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November 29, 2005
Hanoi in a Week
This is my second trip to Hanoi, the first having been with my father, sister and brother with Military Historical Tours in August 2000. The changes to the city and people are stunning: ATMs are abundant, bicycles are out and scooters are in, there are tourists, restaurants and shops everywhere, and the Vietnamese aren't surprised anymore to see westerners walking about. The new Hanoi is still enjoyable but the old, innocence will be sadly missed.
This is my seventh day in town and I've had the opportunity to really get about. My 5km, 1.5 hour walk to the air force/aerospace museum was a waste of time as it closed in March for renovations but really got me outside of the tourist safety sphere. 
But the Vietnam Military History Museum was a big hit with its outdoor monument constructed of American and French aircraft, exhibits covering all of Vietnam's thousands of years of history, a few intact, captured US Air Force aircraft (a H-1 Huey helicopter and a A-37B two seat attack jet), and a café that seems popular with the local business lunch crowd. Also a great pleasure and somewhat educational was the Lonely Planet Vietnam's Hanoi walking tour of the Old Quarter that included Hang Non on which my hotel is situated. Many of the street names in Vietnam refer to the wears that had been traditionally sold on that particular avenue. (E.g.: 'Hang Non' means 'Hat Street'.) A big treat for me has been the old, romantic French colonial architecture that is still prevalent in both old and new buildings.
Oh, and Hanoi is cheap! My favorite cheap place is the Bia Hoi Junction at the intersection of Phu Ta Hien and Phu Luong Ngoc Quyen where several informal Bia Hoi (literally translated as 'Fresh Beer') joints service up the cold, good stuff for 1500 Vietnamese Dong each…or about US$0.10! Here Levine, Pamela and I drink up and pose for a picture on my second day in the city.
Posted by stu at November 29, 2005 11:18 AM
Comments
or me, if i remember correctly...
--stu
Posted by: stu at November 30, 2005 07:15 AM
They have ATM's now?!?!! Good thing those pesky things weren't around when we visited or we would not have been able to sponge off dad.
Posted by: alice at November 29, 2005 06:38 PM