Vietnam - Hanoi

Good Morning Vietnam!

So I made sure I made the most of my time in Hanoi and crammed a week's worth of sight-seeing and eating into 3 days *phew*

I don't ordinarily make a fuss, but the hotel's complimentary taxi from the Hotel didn't arrive - leaving us to foot the bill for an expensive taxi. When we arrived at the Hotel I let the receptionist know that the driver hadn't turned up (In case he came late and was waiting for us). She looked appalled and instantly upgraded us to the Honeymoon Sweet!

Honeymoon Suite

The room was much bigger and had a great (sound-proofed!) view of the markets down below, which were transformed into Night Markets at sundown. Although I couldn't get over how funny it was that my mate and I were staying at the Serenade Hotel's Honeymoon Suite... sounds like a pay-by-the-hour sort of joint, right?

One of my good friends was living and teaching in Vietnam while I was there, and so I organised with her to go around and see all the city's hottest spots.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

After having lived there for 4 months already, she was practically a local! We started with a tour to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The monolithic structure is impressive and really heavily guarded. Don't even think of stepping onto the grass! My foot strayed while taking this photo and I was promptly reprimanded!

Dried and Candied Mango Slices

We then hit-up the Dong Xuan Markets and shopped until we dropped. Literally. My blood sugar felt so low I thought I was going to collapse so I bought some dried and candied Mango slices.

Within the Dong Xuan Markets there's a food court area... but it's more like dozens of street stalls under a roof! For fantastically low prices, we bought several delicious dishes:

Lettuce, Prawn and Noodle Soup

Nem Nuong

Later that night we went out Clubbing in Hanoi. Being a clubbing-virgin I didn't really know what to expect, but the ridiculously-low prices of alcohol meant that it was an easily viable option to buy a bucket of alcohol.

Vodka Redbull in a Piggy Bank

 The dance club we went to served mixed drinks and cocktails in sandcastle buckets and... Piggy Banks!

The next day we took the lengthy bus journey to Halong Bay and then a cruise around the rock formations.

Our tour guide took us to some secluded rock caverns with stunning formations inside. Our less-mobile fellow tourists (an old Polish couple) stayed behind - meaning that we could get around to some special sites with ease.

Prawns and Crab

However, they DID eat most of the food provided on the cruise and weren't willing to share, so I had a measly serving of prawns and crab.

All in all, Hanoi was a bustling and exciting city with something for everyone!

Vietnam - Hoi An

Hoi An is hands-down Vietnam's capital for:

- Beaches
- Resorts
- ...and Tailoring?

You wouldn't believe it until you see it for yourself. Hoi An boasts the most tailors per square metre of anywhere in the world, and I wouldn't argue with that.

Not only is the main street littered with tailoring 'shops', but in the bowels of the town there's a large warehouse which is brimming with tailors.

I can't help but feel that the word 'tailor' is used pretty loosely there though. I mean, does a person sitting at a table with a sewing machine count as a tailor? And what about those 'stores' that have been variously busted as fronts for sweat-shops with child labour?

Anyway, I had some shoes and apparel custom-fitted and designed to my specifications, for 1/3 of what they would have cost in Australia on a conservative estimate.

Back to the Beaches!

After landing at Danang Airport, we were picked-up by our resort's personal driver and taken on the 40 minute drive down the beach to the resort. All the way along the beach is just resort after resort, with construction sites for new resorts everywhere else.

We got slightly scammed on the way though. Our driver took us to his cousin's pottery and jewellery store on the way, as it was at the bottom of the Jade Mountain and so I thought I'd purchase a little jade for my Mum. But it was soon apparent that they were just ripping-off 'wealthy' Westerners. Honey, I had just finished school... I'm not exactly rolling in $$$

Now onto the Food/stuffing my face at every opportunity

If you haven't worked it out yet, I love my noodles.

Sweet Potato Cakes

Banana Crêpe (French colonial overhang?)

Pineapple Crêpe

Roadside Bun Thit Nuong

Local Draught Beer