Hanoi

Whoah Hanoi is really crazy. It's hot, crowded and chaotic. Every time I crossed the street I whispered to myself, "i'mgoingtodie i'mgoingtodie." We would just step off the curb and hope for the best. Mircaculously, we always made it to the other side alive. Motorbikes out number cars about 5 to 1 and nobody seems to adhere to traffic lights. It's amazing what can be strapped onto the back of one motorbike: we saw a guy with two huge dead and gutted pigs, a family of five and a lady with about 10 chickens in separate metal coops.

I came to Vietnam to eat and Hanoi did not disappoint.

These ladies are making a dessert drink with cubes of coconut milk, jelly, water chestnuts and crunchy green beans or peas

fresh shrimp rolls

my favorite, steamed rice flour pancakes with pork and mushroom stuffing, with dried fish flakes on top and mint on the side

Hanoi's signature dish, cha ca aka fried fish. We tried the dish at Cha Ca La Vong restaurant, which only serves cha ca. The fish comes to the table in a sizzling saucepan. Fennel and other leafy greens are added to the pan and everything cooks slowly in the oil, which has a slight citrus flavor and unidentifiable sweet fragrance. Allegedly the oil contains essence from a beetle. The fish is served on top of rice noodles, with a handful of crushed peanuts and chopped mint.

Hanoi was overall pretty overwhelming and after three days I was ready to leave. But, we both enjoyed exploring the Old Quarter and gorging on good food. Our hotel, Hanoi Serenity, also made our time in the city infinitely better. Clean and spacious room, free wifi, free breakfast and helpful staff, all for less than $25/night.