After a short nap to recover from the early start we headed out into the streets of Hanoi. We all like Hanoi. It’s littered with good cheap local restaurants, tasty street food stalls, quirky cafes and unique shops with a smattering of French colonial charm mixed in amongst the Vietnamese mayhem.

Every inch of the pavements are used, no space is wasted and there is rarely enough space to stand. Motorbike parking, shops wares overflowing, street food vendors hawking, residents socialising and eating, industrious workshops doing their thing and the odd tourist trying not to get squashed by the oncoming traffic. Despite the manic chaos of Vietnamese everyday life it seems to work and has a friendly welcoming atmosphere.

Hanoi kept us busy for 2 days just wandering around the old town absorbing the atmosphere (literally)… and of course eating, drinking coffee and shopping. 

After the good time we had in Han Hoi we decided to do another street food tour. At some of the stalls we visited the ingredients were slightly more adventurous. BB refused to eat spleen which was the wise thing to do as Mum and Dad tried it and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Nor was the tendon for that matter! However the egg coffee was surprisingly tasty.

We also made it for a walk around Ho Hoan Kiem lake, took a cycle rickshaw ride (another first for BB), visited an ex colonial prison and an interesting museum about women in Vietnam. The section about the street traders was quite an eye opener and a good reminder not to complain about our jobs when we go back to work.

The exciting news whilst in Hanoi was that BB hit a major milestone and learned to pull himself up on things from sitting and stand by himself. Mum and Dad were so proud until they realised that they now have a nightmare on their hands with a crawling climbing BB who takes any opportunity to explore with gusto.

BB also hit another significant milestone in Hanoi… he learnt how to eat rice noodles from chopsticks. An important skill for a 7 month old travelling in Asia!

From Hanoi we took a 2 day tour to Halong Bay. The last time Mum travelled here it was for a cold and rainy New Year’s Eve but thankfully this time the weather was kinder. Things got even better when we were upgraded to a deluxe room on the cruise boat complete with our own balcony, faux gold plated bath and plenty of space for BB’s cot. 

Halong Bay didn’t disappoint and was as picturesque as the tourist brochures suggest. Special mention goes out to Cem, BB’s adopted uncle for the 2 days. He helped Mum and Dad entertain BB and his good company was enjoyed by all 3 of us.

After Halong Bay it was back to Hanoi for another day exploring the city before flying to our next stop, Hong Kong.