Yesterday we arrived in the mental capital of Vietnam, Hanoi! And yes it was bloody freezing. Although we had continually checked the weather and we had been warned about the cold we somehow thought us arriving would change this, how very wrong we were. Jet lagged was an understatement so we found some street food... Noodles with vegetables and what looked like rat fritter and dog meat on the top...yum! Paid 30,000 Vietnamese dong for the full meal which is just under a £1 and actually tasted better than it looked.

Early night for the 3 musketeers

Time to become travellers... Armed with our trusty fleeces and paper map provided courtesy of our hotel, hanoi eclipse hotel off we went in search of the Hoi chi min museum. After a 20 minute stroll taking in the madness of the city we arrived at the museum and were faced with serious looking guards pointing us single file into a temple. Us being the silly blondes we are hadn't thought to actually do any research into where we going so had no idea what was about to face us.

A few flights of stairs up we walked into a room filled with 8 guards holding guns and knives and slap bang in the middle was an open coffin with the body of the late president which we definitely were not expecting!

We then looked round the grounds of where he had lived and worked and even saw..drumroll please.. Yes 3 cars he owned. All very spectacular considering we hadn't a clue who this guy was. We eventually googled him and now realise what an important part of Vietnam history he played a part in, trusty google.

Next stop,hanoi prison. Again another insight into the history behind Vietnam and this time no open coffins.

As evening dawned we had heard about a backpackers hostel called hanoi backpackers 2, yes original name right there. So off for a tiger beer we went. We settled onto a bench and for a good hour were all trying to force one another to talk to people sat 2cms away. A few tigers later and bingo, hello first travelling friend. Not really sure how to spell this one but we shall give it a whirl, he was called merkal from Switzerland. As the drinks flowed, our confidence grew and before we knew it we were on the bar drinking free shots from a strangers belly button, it was ladies night after all.
Our first experience of a Vietnamese club is very hazy due to the crazy amount of tequila, vodka and beer that we consumed. Start as you mean to go on they say!!!