"Hanoi Hanoi" a Hanoi Travel Page by gwen_tifa

This was an eye opener and this was the first time i ever seen a capital city that brings some culture shock.

Characteristics of Hanoi (and maybe HCMC)

Unorganized Traffic:
- Cross at your own risk! You will master the art of road crossing
- Motorcycles galore!
- Female motorcyclists in high heels, long sleeves, sunglass, with mouth guards on (you cover every possible part of the skin)

People:
- Women are predominately working hard (sorry about the guys!). You see them do the washing, cooking, mending the store, carrying fruits ,cooked food on the street to sell.
- Smokers galore (too!)

Achitecture:
- French looking houses. Slim and few storeys high, sanwiched together side by side.
- no elevators, sorry! Unless you stay in a posh hotel

Typical vietnamese hat known as "Ngong" (I bought one of those too). These are really versatile and practice hats used for - rain or shine, good to have them with.

Shopping:
- Forget about departmental stores! You probably find only one - and selling pricy branded goods which you can buy from duty free store at the airport!
- shops are mainly organised in a way that there is perfect competition. i.e. stores selling shoes are located side by side down the same stretch of street. So remember which road sells which items, you won't get lost.

Eating:
- People who came says to eat Pho Bo (seriously i still have no idea how it looks like). Anyway, beef noodles is rampant so just grab a stool and enjoy a bowl.
- Unless you are in a restaurant, don't expect to be seated comfortably. Locals here are used to sitting on a small stool and food placed on a slightly taller stool. Like Parisians, they love to face the road and watch people as they sip coffe or tea.

Hoan Kiem lake splits the Old Quarter and the Developed side. You just have to walk to the other side of the Lake. :)

In fact, Hanoi is small, everything is within walking distance but better if you can be a pillian behind someone's back on a motorbike.

That's my two cents worth of experience.