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.

Vietnam ::Dong Dang - Langson::.

Sauce and Mustard arrived at what appears to be the central business district of Dong Dang after a short taxi ride from the border.

Passing by a lavishly decorated temple, jam packed with worshipers, Sauce and Mustard decided to check it out before heading over to the bus stop. The new sights and smells quickly reinforced the difference between China and Vietnam. While the ticket office was no where to be seen at the bus stop, there were many bystanders calling out and saying hello, so Sauce and Mustard asked one of the locals for direction.

Not being able to speak a single word of Vietnamese made this a very interesting experience for the two of them. After 10 minutes of hand gestures, finger pointing, money waving and saying no to taxis, Sauce and Mustard finally got on a van that took them to Langson for 20,000ð.

Half an hour later, Sauce and Mustard arrived at the quaint little town of Langson. Looking at their map, they headed towards the Tam Thanh and Nhi Thanh Cave (entry ticket: 20,000ð) which holds the ruins of the Mac Dynasty Citadel. The caves are magnificent with flowing rivers and massive cathedral like arches.

From the Nhi Thanh Cave, there was a 2km walk through the city to the Langson bus station where there's buses to Hanoi. Once again there were no ticket office. After haggling for a good 5 minutes, Sauce and Mustard managed to get a ride for 80,000ð.

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