Crazy crazy. Hanoi feels like China. The streets still have the mental Vietnamese traffic, but the shops sell Chinese medicine and the people look more Chinese.
We enjoyed the cute water puppets and the Chinese style buildings and temples. We enjoyed the air conditioning we splashed out on after the prison train ride! Hanoi is the hottest, sweatiest place we have been (probably because it was the middle of summer while we were there).
We had a logic defying trip out to beautiful Halong Bay. Every bus from every different tourist company and travel agent leaves Hanoi at the same time. And stops at the same cafe at the same time. And arrives at the wharf at the same time. And gets to the same cave at the same time. You get the picture. It really spoilt any peaceful beauty, having hundreds of tourists invading the space.
I asked the guide why we all arrived at the same time. She obviously thought I was very stupid, because she looked at me pityingly and said, <because we all leave Hanoi at the same time.>
Someone must have said something nice about their lunch, because we ate the same thing for dinner. And the same thing for lunch the next day. And we had the traditional tourist breakfast of deep fried egg and baguette. I have had enough deep fried eggs to last me a lifetime. I didn't even like eggs that much in the first place! When in Rome....
Despite the nutty Vietnamese system of tourism, we met some great travellers and enjoyed swimming in the green sea and jumping off the top of the boat.
And after three months, I was very glad to say goodbye to South East Asia. It's given me some fantastic experiences, but I'm more than ready to see another part of the world.
