I arrive at the airport in Hanoi still sick, tired and not ready for a new country. I was simply trying to gat a minibus into the city but noone appeared to understand any english and I no Vietnamese. Every stuttered sentence I uttered was bizarrely replied to with a harsh and decisive no. Looking confused didn't help. People would just yell 'No' at me louder. I gave up, handed over too much dong and was eventually set on my way into the heart of Hanoi at peak hour.
Oh, the traffic in Vietnam! I think the rule is no rules. Motorcycles, bicycles, 
cars, trucks and people travel the roads in many different directions. They drive on the right here, but also the left, middle, pavement and anywhere a vehicle can cross. And please the roads cry, use your horn to full effect people. Honk it any time and place you feel necessary- don't neglect the horn, it may get lonely and hoarse. USE IT FREQUENTLY.
It is a beautiful city full of French colonial architecture. Off narrow laneways, slim little houses with shuttered windows reach up into the smoggy sky. A maze to explore and get lost in. Then when you have no idea where you are, catch a cyclo the few minutes to your hotel and pay a premium price for being found again.
I have met a friend from Melbourne here and we plan to travel together until we get sick of each other- may be just a few days or a few weeks. But we have plans to visit Halong Bay, a place I have been looking forward to since I first began planning my trip. But more on that in a few days after I have been there.
For now, it is just tackling the busy streets and soaking up the atmosphere of the city (honk, honk) before the adventure of Vietnam unfolds. Keep watching this space.
