Hanoi - Day 1

Hi Everyone !!!!
We miss you so much... Wish you all were here with us :)

Vietnam - for many people, the country sounds scary because it reminds us of the American war, poverty, diseases and all the things that a common man would think of. But let me tell u guys, you have to be here to find out and feel the real Vietnam.

We reached Hanoi airport at noon, for visa we paid 1,039,000.00 VND !!! We were so happy to be billionaires in Vietnam ;) then some Short sweet chinky looking fellow with his broken English greeted us at the airport. His name Mr. Tiet, our guide for three days, took us directly to hotel.

The whole city looked scary, narrow lanes, busy street, unknown people, felt as if we were in some different world altogether. 

Suddenly, the car stopped in one of the busy lanes and we got down. Our 3 star hotel A & EM felt very shady at first sight. We went inside and the people could not understand us due to language barrier. Mr. Tiet helped us check-in and we got our room 303. We swiped the card and saw the most amazing room. It had everything a 5 star hotel should have, from fresh fruits, hot water kettle, LCD TV, pair of slippers, hair dryer, ear buds, the most wonderful bath tub with six sprinklers, cozy soft bed, dental kit, shaving cream with razors, free wifi and most importantly located right in the middle of old quarter - 36 street. We could not wait for a hot shower!

We got ready and excited to explore Hanoi.

At first, all we could see was women. More reasons for amit to love Hanoi! We see Women riding bikes, women selling vegetables, fresh fruits, food - noodles, meat, dresses, bags, souvenirs, etc.
Hanoi is a women dominating city. All the women had perfect bodies. Any girl would kill to have that perfect shape, Flawless skin, neat hair and fashionable clothes. They wear masks and cotton jackets to protect themselves from sun tan and pollution. The women looked very hard working. They wore traditional Vietnamese clothes and a typical conical hat. They lift a wooden bar on their shoulders attached with two baskets at both ends carrying goods. They were fresh and amazingly juicy, compared to India which is also a farmers land.

Who said India had the worst electrical poles and wires! Checkout Hanoi's Cluster and web of wires.

We saw many small temples on the streets. People are very religious in Vietnam. Hanoi is influenced by Chinese culture and worship lord Buddha. While leaving I noticed a tree full of fruits. Just before entering I paid one dollar for some of these and here I realized I get them for free! I quickly plucked some and ate on our way ;) they taste like coconut and have a black seed.

In the late afternoon we sat on the roadside cafe to have local beer. We had Hanoi beer just for 20,000 dongs i.e., 1 $. Suddenly a man came to us and started praising my shoes. Then he put his bag down and removed all his equipment. He took my shoes in his hand and tried to stitch an extra sole. He was a mobile cobbler! They are so observant about shoes, that even I did not realize that the shoes I thought were brand new and classy were slightly torn. Amit quickly diverted him for a picture instead. We suddenly realized that this was the only man working. So we thought where other men can be and Amit pointed out this picture - man drying clothes in the balcony.

Another noticeable thing is that people eat their food roadside. They use small stools and sit in Groups to eat their meals.

Since we were tired from our long journey we went to our hotel to rest and sleep.