Last day in Hanoi

Today was our last day in Hanoi. After visiting the museum in the morning, we spent the afternoon wandering the streets of the old quarter for the last time and buying a few supplies, ready for the overnight train journey. We've tried to capture here some of the common street scenes; when you look at them, imagine the noisiest city you've ever been to (no doubt Hanoi itself for those of you who've been there), then multiply it by about 3 and you're probably somewhere near a virtual visit! We were able to get all of the supplies we wanted in the supermarket, plus some chicken feet which we decided to pass on this occasion! We ended the afternoon with dinner at "Pho 10", the noodle shop we found on our first evening in Hanoi - it only does beef noodles but has about 8 different kinds of beef - simple but tasty.

We've really enjoyed our time in and around Hanoi and would highly recommend it for a visit. It's crazy but fascinating. The climate is great too - temperatures in the early to mid-20s C when we were here, so warm enough for shorts and t-shirt but not hot, sticky or humid as the coastal areas of Costa Rica were. Next, we head South - back towards the heat and humidity...Les mer