Ha Noi

My first time in Vietnam and wow, what a place. Luckily I was prepared for the driving experience in VN, otherwise the constant sounding of the horn would have gotten to me. Since I knew it, I just relaxed and watched the scene unfold. In VN, on the highway, the right lane is reserved for bicycles, motorbikes and walking. Cars use the left lane. This evening a motorbike would not move out of the fast lane, so my driver came along side shouting and served right into the motorbike (carrying three people). I had to force the driver to leave them alone. Wow, it was a dangerous situation for the motorbike.

Since I had only two days free in Ha Noi, I hired a guide to make the most of my time. Van was fantastic and funny and made the day tour very enjoyable. I went to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, and the presidental palace, Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, the Temple of Literature, Vietnam Museum of Ethnography.

The food in HaNoi varies, and is heavily based on vegetables, and very cheap. Most of my meals were less than the equivalent of $2 USD. The exception being my dinner at "White Lotus". I was surprised to find myself dining with an art gallery owner, and graduate of London School of Economics. Wow impressive.