Hanoi – The Old Quarter
For our next trip we were looking for something a little different. It had to deliver a sense of adventure and enjoyment with a reasonable level of comfort at an affordable price. Boom ! The deal came through on our emails via Travel Zoo. The tour was through Intrepid – 10 days touring Vietnam.
The trip included Hanoi, Hoi An, The Cu Chi tunnels, Mekong Delta, Halong Bay, Hue and Ho Chi Min City plus an overnight train trip (not to be easily forgotten).
We were sold and we both agreed we should keep an open mind on what to expect.
Departing Brisbane on Cathay Pacific, after a comfortable seven hour flight to Hong Kong we had about one hour’s wait till our next flight to Hanoi.
We made it through customs without any delays – other than the usual feeling that we were on the verge of being interrogated by the customs officer. We collected our bags and found our taxi that would deliver us to our Hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. We arrived and here we were, right in the middle of it.
It was crazy. Talk about being thrown into a different world!
People racing about in some apparent order of organised chaos on motor scooters. Food stalls set out on the street exhibiting their varying produce including parts of animals I didn’t know existed. Small eateries with little plastic chairs, chopsticks, sizzling woks, the smell, mums, dads and kids all commuting on their family scooter.
The power lines that look like a huge mishap of spaghetti with the Vietnamese version of Energex arriving on his scooter accompanied by his oversized bamboo ladder to make sense of this electrical pasta and it’s so bloody hot! Holy hell it’s HOT and the humidity is through the roof !
We check in at our hotel with stilted communications but we work it out with reception, then make our way to the third floor in the clattering old elevator. It’s not a big hotel – maybe five stories and it’s quite old. We get into our room that’s nothing too flash but it’s comfortable. Our window looks out to the street below and I’m still fascinated by what’s happening below. I’m also praying and hoping the air conditioner will kick in shortly.
Physical therapists employ a variety of cialis brand online methods and techniques for curing and preventing illness. This herbal supplement also improves fertility. cialis 10 mg Ajanta pharmaceutical company is the only brand that manufacturer the medicine in there different forms of consumption: * Kamagra tablets (100mg) * Kamagra jellies (100mg) * Kamagra soft tablets that treat impotence may not suit diabetic viagra super men. There are various WOMEN SEX CAPSULES IN viagra no prescription online INDIA are available. Debra had a arranged a walking tour with a local tour guide prior to meeting up with our Intrepid tour the next day. We met ‘Jenny’ our personal guide at reception and head off to be shown the Old Quarter of Hanoi. For lunch we stopped at a little eatery that, to be honest, I would not have considered as something for us, it wasn’t what a supposedly informed westerner would trust. How uninformed and ignorant was I !
We took our seat on our little plastic chairs that an Australian kindergarten would use – my knees haven’t been able to bend in the crouch position for years. But somehow here I was with my gangling legs taking up far too much real estate as I had to stretch out somewhat. We stood out like sore thumbs being the only two westerners amongst the local population. Though not in a threatening way, more curious that we had ventured into this particular food house. The food was absolutely sensational. Bun Cha is a barbequed pork with herbs, spices and noodles that had my taste buds in overdrive. Yum Oh !! I can’t wait to experience more of the delightful Vietnamese food.
We continue on through the local markets and navigate the tight streets that aren’t on the tourist route. Our guide ‘Jenny’ is well educated and speaks very good English and keeps us informed of what’s happening around us. 
We walk to the Hoan Kiem Lake where we enter the ancient Buddhist temple and look out across the lake to the precinct where the varying international commissions and more modern apartments and gated communities are located. No doubt a totally different environment to the life of the local population in the Old Quarter of Hanoi.
We arrive back at our hotel just as the pent up humidity of the day releases a downpour of rain that Noah would be proud of.
Time to find a cold beer and come to terms with the day.
Tomorrow evening we will meet with our Intrepid tour. Before then we have organised a push bike tour through the surrounding villages of Hanoi.
Till then – RD.
If you enjoyed this post, we would love it if you would share it with your friends and head to our home page and enter your email address and subscribe to manstheory.com. You will receive notification as we post additional articles and look forward to you being a part of manstheory.com.
