Motorbikes, motorbikes, and more motorbikes
Posted: November 22nd, 2012 by Scott
Our next stop was Vietnam and we began in the capital city of Hanoi.  We stayed where most travelers do, in the Old Centre, where the street are narrow and motorbikes rule the pavement.  Our first lesson in Vietnam was how to cross the street.
Step 1) Look like you know what you are doing, maybe raise a hand in the air or a small wave to indicate that you are now going to cross the street.
Step 2) Start walking at an even pace.
Step 3) Do not stop, slow down, or speed up (and the motorbikes will just go around you). SIMPLE, right?
Typical intersection in Hanoi
This was VERY scary at first, but then you got pretty used to the idea of organized chaos and just went with the flow.
Well thought out power grid…
We spent a few days taking in the sites including the Old Prison, built by the French or “Hanoi Hilton” as the American POWs called it during the Vietnam war.  It was a very interesting museum, which portrayed a unique perspective to French colonialism and the American/Vietnam war.  They also claim to have John McCain flight suit.
John McCain’s flight suit
We also saw the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which was unfortunately closed at the moment and the Temple of Literature, which is a Temple dedicated to Confucius and where the first University in Vietnam was founded.  Since it was graduation time, many of the local graduates were having their photos taken at the temple.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Graduation at the Temple of Literature
In between the sites we sampled the local street food, coffee (including a Vietnamese coffee with whipped eggs whites that was amazing, and bia hoi (the local draft beer brewed without preservatives) available on almost every street corner.
Grilling our own beef and veggies on the street for dinner
Bia hoi, the local draft beer at about 25 cents a glass
To see all of our photos from Hanoi, click here.