Well Hanoi is a city that I will definately remember as it it seems busier than any city (Chinese included), but more relaxed than any other city. After an eight hour bus ride and our second easiest customs (they were more bothered if we had a cough than a bomb) we arrived in Hanoi to be acosted by at least twenty taxi drivers (before we could even get our bags), but Hanoi has taught us to be ready for that.

Once we arrived at the guesthouse we had booked we were informed that there was no room there, but the women did help us find room at the hotel just two doors down. Once we had checked in we went to get some food and have a couple of drinks (it is us after all) down by a lake in the middle of the old quarter. After a couple of buckets of booze (see pictures) we ended up hungry again and went for more food. By this time it was getting quite late and found a place selling Vietnamese spring rolls, which were brought out on toothpicks attached to a pineapple.

The next morning we were up and off to try and see as many sights as we could fit in. We started off with the temple of literature (where the early scholars of Vietnam studied, along with Confucius). This was followed by a visit to Hao Lo prison which was established by the French to quell any rebellion and was then used by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam war (referred to as the American war by the Vietnamese) to hold captured pilots after they were shot down. The most famous inmate being a John McCain.

We found the bar by the lake that sold buckets again (it was at least eight times the amount of booze in a British mixer). This was to become my favorite bar in Hanoi as it cost the equivalent of two beers (two pounds).

Our final day in Hanoi was spent wandering around the lake and seeing a mummified remains of a turtle on an island in the middle. This is because of a legend of a Vietnamese general who was apparently given a sword from the heavens to defeat the Chinese. Once he had done this he gave the sword back to a turtle in the lake who returned it to it's heavenly owner (as the turtle is a holy animal here). After this we went to pick up a top that I had got made for Sarah and went to see a water puppets show, which is a traditional form of Vietnamese theatre. We went to the 9:15 show and, as they had been doing the same show five times a day for who knows how long, they all looked incredibly bored but it was still a good show.

I have decided that Hanoi would come to a complete stand still if all mopeds (and there are alot) and all the other vehicles had there horns removed. All you here all day is the sound of horns and I for one want to make sure that they are all removed as I cannot stand the noise anymore. I think everyone would just sit there confused and nothing would happen if they lost them!

As we were up early the next day to get a boat around HaLong bay we decided to call an end to our Hanoi adventure, with the sounds of beeping mopeds (in both senses of the word) still fresh in our ears.