Hanoi

"It's too much." That's what I told Alli at one point yesterday, this city is big, crowded, confusing and the traffic is absurd. Yet it's been a lot of fun at the same time. We happened to be here for the end of the autumn festival, which meant even more people on the streets, there were points where all you could see were people. We were staying in the old quarter, which is pretty cool, every street had a designation, one sells jewelry, another bamboo another things made with iron etc. It has some charm to it, and lots of really good food. I've been very happy about that, bam bo nam bo is unbelievably good, bun cha or 'Obama', as that's what he ate when he was here was also a treat. We're taking a night train up to Sa Pa tonight where we're going to do a bit of trekking and home stays with some hill tribe villagers, something we're both really looking forward to as it's supposed to be stunningly beautiful and according to the people at the hotel one of the three best months to visit it as the rice is turning all yellow for harvesting. That and there will be way less people, scooters, horns and we enough space that we won't have to walk single file down streets anymore.Read more