I think I'm starting to say "wow" too much. Hanoi is sensory overload. From the minute you hit the street you are bombarded by the sounds, the smells, the symphonic chaos of the motor bikes and cars orchestrating their way around you. It's absolutely fabulous!
We left our hotel early in the morning and headed to Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi. After a breakfast of Pho and spring rolls we headed to the temple in the middle of the lake. Passing the women doing their Tai Chi and the students practicing their drawings. And then it was into the heart of the Old Quarter.
Street after street, lane after lane of shops and vendor hawking their wares. Little old ladies cooking on the streets and all the while dodging the endless stream of motorbikes. It doesn't take long before you learn to blend in and the din of horns and voices meld into the background.
We shopped, we tasted the street food, we walked down tiny alleys and nobody paid us any mind. The most difficult part of the day was getting used to the currency rate. 20,000 Vietnamese Dong to 1 USD. One trip to the ATM and you were an instant millionaire. The highlight of the day was Sonja dragging me into a small parlor for a foot massage. One hour of blissful rubbing, tugging and pulling. Alternating between pain and "ahhhhh". All for only $12. I think we'll be getting more of those!
Tonight we're headed to a jazz club and I don't expect any trouble falling asleep after a wonderful first day in Vietnam.
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