Vietnam Hanoi

Of the four great post colonial Indochinese cities, Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is by far the greenest and most beautiful. Huge fig trees shelter vendors selling everything from noodles and rice to a shoe shine or a patch for your puncture, along wide sweeping boulevards.

Though considerably quieter than big sister Saigon, Hanoi still retains a vibrant atmosphere -- from the early hours until late in the night, the streets are swarmed by careening bikes, often with four, five or six people aboard. A cyclo is available on most street corners, but unless you are planning a particularly long trip, the best way to explore Hanoi is by foot.

It seems in Hanoi that no two streets meet at ninety degrees, so you can count on getting lost, and spending hours wandering the meandering streets of the city. A map is invaluable during this kind of Hanoi excursion, as when you find something that really tickles your fancy, without a map, you can count on not being able to find it again.

Hanoi has a number of lovely parks and museums where you can while away the hours of a warm summer’s afternoon, and some nice cafes suited to the cold winter mornings. One thing the people of Hanoi can really thank the French for is their pastries. Hanoi has a plentiful and delicious collection of pastry stores spread all over the city. The pastries are without par in Vietnam and very cheap, making for a delicious snack or meal.

Finally, we found the people of Hanoi to be some of the warmest and most approachable in the country. Though English is not as commonly spoken as in the South, many of the older generation have a working vocabulary of French. Regardless of language, people will attempt to have a conversation with you irrespective of whether you can understand them. Many of the cyclo drivers speak some English and often have very interesting pasts that they are now willing to discuss with foreigners.

At times in Hanoi, you could be sitting in a cafe sipping excellent coffee, eating great pastry, chatting in French to an old beret clad gentleman, whilst as you look out the window you can see the great French style buildings in the shadows of fig trees. At times like these you can really wonder just what country you really are in. Hanoi, a city to be savoured.