Hanoi Vietnam

Flew here from Laos. Vietnam visa was messed up with the wrong passport number and the Laos airline official help me get a fast 2nd visa for an extra $195
Stayed at the Intercontinental WestLake hotel which has buildings on the water connected with walkways. Lunch at KOTO restaurant which trains disadvantaged youth.
Hanoi is very polluted and has the worst brown/Grey haze I ve seen. Very chaotic city, overcrowded, garbage everywhere. Too many cars on narrow roads with motorcycles everywhere. Impossible to walk. It's a week before their new year on the Chinese calendar and they are selling peach trees and branches everywhere, like our Xmas trees. Also kumquat trees but with round kumquat.
We went downtown buy I cut my tour short after lunch because the city is so overcrowded. Opted to walk around Westlake which is 13km. It took me 4hrs because of a festival in the far site of the lake diverted me. There were people on motorcycles carrying trees, tvs and anything you can think of.
Awful to walk around and place to visitRead more