Hanoi

Arrived at Hanoi (capital of Vietnam) airport early evening and our transfer was there to take us to Little Hanoi Hotel in the old town. The old town is a maze of narrow streets with no traffic lights at the junctions and people drive like they are the only vehicle on the road. The best way to cross the road is to close your eyes and walk slowly across because no one is stopping for you!! All the pavements are blocked with parked motorbikes, street venders and families eating their meals on a mat outside their house so your only option is too walk on the crazy busy road. Our hotel was lovely, the bed was huge and the members of staff were really friendly. The first day in Hanoi was spent wandering around the old quarter and around the local river. On the second day we went to the Perfume Pagoda which is pagodas and Buddhist shrines built into the karst cliffs of Huong Tich Mountain. To get to the Perfume Pagoda we took a boat trip along scenic waterways between limestone cliffs and then got a cable car up to the summit. However our trip ticket was only for one way cable car so we had to walk down the steep steps back to the boat. The last day in Hanoi was spent in a water park!! It was so much fun. It was really quiet so you didn't have to wait for any of the slides.