Well, this is our final half day in Hanoi, which was not really planned, but hey, who cares to just bum around and get some rest, ha? :) Last night, we were informed that the weather in Halong Bay does not allow for a cruise (torrential rains and storm), so we decided to stay a couple of more hours in Hanoi and get to Halong Bay only in the late afternoon/early evening, as there is basically nothing much to do there other than the cruise. SInce we already prepaid...

Woke up after an almost sleepless night to yet another hot hot hot day in Hanoi. Had breakfast at the Vietnamese restaurant, which was good, rested a bit in the room and took a taxi to visit the infamous prison in Hanoi. It was very gloomy, as can be expected. We then continued to visit the Ho Chi Minh mosoleum (only from outside), his previous houses and the botanical gardens. We also took a glimpse of HCM's museum (from the outside). Since it was SO hot, we dec...

Woke up after a jet-lagged night to a beautiful French buffet breakfast. :) We then took a car to the central market of Hanoi and toured it for over an hour in sweltering heat (and 80% humidity) Yeah, it was HOT! :) We checked out a little templed and headed to the Hoan Kiem lake, which was lovely. We then returned to the hotel for a quick shower and afternoon treats at the Club - AMAZING! :) We later took a cab to the Literature Temple, which was lovely, and aft...

Took an 11-hour flight from Tel Aviv to Bangkok (Economy Plus class - not sure it's worth the extra 300 points), waited for almost 4 hours in Bangkok for our flight to Hanoi, took the 1.5 hour flight and landed in Hanoi airport, where we waited for our luggage for almost 45 minutes. We then exchanged some cash and met the hotel representative, who directed us to the limousine - a BMW series 7 (the long version), where we were offered some wet towels, drinks, maca...

I cannot believe the date has arrived! :) We're so excited. Our flight is currently scheduled to depart late at night and we hope to start this wonderful trip on time. I promise to keep you posted. :) 17:15 update. OK, so almost everything is ready and in 2 hours we're off to the airport. :)))