AVOID THE BUS
Sixteen hours on a bus is not fun in
the best circumstances. Vietnamese roads combined with local bus
drivers' penchants for mercilessly beeping their horns makes it
worse.
If you can afford it I recommend you
fly to your next destination, but if you are on a tight budget
look at it this way, anything that doesn't kill you can only make
you stronger.
Stiff and cranky after a fitful night's
sleep contorted into orthopaedically precarious positions, Hanoi
was a welcome sight.
When my neck unkinked itself I saw
that Hanoi was an amazing city filled with culture, history, architecture,
wonderful French and Vietnamese cuisine and great shopping.
Having spent two weeks previously sweltering
in tropical heat, we were unprepared for the cool weather in Hanoi.
We found ourselves recycling our one warm ensemble for an entire
week.
The heavy mists that accompanied the
cool spell settled over the Hoan Kiem Lake, which dominated Hanoi's
old quarter, and lent the city a mystical ambience.
