Vietnam ::Hanoi::.

The 130km journey from Langson to Hanoi took over four hours. Sauce and Mustard arrived around 6.30pm at Luong Yen Bus Station (Bên xe Lu'on'g Yên) just outside of the Old Quarter. Pushing their way passed all the motorbike taxi hagglers, they made their way to the local bus stop and caught bus 36 (3000ð) into the Old Quarter.

Walking along Hàng Gà St, Sauce and Mustard had to put their reflexes to the test, dodging the waxing and waning tide of scooters with their heavy packs. There was plenty of accommodation to be found, from budget hostels to five star hotels. They eventually settled at Hanoi Hostel on Hàng Ma St (US$4/dorm).

 

After dumping their gear, the two condiments went hunting the bustling Old Quarter streets for food. Following their noses, they found a pretty little restaurant called Little Hanoi round the corner from beer corner, where everyone squats for a cool bottle of tasty suds.

Rising nice and early the next morning, Sauce and Mustard hit the busy streets of Hanoi. Getting breakfast was a challenge. After pointing at the noodle wraps and waiting around for a bit, they were offered a seat and two hot plates of noodle wraps (aka Bành cuôn) and with their bellys full, they went to explore the city of Hanoi.

Hoan Kiem lake is a small lake in the middle of a busy city. Even though the green water was scummy, the walk around the lake is a nice respite from the traffic.

The Army Museum was closed for lunch at 12pm, so Sauce and Mustard skipped it and carried on their journey to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which was also closed. Sauce and Mustard then realised that it was Sunday and most places are closed. The Mausoleum was still nice to look at from the outside, with beautiful gardens and a giant stone tomb guarded by polished soldiers.




The One Pillar Pagoda wasn't that interesting, but still seemed to draw a lot of tourists attention. There's a sign saying no shorts and skirts, although a few people seemed to be ignoring it.

The nearby Ho Chi Minh Museum was also closed. By passing the Presidential Palace, Sauce and Mustard visited numerous temples and the old city walls.

Sauce and Mustard's Hanoi one day city tour ended with the Hanoi night scene at the Dông Xuân pedestrian market.