Our first introduction to Vietnam is the busy city of Hanoi. A vibrant city with people, scooters and street food everywhere. A city where you take you life in your hands every time you cross a street! A city where pavements are for parking your scooter or for putting down your small plastic chair to sit down while slurping your noodles.
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| Dragon fruit |
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| Little Town Hotel in the heart of the city |
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| Our first streetfood meal in Hanoi. Noodles or rice, stir fried vegetables and beer for just $3 !! |
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| And we thought we were skipping Christmas!! |
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| Your local shoe store, as convenient as shopping online! |
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| Kitchenware |
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| Need a basket? |
A visit to one of the many markets
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| Dried shrimp |
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| More dried shrimp! If you're lucky enough to catch the stall owner awake. |
One of the best meals in Vietnam at
Cha Ca La Vong, just down the road from our hotel. You sit down and 2 minutes later your meal appears on the table. No ordering, just one meal is being served, 170000 dong per person - a bowl of noodles, fresh herbs and garden greens and a pan of sizzling fish. A great experience that lasts about 20 minutes!
The Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long was the headquarters of the Vietnam People’s Army during the war from 1954 to 1975. Nowadays a peaceful place for a stroll around the gardens to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
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| The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long |
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| Vietnamese women in traditional dress outside the citadel. |
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| Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum |
Long Bien Bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel. Yes the same guy who has design another rather huge iron structure! Used by trains, scooters and pedestrians. The bridge had been bombed several times during the American war and repaired again by the Vietnamese.
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| Long Bien Bridge |
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| View from the bridge |
Weekend fun around Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the city.
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| Early morning Tai chi in the park around the lake. |
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| Vietnamese fritters |
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| Hoan Kiem Lake |
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| The lake from a rooftop bar across the street. The scarlet bridge leads to Ngoc Son Temple on a small island. |
