My first impressions of Hanoi was certainly not what I have expected. Bustling traffic, endless Hanoians moving around rather than the usual grey boring communist capital that I have expected. In fact, I thought it was pretty capitalist since there were commerical businesses everywhere ranging from giantic Daewood Hotel to an one-man-operation porridge stall, though the propanganda posters around the city reminded me that this was a communist country. I suppose it was a minor disappointment (I always wanted to visit a hardcore commie capital city) though easily recoverable.

The city is pretty organised (and clean), though crossing a road may prove to be more dangerous than it seems to be. Loads of Honda Dreams and Cyclos raced themselves out to see who will reach its destination first. After trying to cross the road for a few times, I realise 3 golden rules to follow while crossing the typical Hanoian street. 1) Always take bold and confident steps so that the motorcylist knows what to expect 2) Assume the motorcylist does not want to knock you down 3) Pray to god and then hit the road.

The absence of tall buildings in central Hanoi was the catch. It’s rustic charm was above all, though one can expect the charm to thin out in years to come. It probably reminded me of the impression I had of the 50s/60s Sillypore, though the occasional Toyota Camrys distorted the view. No doubt, I am pretty excited because one of the itenary stop will be the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. He is after all the father of modern Vietnam. Yes, I have always been a commie freak.

Ok, the "main" motivation for hanging around the streets is Bia Hoi (freshly brewed beer). It is pretty watery (and cheap, USD$0.20) and always appropriate as a buddy for wearing down the boring stuffy afternoon. Just get a small stool, sit down, have a sip of the godly froth and watch the wheels turning round and round. Life is that simple, isn't it?