Hanoi

I was a bit worried that I'd come to Hanoi after 4 years and my delightful memories of the place would be destroyed. Thankfully that was not so, but it certainly has changed in that time.

Hanoi is a place of sensory overload. The first thing that overwhelms is the constant sound of honking horns, then the vision of insane traffic where motorbikes come from every direction and traffic lights seem to be just a suggestion. Then comes the crowds of locals celebrating the new year on the street. Add the fume filled air with the regular waft of incense and you have quite a place.

Wandering the winding streets and alleys of Hanoi's old quarter was still a joy, despite the constant rain and mist. It was easy to get lost amongst the laneways that lead every which way. This was also the best way to see people living their lives. On one hand you have street hawkers carrying their baskets of fruit over their shoulders, wearing traditional hats, and on the other you have free wifi in every cafe and the young hip Vietnamese are busy tapping away on their iphones and netbooks.(The problem with this is that internet cafes are now a thing of the past, so it's been hard to keep in touch - should have bought that iphone).
Fashion, music and coffee have had a makeover in the four years since I was here. No longer do I only hear Boney M and Abba sadly, now it's Rhianna, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson. Fashion is up to date and the coffee is good and made with real milk.

I have already met a tonne of people. I spent a day with Gabrielle and Bree, a mum and daughter from Phillip Island - Gab is now teaching in Hanoi (Hi!). They were generous tour guides who took me to their favourite places and showed me their lovely home.

I joined a tour to Tam Coc, which was not the most exciting trip and included a lot of souvenir hassling - though Tam Coc itself was breathtaking. I was rowed down a river through Karst Limestone mountains and caves by a tiny Vietnamese woman. The bus ride took forever and was very bumpy. However, I met some interesting people - friendly and chatty Thai's, Spanish lovebirds, a Finnish woman volunteering by teaching in Hanoi, an intelligent Hong Kong couple with amazing English (and a slight Australian accent for that is where she studied)

It was good to visit Hanoi again - I love it for its craziness and culture, but it was just as wonderful to touch down in Laos where the air was warm and the traffic seem to never honk their horns. On my first walk through the city streets in the early evening the scent of jasmine wafted through the air and monks chatted on their mobiles while relaxing on the verandahs of temples. This is definitely more relaxed than anywhere else in Asia I've been.

Oh, and Britney's tombstone is still there... in Gravestone Street