First night in Hanoi

Guess what?! Hanoi IS colder. It's such a wonderful change to the intense sauna like heat of the last week. The only downfall is it is also rainy....a light mist. However, I live in the Seattle area so it's really nothing I'm not used to!

Anyways - yesterday I arrived in Hanoi. Although I shouldn't be, I was really surprised at how different Hanoi is from Saigon. I just assumed they would be similar being that they are both big cities in Vietnam. I haven't explored much yet but what it appears that Hanoi has much more to see in terms of history and architecture. There is also a lot more street life. Almost every block is riddled with little women cooking food over little fires in metal buckets. There are chairs and tables set up and the locals just come by for a bite to eat. It doesn't appear very sanitary but they all seem to enjoy it. Speaking of street food, I did enjoy a bit of "upscale" street food last night. I met another solo traveler in the hostel and we walked to this area of Hanoi that have all of these really nice food booths under this beautifuly lighted tent. They have pretty tables and chairs and you sit down and order like a restaurant. The reason it's still called street food is the food comes from all of the different booths - different styles of Vietnamese cooking. We ordered a bunch of different dishes...drinks...and two kinds of dessert and our bill came to 132k dong - which is about $6! It was great and the food was delicious. (Paula - I thought about you while I was there. You would have LOVED it). It's going to be hard coming back to restaurants back home. I don't want to pay much for food anymore!

I also am a bit stressed right now. Yesterday when I arrived in Hanoi I went to an ATM machine...just as I have everyday since I arrived in Vietnam but this time my card wouldn't work. At first I thought it was the particular machine but then after trying two more machines I figured out that it was my card. I've checked my account online and there is plenty of money in there. I'm assuming the bank has put a hold on the card being that there have been so many transactions from Vietnam. The sucky thing is it's Sunday in Seattle right now so I'm not going to be able to get a hold of the bank until late tonight. I'm really hoping I can get it figured out over the phone because I'd really like to have access to money. I have JUST enough money to get me through the rest of the week (if I don't do anything and eat cheap food) but I won't be able to go on the most important tour of the trip - sleeping on junk boat in Halong Bay. Crossing my fingers that it all works out! If not - Mom I'll be calling home for a money transfer (smiles)!

Today I'm going on a day tour to Perfume Pagoda (paid for it before I realized I was broke). It involves travel by bus, paddle boat, hiking and then a gondola to the top of a mountain (Pagoda is at the top). Should be fun!

Cheers,
Shauna