited to finally get here! We landed nice and safely in Hanoi. Thankfully our guesthouse (Hanoi Queen Hotel) picked us up from the airport and drove us 45 minutes into the city. Rach and I stayed in the heart of the Old Quarter.  An area characterized with small narrow streets, vendors of all sorts, and small food stalls ready to feed you at any moment.

Now the most important thing to know about Hanoi is the crazy life threatening experience of being a pedestrian. Oh My God. The key is to cross quickly. Do not hesitate, do not go backwards, just Go! In the first 15 minutes of 'exploring' I almost got mowed down. My heart was thumping. The streets are a garble of bicyclists, motorbikes, trucks, taxis, and people. You can't help but feel that there is an impending disaster, but after a few hours you feel right at home....walking in front of autos of all sorts. Bring it on Bus!! Oh and a ride on a motorbike is less than a dollar give or take your life.

You can't help but feel that there is an impending disaster, but after a few hours you feel right at home....walking in front of autos of all sorts.

Me in front of Ho Chi Minh's huge tomb!
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We recieved advice not to see the water puppet show about 4 days too late. It was entertaining for the first five or ten minutes. Then wierd. Then boring. Only $1.25, and tickets sell out early. I guess its neat to see, just to be your own judge. We also visited Ho Chi Minh's resting place. He has his own set of guards. Bit much for a grave eh? Apparently not. Unfortunately we were unable to visit the women's museum. It is a tribute to the Vietnamese women who have fought strong and brave for Vietnam. For those unaware, North Vietnamese women over 18 were required to fulfill the samed duties as men in the war. Neither received compensation. Quite the propoganda campaign.

Thats right! I have decided to discontinue my life as a globetrotter and be a street fruit vendor instead!
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Anyways, we took off for a couple of days to Halong Bay. (About 3.5 hours southeast of Hanoi) The weather was a bit chilly, but the islands were beautiful.  We sailed on a boat, kayaked, hiked, explored caves, and sipped on Tiger Beer. We made some really cool friends that made our time very enjoyable. We all celebrated Valentine's Day together!

Well, the best way to experience Hanoi is to just walk around and take it all in. The French architecture, the crazy drivers, and the smiling locals.