Hanoi, Vietnam

Well, after about 30 some odd hours of being underway we arrived in Hanoi. It was a long and exhausting trip! They were screening people in both the Seoul and Hanoi airports, giving out surveys and taking temperatures with ear thermometers (don't know the real name...), but anyways, we both got through no problems. Our driver to our hotel eventually showed up, (which was HUGE relief to both of us) and it was about a 40 minute ride to our hotel. We checked in, and we were in bed probably around midnight Vietnam time...

4:40 am we were awakened by a rooster crowing outside. It probably went on and off for about 15 minutes....until WAY past 10am. It was terrible...all we wanted was SLEEP!!!
Around 8 we gave up trying to sleep (the honking in the streets had started by this time too) and decided to get ready to start the day. Our hotel provides breakfast, and we had the choice of one main dish and one drink. We both got the beef noodle soup (pho). It was good, but was definitely not cheerios! Haha!

So today was pretty overwhelming for us both. Still jet lagged and extremely tired, everything seems much more severe/amplified. Also, not being used to the extreme heat and humidity can be quite taxing when you are over tired!

Anyways, we had a pretty full day, and saying it was interesting is an understatement!!! We saw everything from a woman holding her child by the back of the knees to poop in the public park, a motor bike accident in the street leading to a fist fight, to roasted dogs head with scorched intestines on the side displayed (to eat) in a restaurant we were thinking of having lunch at.

Hanoi is such a busy city!!! There are so many people and it is SO hot. Surprisingly it is a fairly clean city (relatively) and it only smells really bad in some parts. The streets are completely full of motorcycles at ALL times, whizzing in and out between cars and pedestrians. Most of the sidewalks are crowded with parked bikes and tables/stools/goods so there is no room to walk and you are forced to walk on the streets with the motorcycles racing by you with inches (in most cases) to spare!!! Crossing the road is an adventure in itself! There are cross walks, but a) if they work and b) if people adhere to them are completely different stories! You have to just walk out and trust that they will go around you or slow up (usually they just swerve around you)...and honk. Always honking...





So we did a walking tour today which took a few hours. We got to see some pretty neat districts in the Old Quarter, where we are staying. There is one street that is completely full of cheap toys from China. Seriously, every single inch of every shop and it's sidewalk were COVERED with toys in packages. There was also a bamboo district, and a silk district, among others.
There are tons of vendors walking around with baskets full of fruit or doughnuts, and other weird and wonderful things. Lots of booths selling food - meat out in the open with flies and feral cats licking at it (no joke, I have a picture).




Some fruit for sale in the street








Anyways, that is just an idea of what we have been up to today. We are calling it an early night since we are both SO tired. I will be lucky and happy if I make it until 8pm tonight! We are trying to stay up as late as possible so the jet lag doesn't last long.

Tomorrow we are doing museums, a temple or two and perhaps a market.

Will post again soon!!!