3/16/08
The flight to Hanoi was short and both airports were very small. Another friendly guide was waiting for us once we arrived. We were off to explore another city! I peered out the window as we drove along and came to this conclusion:
Hanoi Rocks!
This city is alive with color and variety, unlike the tightly compacted chaos of Ho Chi Minh. An eclectic mix of European and Asian cultures influence the architecture. Bright blues, greens and yellows, mix with earthy shades of brown and orange. Painted details add the final touch to create attractive urban scenes.
As typical of Vietnamese style, the houses and buildings are very narrow, long, and about three stories tall. The long sides generally have no windows or paint, they are left unfinished dull concrete, as if waiting for the next adjoining edifice to be built. Looking inside, it appears that there is either one big, long room on each floor, or each floor is divided into two rooms. Sometimes half of the top floor is open to the sky and sometimes there is a roof, but the majority of the top floors had unfinished walls without windows… as if to create an open air balcony or garden space.
People are everywhere, crowded in cafes, sitting in parks, or moving in transit on their motorbikes.
We passed some temples and important-looking official buildings before arriving at our hotel, part of the Japanese chain called Nikko. This point was punctuated by a group of businessmen giving deep bows to another who was stepping into a taxi.
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- Our room at the Nikko Hotel in Hanoi
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- Typical Vietnamese traffic patterns.
After we checked in we had a drink and went to eat at the Chinese restaurant in the hotel. “I get the impression they don’t like the Chinese,” Grandpa commented over his food.
Next stop, Halong Bay…
