June 25, 26, & 30, 2015

We had an early flight to Hanoi from DaNang. With no issues at the airport, we had some time to kill. I began to read up on recommended taxi companies at the Hanoi airport. When I had booked the hotel, I turned down the hotel's offer of an airport pick up for $18 because I was sure we could get there for less. After reading about the scams and knowing our track record, I decided to call the hotel.

The receptionist at our hotel was great. She took down my phone number and flight information and arranged our pickup in a couple of hours all for $15. These types of incidents only reinforce my procrastination tendencies.

The flight and transfer went well, although we seem to have a knack for finding the slowest taxi drivers. It was shocking how slowly he drove on the highway.

We got the royal treatment when we finally arrived at our small hotel. We were offered fruit and drinks as part of a lovely warm welcome. Once settled we went out to find some lunch.

We had a great meal with locals for a great price thanks to a recommendation from the hotel. After lunch, we walked around the Old Quarter (the popular tourist section of the city) for a bit. The streets are narrower than in Ho Chi Minh City. There were still a lot of motor bikes and most of them park on the sidewalks so you have to walk in the streets. Hanoi appears less westernized than HCMC.

Sorry, you'll have to walk on the street....no room on the sidewalks

Hoan Kiem Lake, a popular place to walk around and chill.

Entrance to Ngoc Son Temple (18th century) on the lake

Maeve and Liam crossing the bridge after a visit to the pagoda

We needed to make plans for our junk boat cruise in Ha Long Bay. Most people who visit Hanoi book tours to popular locations like Ha Long Bay and Sapa. We intended to do the same. There are no shortage of agencies and junk boat companies willing to take your money and sell you any type of excursion, so it is good to know what you want and to find reliable help. Fortunately, our hotel was of great assistance and listened to our needs.

We had booked four nights in Hanoi before hopefully leaving for Ha Long Bay. With Liam`s birthday being the next day, we were able to change our reservation there and get on a cruise for his birthday. Alice, the amazing receptionist, took note of Liam's birthday and made her own plans.

She went out and bought Liam a birthday cake. She also bought him a souvenir shirt. It was such a lovely gesture. She came to our room that night and brought candles too. What a special treat!

Liam with receptionist extrodinaire, Alice. Nice artwork in the 'family room' huh?

Alice purchased a Vietnam shirt for Liam

Typical women street vendors carrying their products

When we returned from Ha Long Bay (post coming soon) we were able to escape the heat and enjoy a lovely cultural Vietnamese experience. We visited the Thang Long PuppetTheater to watch a performance of water puppets. This ancient tradition started in rice paddies when some of the farmers were bored between harvests. They created this art by controlling the puppets under water from behind a screen. We watched 14 scenes depicting ancient Vietnamese stories. Each scene was accompanied by folk music played with traditional musical instruments. The performance lasted about an hour and was gorgeous. It was fascinating to see how intricate some of the puppets were and how they were attached and controlled. We loved it.

Puppetiers came out from behind the scenes at the end for a bow

We also enjoyed walking around the Old Quarter looking for our next meal. Most of the food here is quite cheap, depending on what you crave. Unfortunately, after days on a cruise and eating a ton of Asian food, we began to crave some western food, which can be more costly. We formed the habit of having a late breakfast which was included at our hotel, then eating one meal out around 3:00.

We became pretty comfortable with Hanoi, but we needed to make further travel plans. Such is the life of the nomadic family.