Everything I heard about Hanoi was correct. It was definitely my favorite city. It felt very European.
A cyclo ride--sort of scary in Hanoi traffic but no worse than crossing the street on foot.
We couldn't actually take pictures at Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, but this is on the grounds. His body is very well preserved because he travels to Russia twice a year for maintenance.
On the way to Ninh Binh we stopped at a temple and I got a picture with this particularly well dressed buffalo.
View from the boats in Ninh Binh
One of our boat paddlers. He knew how to work his business because he asked us for a tip even before our boat trip was over.
This is one way to paddle
Temple of Literature in Hanoi
We had to carry these conical hats through 3 different airports and on three different flights since they don't pack. Almost everyone on the Air France flight from Hanoi to Bangkok had a few hats with them. The hats made it fine until Atlanta customs, where a CBP official pulled me aside to check the status of these "agricultural products." Of course, they were fine. When I got home I realized that I'd brought in an apple and a banana from Vietnam and no one noticed, but my straw hats seemed to pose a threat. Typical US airport, I guess.
I'm glad to be home. I learned a lot in my time in Cambodia and Vietnam, but it was not without challenges. Spending a month alone in a third world country really, really tested my patience and revealed that I am far less mild-tempered than I thought. I went running outside when I got home and it was a relief to cross the street without fearing for my life and to run in silence without being offered a tuk-tuk or a moto every few seconds. I can't imagine I will be returning to Cambodia any time soon, but
I wouldn't trade my time there for anything.
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