Vietnam #11: Exploring Hanoi

Vietnam #1: It’s a Long Ass Flight to Vietnam
Vietnam #2: The Best Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam #3: A Lesson in History and Propaganda
Vietnam #4: The Streets of HCMC
Vietnam #5: Is the Mekong Delta Worth It?
Vietnam #6: My First Overseas Doctor Visit
Vietnam #7: Welcome to Central Vietnam
Vietnam #8: Two-Wheeling in Vietnam
Vietnam #9: Don’t Skip Hoi An
Vietnam #10: A Hot Day in Hue

Hanoi is not what I’d call a pretty city. It has its elegant moments, but for the most part, it is gritty, noisy, intense, and overwhelming. Especially the Old Quarter.

We didn’t have a particular destination in mind. We simply wandered through the Old Quarter’s byzantine streets, turning randomly as we desperately avoided oncoming traffic. Literally. See the evidence below.

I already warned you about the traffic in Ho Chi Minh City. If it’s possible, the traffic is even worse in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. This is one of my favorite pictures. I can’t even begin to imagine riding a motorbike with two people and a stack of steel beams!

The Old Quarter is made up of overcrowded streets, tiny shops and homes that look like they’ve seen better days, overhanging electrical wires, crazy trees, and piles of cheap crap for sale.

This seems like a great way to save money on rent.

You can buy a Vietnamese hat for any sized head. Seriously, any size.

Or a banana – ripe or unripe.

Or any color zipper you’d like.

Or a painting.

In fact, Lisa did!

After the Old Quarter we headed south to Hoan Kiem Lake, a picturesque reprieve in busy Hanoi.