Xin chao (Hello) from Vietnam! After a 15 hour flight to Taipei, and another three hours to Vietnam, we were welcomed by our guide, Hoa (pronounced Wah)!! On our bus ride Hoa talked about the the history of the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi. We learned about its history and economic development in the last 20 years. We managed to make it through our first day without sleeping. After checking in and regrouping, our guide, Hoa, took us on 3 1/2 hour night food market tour and we tried banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich), sticky rice balls (dessert), pho (beef soup), coffee and mango juice. We also saw the Japanese Bridge and enjoyed the view of the lively night streets in Hanoi. It certainly felt great to get a good night’s sleep – ready for day two!
