"Where have I landed?" Hanoi by elmasri

Never, never, ever go to Vietnam (Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh) after going to Laos. The shock is tremendous. From spiritual peaceful to crazy noisy.

However after the initial shock, it wasn't that bad.

Another good tip: even if you are told that you hold a passport which does not require a visa, ignore it and invest in a visa, choose 30 days visa even if you think you are just staying 10 days, you never know you may like it.

I hold a portuguese passport and was told I would be given a visa on arrival, and I was not allowed to enter initially , I had to go back and choose alternative an route. So I went to Cambodia and Laos before coming here. Like I said earlier Vietname should be done first as it is quite fast paced, then Cambodia and then spiritual Laos. I did not enjoy Hanoi as much initially because I was so relaxed from my 5 days in Laos that could not cope with the noise and manic environment.

cyclos

These are everywhere and are fun to go around the small market streets in Hanoi but not for long distances.

city life

The number of women working like these is staggering. It seemed that only women did this kind of job. It looks painful on the shoulders, but I guess they are used to this life.

• Pros:cheap and different
• Cons:noisy and very busy
• In a nutshell:too fast too furious