Vietnam - Wrapping Up

I had a few photos left over to post from my time in Hanoi, Vietnam, so here they are below. I have to say I was really taken with the city (along with the excellent French bread available everywhere), and I believe I should come back some day to experience some of the nature.


Crowds at the Hoam Kien Lake in the middle of Hanoi


Lovers look to the future


Making wishes for the future


The Cathederal by night


Ubiquitous telephone wires - which is ironic, seeing as I had WiFi access for the whole time walking around, amazingly!


And I thought the tangle of cables under my desk as bad


Advertising on the walls for tradesmen and other services


Ho Chi Minh's shrine


A lady walks through the square - the weather was hazy but her had somehow stood out


Cell phone usage, like everywhere else in the world, seems near universal


Views out of the airport across what is surely the shiniest floor in Asia

The Old Quarter - Hanoi

Hangin' in Hanoi

I spent the morning wandering around the ancient back streets of Hanoi's old merchant district, and despite the hazy weather, the sights (and sounds) are pretty intoxicating.

It's quite hard to form a fully rounded opinion, but from looking at the buildings and seeing people riding their real Vespas, I am getting the impression that the Vietnamese have taste. This is sure to evaporate as soon as major wealth hits the middle classes, but for now I am quite impressed.

The buildings are surely my favourite thing about the place, and there is a really rich tapestry of elements and influences that make for super hustle and bustle semi-European feel. It's no surprise, but it really reminds me of some of the French quarter in Shangha, and although it might be a vain hope, I do hope it avoids the wrecking ball. A generation of development and this could turn into te best
cafe district in Asia.

Anyway, enough from me. I am still amazed that I seem to have wireless access wherever I go

A close shave

Tales of Hanoi

Here I am, sitting on a street corner in Hanoi,Vietnam, having a beer
and rattling off a blog entry on my iPod while hitching a ride on
someone's open wireless Internet connection. Certainly, at times like
this - with the night traffic streaming through the French collonial
streets in front of me - I think that modern communication is simply a
miracle. Or maybe that is just the second beer talking.

Observation: in the window is the Arsenal / Birmingham Premiership
match, and a small crowd is gathering in the street to watch. Amazing
really.

Crossing the street is usually a pretty intense experience, and pretty much goes against everything I was ever taught about crossing the road as a child.