Hanoi...you Hannoy me!!!

Let's continue our journey with Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi.

 I must admit that right from the start Hanoi and I did not hit it off. It's small, narrow and crowded streets left me feeling claustrophobic and slightly anxious. Even the air felt different, the exhaust of the cars and motorbikes seemed to linger and get trapped between the buildings leaving it... at times... hard to breath. The initial vibe I got from the city was off and very reminiscent of my stay in Beijing... a feeling I would rather not experience again and one that I cannot fully explain.

The city itself is beautiful with a lot of historical sites to see, however for me it has always been the people who make the places I visit truly amazing. Much to my disappointment, I did not find most of the people we came in contact with to be overly friendly. In fact, I found the people we encountered to be either completely indifferent towards us foreigners (for the most part not even acknowledging our presence), or excessively eager to try and separate us from our money (we unfortunately came across a few different scams but nothing too serious). 

I do have to say that Hanoi, however, is a photographers (even a beginner one) paradise, there are amazing pictures waiting to be taken everywhere you look. I will say that I enjoyed hiding behind the lens of my camera while I was there and that I am grateful that I was able to take some really interesting pictures because I don't believe I will be returning to Hanoi (unless of course it is to catch the overnight train to Sapa).  I'm glad I went and I believe it is worth seeing and discovering for yourself, some people love it but Hanoi was simply not the city for me.

To the 10 ladies I travelled with, I will never forget (I am sure neither will you ) our bitter van driver, the banana ambush, the attempted 200,000 dong rip-off trip to the train station washroom, the drive heading back into Hanoi, the restaurants that mysteriously didn't serve food or the looks we received...It all made the adventure all the more interesting ;P

What can I say

Ok, so it's been a long...no, no, no scratch that...it's been a really really long time. And I must say that I have been dreading this moment, simply because I have so much to say but it feels like I may have waited too long to write it all down. But as you all know, my procrastination has always been one of my finer qualities and I have been known to work better under pressure, so why not give it a go ;p


If you allow me to, tonight I will attempt to get over this hump, this mental blockage of sorts and move on (I'm talking blog here, of course). The trick, I've been told, is to keep it concise and to include lots of pics so that people will forgive or maybe even possibly forget your tardiness. So, lets get back on track people! Four vastly different destinations in one night, hope you can handle it.


Let's begin our journey in Hoi An

Charming, is the best possible word I can use to describe this historic town. If you come to Vietnam, this one is a must!!! Whether you go for the fashion (yes ladies, this is where you can buy inexpensive tailor made clothes that actually fit your body). Or you come to lay on the beach and take a dip in the South China Sea... ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Perhaps you will come to visit the Old Quarter (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)... the Japanese bridge, the exquisite lanterns, the magnificent art, the blissful cafes, the gentle people :)









Or you could very well come to Hoi An without any expectations what so ever, much like I did and find the one true love of your life...

Cao lầu the most delicious meal known to mankind. I was in Hoi An for less than 3 days and I had it 4 times. Trust me, it's amazing!!!  No but in all seriousness, it's a regional dish only found in this town. "Its unique taste is rumoured to be contributed by the water from an undisclosed ancient Cham well just outside of the town." (as per wikipedia, of course).

So there it is, your crash course on Hoi An. I am sad to say that I did not take many pictures during my stay here, perhaps it was because I knew I would be back or perhaps it is because I did not want to miss a single moment of my time there. I think it may have been a little bit of both.
Oh beautiful Hoi An, first place to steal my heart in Nam :)

I can not take credit for the last three photographs (though I wish I could). This, my friends, is the brilliant work of Miss Amrita Singh, spectacular!     http://www.amritasinghart.com/