After some rest and familiarity in Hong Kong, we were excited to move on to Southeast Asia. And boy was Hanoi, Vietnam come through. From the moment we got off the bus in downtown Hanoi you could feel an energy in the air. Scooters and cars rushed by in pure chaos. Clearly road rules were meant to be broken. And crossing the street was like a game of frogger. Thrilling, yet terrifying.
After dropping off our bags we beelined it to the best Pho spot in Hanoi. It was good, but to be honest it wasn't as good as pho back home. We just love Pho 75 in Arlington, VA. But it didn't discourage from having a good night exploring the town. It was the weekend and the streets around Hoan Kiem lake were alive with street performers, food stalls, young Vietnamese playing a new version of hacky-sack and middle aged Vietnamese women doing a mix of dancing and Thai Chi Yoga. I was already in love with Vietnam.
We started the next day off right with the first of many full body massage!!!! Then we just explored the streets. Danny is an excellent haggler and ensured we got a good price on my new straw hat. It was fun just to wonder around the streets and the lakes. We finished the day drinking 50 cent beers and eating street foods. It was a great day.
On our second full da in Hanoi we left for Halong Bay. Words cannot describe the beautiful karst mountains coming out of the clear water. You'll just have to check out the photos. We spent a night on a boat enjoying the scenery, swimming on one of the islands and exploring a cave. The following day we sailed to Cat Bay Island for a hike in the national forest and more beach time. That evening we joined our fellow tour members for a fun night out. We made some good friends that we hope to see again in Vietnam. After a night on this island, we cruised the Bay a bit and headed back to Hanoi for a final day of exploration. We visited the Hoa Lo Prison Museum which gave us an interesting look at how the French treated the Vietnamese prisoners and how the Vietnamese treated American POWs.
