Hanoi - Take One

I left Mandalay, Myanmar on October 1, 2015.  After a couple of weeks of relaxing, visiting with friends and sightseeing in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, I flew to Hanoi.   My goal wasn't to see how many miles I could log or how many temples I could visit.  I just wanted to stroll around the Old Quarter, drink coffee and relax.  Here are some photos:

I checked into the Hanoi Guest House Royal.  It is a nice, well-located and reasonably priced hotel.  I arrived before check-in time and asked if there was a spa nearby.  A bell-man not only walked me a couple of blocks away to a spa, he waited to make sure I was happy there before he left.

While checking in they brought me a snack, drink and cool cloth.

My hotel was on an alley about half as wide as this "main road" which was a few steps away from the hotel entrance.

The king sized bed was huge and comfortable.  Every hotel I checked into had flowers on the bed to welcome me.

The shower was large, clean and had good water pressure.

In Bangkok there are 7-11's everywhere.  I didn't see one in Hanoi but they did have Circle K.

Water, tea, coffee and Pringles were complementary in my hotel room.  Pringles seemed like a random choice.

Big flat screen tv.

My first traditional Vietnamese "white" iced coffee.  I rarely drink coffee.  That changed in Vietnam.  The white layer on the bottom is sweetened condensed milk, the next layer is the strong drip coffee.  The top layer comes when the barista shakes the coffee in what looks like a cocktail shaker before pouring it.

I walked around the small very busy streets of Hanoi for several hours.  Then I headed back to a small outdoor cafe near my hotel.  It felt wonderful to just sit and not worry about dodging traffic.  After awhile I just started taking pictures of traffic as it passed.

The conical straw hats are commonly worn.

Women used yokes to carry prepared food, fresh fruits and vegetables and other goods for sale.

This lady sold fried snacks next to the cafe where I was sitting.  She periodically stopped cooking to do dishes.

The road is narrow but trucks and even buses use it. With most sidewalks covered with vendors stalls it makes walking an adventure.

I quickly discovered that instead of going to shop the shops come to you.

Great camouflage.

Coffee always came with water at this cafe.  The owners in every cafe I went to didn't seem to care how long I stayed.  Or even if I bought anything, although I always did.

There was rarely a pause in traffic.

Well-dressed business women frequently rode side-saddle to accommodate short skirts.

I enjoyed the monochromatic view.

These trees kept me in the shade.

And upstairs was a spa.  I had my first 4 hand body massage.  It was amazing.

Another Farmers' Market

This market isn't the same as the ones I've been loving in S. E. Asia because this one is close to home in Florida.  I hope you enjoy the photos.

These birds are everywhere, including sitting on cars in the parking lot.

One of the 4 parking lots.  It was only 8:00 a.m.

There were a lot of people there but the market is held at the fair grounds so there's lots of room.

I missed good old southern barbecue in Asia.  BBQ for breakfast?  Why not?

Mushrooms were better quality and about 1/2 the price of what they were selling in the local grocery stores.

Lots of beets and other root vegetables.  I had a great conversation with a guy who was asking how to cook beets.

Red cherry tomatoes in the grocery store are almost $4 for a container.  They'd be about a dime in Myanmar.

Pomelo!  Nice to know I can get it here.  I still hate to peel it.

Nuts anyone?

Lots of nice looking soaps and lotions.

They call them bacon puffs but sure looked like fried pig skin to me.

I was surprised at how much corn was still available in November.  One vendor had it 9 ears for $2.

Tomatoes were more than half less than the grocery store but still didn't look very ripe/juicy.

Peppers, on the other hand, looked great and there were lots in all colors.

They fish for shrimp off the coast so we get a lot of delicious wild shrimp.  I bought 3 lb for $20 from another vendor.  Much cheaper than I would have paid in Mandalay.

Snacks you would never see at the market in Asia.

The weekly market isn't only a produce market.  It's also a flea market.  The beautiful weather (sunny and 82) brought out a lot of shoppers.

Lots of used kitchen ware on sale.

These toy cars and trucks were $.50 each. 

The ve

I was envisioning myself rolling down the beach on this.

Or maybe one of these.

Not sure I like the handle bars on this one.

The vendor wanted $120 for this rustic Buddha head.

I was looking for dishes like this but $9?  Used?

Hand rolled cigars.

Supposedly the hottest peppers in the world - ghost peppers.

Nice way to clean out your garage.

One of the many vendors selling fishing supplies.  Luckily, I have a couple of rods and reels.

This may be Florida but we love Hawaiian shirts.

Someone else bought this.  I don't know what I would have done with it but I really liked it.

I do not need this stuff but so pretty with the sun shining on it.

This isn't a bird house, it's a bird mansion!

This is one of the saddest Christmas trees I've ever seen.

Vietnam placeholder

I've been remiss in posting photos from my weeks in Vietnam.  I very much enjoyed my time in Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hoi An and promise to post photos soon.