Day 1 - Hanoi

M&M at Hoan Kiem Lake

Street traffic

Today we wandered around Hanoi. It's very interesting to walk around the city. The sidewalks are extensions of homes, stores, scooter parking, restaurants, etc. which means you end up walking in the street to get anywhere. Of course the streets are packed with cars, busses, scooters and other pedestrians, so it's quite an experience. We are thankful we had Cairo to teach us that you just walk out into the traffic to cross the street - they will stop or swerve to miss you!

Bridge at Hoan Kiem Lake

This morning we went to the Hoan Kiem Lake. It's in the middle of the Old Quarter where we are staying. It's a peaceful oasis in the midst of all the hustle of the city. There were a number of bridal parties taking photos out by the lake because it is so pretty.

We lunched at big cross street by the lake and sat and people watched. The ladies in their skirts and high heels on their scooters are entertaining. The pedestrian traffic was also fun to watch. After lunch we went to the spa for a traditional Vietnamese massage. It was very relaxing and a great bargain too!

Pho!

Night Market in Hanoi

We had pho for dinner at a street restaurant. We sat at these little kiddie tables with tiny seats and had a wonderful time. We were the only tourists sitting along the ares we could see, so we felt like we were getting a taste of the culture as well. We also wandered by the Night Market, a street that fills up with stalls on the weekends, and it was insanely crowded.

Heading off to Halong Bay tomorrow for an overnight on a junk.