Well this is different, Hanoi. It’s bedlam ! Tiny, narrow streets and alleyways alive with families, babies, Grannies, cooking, shops, scooters, BMWs and bicycles. I love it. I hope I don’t offend but there seems to be an acute shortage of paint in this country or maybe it is the extended rainy season, May to September. But the rather interesting architecture is marred by rot and rust, everywhere I look I see the equivalent of San Francisco’s Painted Ladies, except they are not painted. I am sure the residents will get there, then watch the house prices. A minor quibble I suppose.
Had a great treat in the cab ride from the airport, a Skype video call back home. All participants amazed at the fact that we could do it. Fun for the Cali folk to say hi to the driver and see him too, fun for the driver come to that. Cries of disbelief as I turned the camera round so they could see where I was going, the freeway, the buses, green fields, trucks and of course, scooters. Gotta love the technology, especially when it’s FREE. It was great to see them all. Hi Guys.
Shortish post here as not really done much after the 90 minute flight up from HCMC. It’s like the flight from SF to Seattle, only 90 minutes in the air, but seems to take all day to get from door to door. I wandered around in the aforementioned expanding circles, much more difficult here as the layout of the city is like a labyrinth. Labyrinthian even ?
The hotel is great. Manager welcomed me with hot towels and fresh squeezed juice, sat me down to figure out what I wanted to do and I am now booked on an overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay tomorrow. Hey Ho, yet another 8.00am start. The good news is that there is a computer in the room so I have been diligently inserting photos into the last couple of posts. Don’t you just love all those boats on the Mekong ? Thanks for the enthuse Barbara in Lincolnshire. I may just have to give in and buy a cheapo laptop, maybe duty free in Vientiane.
So it’s good night from Hanoi and big thanks to all you commenters, it really helps. I like to think about y’all.
notreallytravelling 
Love the updated post with photo inserts! Amazing feat to skype in a taxi – well done! Keep the thoughts and reports coming
WOW. That definitely made it onto my top 10 list ever. So cool to see you there then in Vietnam! Wtf (excuse my abrev;) amazing. Thanks dad, for diving in and sharing the journey so incredibly vividly (labrynthian?) :p GO DAD! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FwikaDZpQU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Good luck crossing the road! And glad to see you in the cab! 😉
Thanks Bud, hella treat to see you and Sara too. Thanks for being in touch.
Tim, another excellent synopsis of your day and nice to see a photo of you. Bill Bryson should be worried as you write so well!
Tim, in the last two paragraphs of this piece the letters got excruciatingly small and as you may or may not realise as one get older one’s eye sight deteriorates. Anyway as Vicky says another great synopsis of your day. How exciting to skype and show everyone where you were going! Stay safe. Photos please!
Great stuff Tim. Snowing here in London.