Hanoi seems to bear the brunt of everyones dislike in Vietnam, they are either heading off to Halong Bay or Sapa, maybe have just arrived and want to head down south straight away or haven`t left enought time to have a look around at the end of their trip. Having to spend over a week there while organising my visas for Mongolia and China was not a problem, Hanoi has a lot of contrasts, locals sowing rice in the paddy fields at the edge of the city vie with space for the new large motorways. You will not go 5 feet on Hanoi`s narrow warren of streets without coming across a boiling vat of chicken broth with a sign selling "Pho" the national rice noodle soup dish which can be eaten any time and is a super filler.
Locals seem to even cook their own meals pretty much on their door step with a charcoal burner so along with the constant buzz of traffic whizzing past you get these wonderful smells all day long. Little cafes set up on the street side in the morning where you sit on these impossibly low stools and sip fresh coffee, only to disappear a few hours later and be replaced by another vendor selling some dried cuttlefish or spring rolls.
One of the best things Hanoi offers over any other Asian city is the oppertunity to just sit at a corner stall or small square or park and watch the hectic pace that is Asia.
Of course all this cultural la de da had to be offset with some serious partying, which Hanoi has also plenty to offer, evings where kicked off on the roof top bar of our Hostel, heading to the bar downstairs after that and then hitting the streets for the Bia Huoi which is a fresh beer, for only 25 c per glass and although some of the brews taste a bit iffy its generally a great refreshing beer and good to just sit around on those low stools on the road with everyone swapping travel stories.
I really enjoyed Hanoi and it was a great way to end the south east Asia part of my trip. So having packed my winter warmers and and put on a pair of shoes for the first time since october I`m off to China.
