Day 214, Hanoi, Vietnam

Street vendor with her load

The sleep on the train was okay, but we got woken up at 4.45 as the train was arriving in Hanoi at 5.30. So that was an early start. Taxi to hotel, where I arrived before 6.00, so obviously my room was not available yet! I got changed, organised my laundry (getting used to having it done for me here) and left that in reception and then headed towards the old town and the lake for breakfast. 

A visit to the Women's Museum filled in another hour and a half. It was actually very interesting and gave me quite a lot of insight into family life and even just helped me to understand the street vendors (mostly women) with their huge baskets loaded with goods that they spend their days selling. A lot of them leave their villages and families behind to come to the city to earn a few extra dollars, only going home a few days every month or so.

Women tending the public gardens

I walked back to the hotel, no mean feat with all the scooters, it took me close to an hour! A very kind lady even took me by the arm and helped me cross (God, I felt old!!) when I just couldn't find a gap in the flow of fast moving cars and scooters. By the way, no such thing as pedestrian crossings.

Another big load

Check in time, yay, and a chance to put my feet up. I was going to have a wee snooze, but my new roommate turned up, so got chatting with her instead. We walked down the road and had some lovely Vietnamese lunch and walked further to another lake where we witnessed one of the street vendors dropping her pants for a wee right on the side of the lake in full view. Well, if you gotta go, you gotta go I guess.

Fishing on the lake 

Met the tour group this evening, a very small one this time around, only 7, so that brings a different dynamic to a group, but I'm sure it will be fine as always.