Well I got hard sleeper. There are 6 bunks in a cabin just like in India, except here they have a door like a meat locker. The beds are a lot harder...guess thats where the name comes from (hard sleeper) I shared with 4 young Vietnamese girls and a stinky old bloke. It was a long night with out much sleep and arrived in Hanoi at 4.30am. Yes 4.30 AM. I went past all the taxi touts and out of the station and over the road was an old lady doing breakfast. Pho. It is breakfast of champions, kinda like wheatbix up here. Everyone has it for breakfast and so far I have managed to miss it. It is noodles and green stuff and beef in a beef soup. I thought it was very average. Most food here is noodles, green stuff and meat in soup. They just call it different names at different times of the day.
I walked to the lake and sat around waiting for the hotels to open. There were people everywhere doing all sorts of excercises. I had a couple picked out from the net but couldnt find the frist one so was headed to the second when I saw the place I am staying at. I was dying for a **** so I went in and they had a room so I took it. The hostel is great but a bit exe at $20/ night, I will work on the price for extra nights.
I did the Lonely planet walk this morning and I should have read it before I went. The walk was all about shops cos the streets here are full of same shops. Street full of shoe shops, metal shops, paper shops etc. I'll go see some sights tomorrow and put some pics up after that.

Yersterday I walked up to Ho Chi Minh complex where his mausoleum is and a museum and pagoda. I was too stuffed to walk back so I got a ex om. I am having trouble finding the stuff I want to buy. It was everywhere in Saigon but not here. I will have to search harder today when I walk the other way to the West lake.
Last night I went out with some pommies from the other part of the guest house where I am staying. I was here yesterday and overheard them talking about going out for dinner and I introduced myself and then invited myself. Lets just say we had a local specialty. The usual with noodles and green stuff and another way with a very spicey chilli sauce. I thought it was really tough in the noodles.
I might be moving today cos the place where I am staying wont do a deal for the next 2 nights. The place is really nice but I want a discount to stay for longer. I will let you know if I move. I am now staying at Hanoistay Hotel. The other place wouldnt do a deal for the 2 days and their internet didnt work. Breakfast this morning they tried to give me a sandwich. It had some questionable "meat" paste, dodgy lettuce, cucucmber and tomato with no salt. The new room is as good and cheaper.
This morning I walked to Lenin park the "green lung" of Hanoi. It was very uninspiring with a couple of dirty lakes and a few dinky amusement rides. I walked back via the "french quarter" again very uninspiring.
On the way back I tried a little shopping. Thongs they want $7 to $14. I can buy them at home for that and if they break I take them back here I take a chance. Again with shoes, here they start at $55 and Im taking a chance with them so Im not buying. I might be able to get some in Singapore.

Its my last day in Hanoi so Ive got two choices. Go for a walk to see the temples or go for a masage..... I walked frikkin miles today. First temple Hai Ba Trung Temple was closed for restoration. Next was Ambassador's Pagoda, again closed.Temple of literature was thankfully open so that was not a waste of time. From here I went past Uncle Ho's Mausoleum again and it was closed again. I dont know for sure but he might be in Russia. They send his body to Russia every year for refurbishment, and it takes about a month. At least I got to see the changing of the guard. Right next door is the Presidential Palace, a very fancy looking building. The guards out the fron didnt want me taking photo's and told me to move on. I took a quick pic and moved along and asked one of the guards further along what the problem was. He pointed to a sign on the fench that said not photo, but I hadnt seen it. Last stop was QuanThanh Temple and a quick stop at Ho Tay Lake. On the way back to my hotel I saw these old blokes with their birds. They have them in bamboo cages and hang them off the power lines and sit around listening to them sing to see who's is best. I sat with them for a while and we knocked the froth off a couple of king browns and it was one of the best afternoons I have had. I wonder what the poor people are doing.
Ive been wearing the same pair of shorts for nearly the last two weeks. I threw them in the bin tonight, but, I think there was still another wear in them.
Tomorrow I fly to Singapore at about 12 and arrive at about 5pm.