Road trippin'!

Chao everyone! It's 4am and I'm up writing because I can't sleep on our hard-as-cement Vietnamese bed any longer, but more on that later. We rented a private car and driver yesterday to take us from Hanoi to Ninh Binh (pronounced Ning Bing), about three hours south. Keep in mind that it's only 68 miles so you can imagine how slow-going that drive must be. A note on the traffic: I've been fascinated by the driving habits of Asian countries since our first day in Singapore in 2009. I still haven't quite figured out how everything moves so in sync while looking to outsiders like complete chaos - people pulling right out in from of you while you're driving fast, drivers deciding at the last minute they have to turn left from the right-hand lane, and the endless honking. But they never get angry or upset...absolutely no road rage! Quite interesting.

So back to the road trip! After heading out from Hanoi, returning to Hanoi to get our passports that were left in the hotel room safe, and then heading back out from Hanoi, we were finally on our way. It's pretty much the same scenery the whole drive but I still find it interesting to watch. Families are sitting together having lunch, old men and women are sitting around at their small stores chatting with each other, children are returning from school in their matching uniforms. Litter is everywhere and sometimes you're shocked to see that the hut that is barely standing is someone's home. Always a chance to gain some perspective when you're in other countries. During the drive, I asked our driver if we could make a pit-stop and he obliged taking us to a store which ended up being closed. At this point options were limited (makes you really appreciate McDonald's and rest areas!!). Needless to say, I didn't imagine that I would end up that afternoon squatting in the backyard of an older woman's home with roosters and neighbors looking on. Priceless memory! We arrived at the hotel in the late afternoon to a wonderful family that is so hospitable. The beds, though, my gosh! I was told that Vietnamese beds are so hard because they were used to sleeping on the ground so anything soft had become uncomfortable. Not always comfortable for Western travelers but that's what Vietnamese massages are for, right?

We haven't had many picture-worthy moments yet but will hopefully have some today as we motorbike to Tam Coc and the surrounding areas of Ninh Binh. I hope everyone is doing well! Miss you guys!

We made it!!

Hey guys! We did make it into Hanoi late Sunday night but due to internet issues I haven't been able to do a post until now. But we did arrive, safe, sound and with all of our luggage! It's been a nice couple of days. The first was spent in Hanoi where we walked around the Hoan Kiem lake and explored the city. The lake was nothing extraordinary and was very polluted, like most of the waterways seem to be in Vietnam. The buildings are an interesting site to see. Some show the French influence. All homes are very narrow and tall - which Steven said was due them being taxed on the square meters the front of the home took up; hence, narrow homes! For our first dining experience, we went to a restaurant called Bun Cha where locals gather on little stools to pick vermicelli noodles, beef, mixed herbs, garlic and chiles into a small bowl with fish sauce and fried spring rolls. Very tasty, I thought, but I'm sure we wouldn't want to see the kitchen.

Today we traved 3 1/2 hours north of Hanoi to Halong Bay where we boarded a "junk boat" for an overnight cruise. The cabins we stayed in were nice and the staff was wonderful. Food - eh, it was ok. The scenery was beautiful but it would have been nice to have some sun. It's been chilly and cloudy every day so far but hopefully that will change and the sun will peek out for a bit when we travel south to Hoi An. (pictures to come soon!)

Overall it's been very similar to other Asian coutries we've visited - a lot of pollution, trash and crazy traffic. We haven't been runover by a motorbike yet, so that's good! Tomorrow we set off for Ning Bing! Woohoo!