Untether The Dirigible! : 10 Things About Hanoi

Hanoi, Vietnam is one hectic, on-the-move, dizzying and disorientating city. After the tranquility of the junk trip, we made our way back to this northern city to try our hand at navigating our way through the famously tangled streets of the Old Quarter. Our success was variable (we got so lost!), but we have learned some interesting things along the way:

1. Crossing the street is terrifying here! There are no side walks, stop signs or rules of the road.
2. Some restaurants literally have a few Ratatouille's in the kitchen (I saw a rat tuck in to a stovetop pot one night).
3. Vietnamese coffee tastes like concentrated Iced Cap mix from Tim Hortons.
4. Beer is best drank on kindergarten chairs on street corners. Bonus that it costs $0.25/glass.
5. Men's size 8 is the largest shoe to be found
6. It's cold here in December.
7. Names of hotels change...rapidly. Dave and I went for a walk one afternoon, only to return an hour later to find our hotel renamed!
8. Scooters are useful for carrying any and all of the following: families of 5, refrigerators, 12 flats of beer, queen size mattresses, entire trees, and large-sized pigs.
9. $9.00 will get you a fancy haircut.
10. There are no 7-11s to be found.

We are looking forward to heading south, next up is suit shopping in Hoi An (Dave thinks we're going surfing...hahaha!)

Liz