Hanoi/Halong Bay

The ride into Hanoi from the airport was depressing. The city seemed to be as chaotic and sterile as Saigon, only more run-down, polluted & depressing. Once the cab turned into the Old Quarter neighborhood downtown, however, things seemed to pick up a bit. The motobikes and suicidal traffic continued, but there seemed to be a bit of flavor to the area. So after checking into my hotel, I grabbed my camera and wandered around for a bit.

There's a big lake in the middle of the Old Quarter - Hoan Kiem - with a historic temple on a small island that you can visit via a footbridge.










I stopped in one of the lakeside cafes for a beer and some people-watching. My table had a nice view.




Crossing the streets is very much like a live-action game of Frogger. People just wait for a slight break in traffic, then walk into the street and hope/expect that cars/motobikes/etc will just swerve out of their way.




Halong Bay is kind of like Angkor - it's an incredible must-see-before-you-die destination that can't be fully appreciated unless you're there in person. We actually went to Bai Tu Long Bay, just northeast of Halong Bay, which has much less boat traffic than Halong Bay. In fact, the company that ran my trip has an exclusive license from the Vietnamese government (*cough* bribes *cough*) to operate in Bai Tu Long, so we only saw 1 other boat in 2 days.

Our boat was fantastic - a replica 17th century Chinese junk, swank, and staffed with 9 people for our group of 4 people. The food was ridiculous. Seven course meals? Try nine for lunch and ten for dinner. (No, I have not been exercising, so yes, I have packed on some pounds during the trip.) We did some kayaking, called it an early night after dinner, and visited a local fishing village the next morning.