Hanoi can only be described as one word: Hectic! The streets are crammed full of shops, stalls and people and the roads are full of mopeds. Our hostel was situated in the Old Quarter, 10 minutes walk to Hoan Kiem lake and centred in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Vietnamese city life. There is no pavement due to the parked mopeds and you have to walk very cautiously along the side of the road to get to your destinations. This is definitely a place in which you have to be worried for your feet because they could easily get run over! Crossing the roads is also fairly difficult and you have to walk slowly across as mopeds, cars and bicycle taxis zoom towards you, not stopping for anyone!
We spent our time in Hanoi sightseeing. We visited a number of places including The Ngoc Son temple, The Temple of Literature, The Mausoleum and the Dong Xuan Night Market. The Temples were very beautiful and although they didn't seem as ornate as the temples in Thailand, it was still great to look around them and explore their culture and legends.
The night Market was brilliant and you could buy anything from shoes, bags, toys and a variety of clothing and fashion accessories. As Jonathan was in need of some new sandals and shorts we demonstrated our haggling skills and kitted him out for just under £9. There are lots of fake designer goods on offer, which again was extremely tempting to resist.
We also tried lots of nice street food in Vietnam including some Vietnamise favourites such as Sticky rice with corn and fat, barbecued pork and also some donner kebabs... all extremely tasty and each dish costs under £1.
One meal out we had was at a local Vietnamese restaurant Newday; A 3 course set menu comprising of chicken and noodle soup, Spring rolls and Sweet and Sour Pork and Rice, all for £3 per person. It is great for food here. On our very first full day in Hanoi, we also decided to treat ourselves to a posher meal in a Vietnamise restaurant called Highway4 which had been recommended in all the guide books; 5 tapas style Vietnamise dishes including a very tasty Clam broth, Seafood glass noodles, marinated ostrich, slow baked pork and sweet potato chips, all with wine and beer for £15. Excellent to know that both the cheaper and more expensive food options are still in comparison fantastic value for money!
Hanoi seems to thunder and rain early in the morning and generally ceases for the day leaving the sky overcast. However one day it was bright hot sunshine, which in Asia this inevitably means in the late afternoon it is likely to rain heavy. Huddled in a bar for happy hour Mojitos we peered outside at the gloomy sky with rain coming down in thick sheets. When it rains in Vietnam the rats come out! One big rat came hurtling into the bar, scurrying across the floor and ran straight into someones foot before hurtling back outside again. I was glad on this occasion that we was seated high up on bar stools.
Hanoi is a great city, but we have both decided that two full days is definitely plenty of time to experience this place. Our next stop is Hoi An for hopefully a quieter and more peaceful atmosphere. Now to experience a Vietnamese night bus! Hayls and Jonathan x