19.10.2011 Morning - Well the flight was good. We ended up booking our flight to Hanoi with Laos Airlines, we had a choice of either Laos or Vietnam Airlines, the only 2 who did that route, so we went with the cheapest. Glad we did too! When we arrived at the airport we noticed that the Laos Airlines flight took off at the same time as the Vietnam Airlines flight, which we thought was strange as there could surely they could not have 2 planes take off at the same time. It turned out that both were on the same flight, only that Vietnam were sat at the front of the small prop plane and we were at the back. $20 saved!! Anyway landed in Vietnam safe and sound, very smooth take off, flight and landing.

We arranged an airport pick up with our hotel. The taxi ride was fairly normal until we got close to Hanoi center, where the traffic all of a sudden became very hectic and full of mopeds. The cut each other up, drive up the wrong side of the road and even on the pathways. Once we headed out into Hanoi we really saw what the traffic was all about when it came time to cross the road. All we could do was what everyone else does and walk slowly out into the road and allow the bikes to judge your speed and go around you...with plenty of fingers crossed.

On our full day in Hanoi we set of site seeing, we visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex. This includes where his body is kept, his museum, 1 pillar Pagoda, his past residence and the existing Presidential Palace. Next was a quick walk to the lake for an iced coffee (coffee in Vietnam is very good) and then to the temple of literature. This recognised as Vietnam's first uiversity. We then managed to get lost lookng for the train station, just found ourselves going through a maze of small side streets where we managed to build up a thirst. It just so happened at this time we saw a sign, "Bia Hoi 6000", in english this means "pint of beer for 20p"...whooo hooo!!!

Our final stop, after finding where we were on the map was the Hoa Lo Prison Museum. Built by the French to hold Vietnamese and then used by the Vietnamese to hold U.S. fighter pilots. Was a very interesting place to visit and to see photos of John McCaine, the U.S. Senator who ran against Obama in 2008, who was treated for his injuries and held there. In the evening we booked a 2 night trip to Halong Bay, we leave later this morning, will write again after this.