Hanoi

Early morning flight to Hanoi at 11.45am on Air Asia. Arrived in hanoi at 1.45pm and was greeted with pouring rain and dampened heart (due to the rain). Boarded the minibus which did not take off after 20minutes. Decided to take the cab with a French traveller, Steve, on the same minibus. Ended up checking into the same hostel. Hanoi Backpackers Hostel.

Went for a walk around Hanoi city. The beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake is just 5minutes walk from the hostel.

One thing to note in Hanoi -- Zebra crossings are UseLess!! The motorbikers are oblivious to the fact that zebra crossings are drawn on the road surface. It takes skills to cross the road. You have to avoid the cars and motorbikes (not the other way round) and do not hesitate to cross the road, else you will never get to the other side.

Hanoi has a sort of old quarter charm. Everything is not so modern, even the buildings are a little run-down. Very different from the noisy and bustling city of Bangkok. It gets a little boring after a day or two.

Walked to the bridges - Long bien and Chuong Duong Bridges that connect Hanoi with the other island. It was a REALLY LONG walk. I think it took at least 40 minutes, but I persevered on. The view there was AMAZING!

Paddyfields. View from the Long Bien Bridge

This is the Chuong Duong Bridge

Went shopping at the local wet market for my dinner. Spent S$2 for the grocery (just bought vegetables). The locals LOVE their French baguettes. These are sold everywhere on the streets.

The hostel is great, especially for its free internet service. Surfed my time away at night after dinner.