Noodles, narrow streets, and lots and lots of motorbikes=Hanoi, Vietnam

We made it to Hanoi this morning and I couldn't bemore excited and shocked to walk outside and feel "chilly"! Yes, I am aware that itis the end of winter here, but c'mon, winter in Thailand was a joke and I thought this would be comprable! I am wearing a sweatshirt and scarf and I think if I straightened my hair it might actually stay that way for more than five minutes. Crazy.

We're so rich! ;)

Yet again we lucked out with a really sweet hostel for about $6 a night in the center of the old quarter. Outside the bright modern interior is a crowded street lined with food vendors, boutiques and people going places. I love seeing all the traditional hats, people sitting on tiney stools drinking tea and the women carying fruit dangling from baskets hanging off their shoulders.

To make our flight, Leo and I got up at 2:30 am and took a cab into the BKK airport. I slept maybe a half hour on the plane and in the shuttle from the airport. For some reason I have been having really bad luck with my left big toe. Remember when I sliced a piece off in the grate in the street? Well that's about healed, I opened it up again on the uneven streets, but then the other night while out in the city, smashed between a million gay men at DJ Station, someone crushed my poor toe with their out or control dance moves. It started bleeding all around the edges and is currently in bad shape again. The problem is that I walk here all the time in sandalsand it is hard to keep it clean. Now it is so bad that my leg gets cramped from walking weird and compensating for it. I had to take a cab home after walking all day because I couldn't take it any longer. Not good, but other than that I can't complain! haha it seems like one injury after another.
Leo and I went to the Ho Chi Mhin museum (closed, but the grounds were cool), and this restaurant for lunch called Koto, which is a grassroots organization who helps give people off the streets a place to work and gives all profits to the charity. We had these amazing cold noodles with beef, peanuts and chili lime sauce.

I just got back to the hostel and am going to do some planning and napping before going out to eat more delicious food hopefully including clay pots and spring rolls!
To be continued...