Having landed in Hanoi after what seemed like an eternity of departure lounges, coffee shops and weariness we boarded a cramped minibus and prayed that the Vietnamese driver understood where we needed to go. One of the exciting things about riding a bus in a foreign town is that you have no concept of time, place or orientation. We rocked up to the hostel, dropped off our bags and went off to find food and more importantly, beer. A 13 hour sleep soon followed and the next day we were ready to explore. We saw the sights, wandered the Old Quarter, the French Quarter, circled the lake, successfully crossed the roads of mayhem and madness and visited the school of Literature. It was here that we were surrounded slowly by a pack of wolf like asian tourists. A small giggle alerted us to the eyes of the many short and hyperactive girls who were creeping in to take our photo with their decorated mobile phones. We had no choice, we smiled uncomfortably and wandered what it was that was so appealing- apparently a beard on a man with long hair and a girl with dreadlocks is too good of an opportunity to miss. We left feeling cheap and dirty... so we treated ourselves to a coffee. The brew here is insane. It leaves you with the shakes and a come down from caffiene which is unimaginable.
Eventually the honking and the fumes got the better of us and we booked some time out of the hustle and bustle to escape to the north and get on with some trekking!
