Harm from...Hanoi

Day one is coming to an end. We made good use of it! Waking up to the sounds of horns and construction brought back memories of both India and China. We enjoyed a baguette, cheese and Vietnamese coffee for breakfast, thanks to our very warm and helpful hosts at the guesthouse. Our accommodations are not flashy, but definitely homey...and cheap! We are staying in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, a bustling corner of the city. The theme of transportation is definitely the honking scooter. Crossing the street here is similar to the Indian experience- just take your chances and go. Weave your way through the madness. It's a pretty fun game and you always feel like you've accomplished something when you've made it safely to the other side.

I am excited to be in a new country. As per usual, day one was spent getting acquainted with the geography, the food, and especially of key importance, the shopping. We were most pleased, actually we were thrilled, with the potential for good buys in Hanoi. We all put in orders for clothes today, so we are all looking forward to picking up the final products in a couple days. I'm excited about the great artwork available and I'm pondering a few purchases later on this weekend. I found the Old Quarter to be a bit of a challenge to navigate. After being spun around a number of times as we wandered the streets, I was pleased to feel a relative sense of direction by the time we finished the day.

Tomorrow we are going to Halong Bay, which we expect to be a highlight of our stay. We are going on a junk boat, where we will eat and sleep for one night. Kayaking, swimming and cave exploring are all on the agenda. Guess I'll head for bed- a day of wandering has left me weary.