Good Afternoon from a steamy Hanoi.
Having an amazing time here.
Yesterday morning (still in Luang Prabang, Laos), we got up early for a quick 'excrusion' to a nearby waterfall. On the way we stopped at a very poor Hmong mountain village, with cute kids, but all they wanted to do was sell us little handmade bracelets.
We got to the waterfall and it was spectacular! A fantastic (and cold!) swim. The first waterfall was quite tame and small, but the water was rushing down so hard that it made it quite hard to swim to the edge of the falls. Very refreshing.
We didn't really know that there were more waterfalls up the trail, as we had the place to ourselves. Then, an Aussie couple came swimming near us and he told us of the next several set of falls. He said the two words that every boy dreams to hear - "rope swing"!!!! We jumped out of the water and practically ran up the trail to the next beautiful pool of water. Sure enough, in the crook of a tree hanging over the water was a rope swing. Someone had nailed some wood 'steps' to the tree, and we could climb to the edge. Using a separate tree branch, we could lean out and pull the rope towards. It was a bit high, and I am afraid of heights, so the first jump took a bit of doing for me. But, it was a blast. Travel Boy had no hesitation. In fact, we did it 3 times. Travel Gal even tried it!
There were a bunch more falls along the trail to the top. The pools of water where the falls landed were a brilliant turquoise color. I told Lisa that it looked too fake, as though Disney had put it there. The beauty of it all was simply amazing.
The top falls was the most impressive. It was a series of 4 or 5 waterfalls coming from the mountain. Very tall, very beautiful. We saw a girl there wearing a Red Sox hat, and I started a conversation with her. She is from Vermont, and has been living in Cambodia. We talked some Red Sox and Bruins (she had seen the 1-0 score in the morning, but neither of us knew who won the game - yeah, Bruins!!). She took our photo near the huge falls.
We drove back to our guest house, took quick showers, and checked out. We returned to the same restaurant (Tamnak) that we went to on Tuesday night - the food was absolutely brilliant. Local Lao food - great flavors.
Our flight from Luang Prabang to Hanoi took off on time. About 30 minutes in, we heard the pilot make an announcement about 'bad weather' but that was all we could make out - his English was so bad. We had no idea what he said. About 20 minutes later, we hear the flight attendants say, please prepare for our landing at Luang Prabang. Bummer. We had turned around due to bad weather in Hanoi. We had to de-plane and hang out at the airport for about 20 minutes. We quickly reboarded (there were only about 25 of us on the turbo-prop). The flight was uneventful.
We arrived into Hanoi in the dark, which is always a bummer. We passed through Immigration and Customs quickly (we had already had our Vietnam visas in our passports as we had done that before we departed the US). Our driver had a Welcome Mr. Paul sign. The drive to the hotel was 45 minutes of horror and terror. This place is complete anarchy. No rules, no order. The priority goes this way: cars first, motorbikes second, pedestrians a very distant third. Motorbikes cut in front of the van at all angles. Car horns rang the entire trip there. I was sure that we were going to hit someone, or get hit. We arrived on a very busy, horn-filled side street. The staff from the hotel ran out and insisted on carrying our bags. They were incredibly friendly. They insisted that we sit down immediately. No need for credit cards - he said you pay when you leave. They checked us in, and staff came out with ice cold wash cloths and a fruit welcome drink. They concierge reviewed a map with us, and told me he will show us to neighboring restaurants, ATM and other spots. They were all so incredibly polite and offered the best service.
We are staying at the Hotel Elegance Emerald.  Our room is great! Not large, but has everything we need: king size bed, single bed, flat screen TV, fully stocked mini-bar and snacks, a complimentary fruit basket with bananas, lychees and a fresh mango (re-filled every day), 3 bottles of complimentary drinking water (replaced daily), a balcony with shutter doors, a large bathroom with jacuzzi tub, and more. Great place, and very happy with the service. Travel Gal & Boy got room service (we arrived after 9:00p so it was late), and I ran across the street for some Pho.
This morning, we slept in late. Free breakfast at the hotel - eggs any way you want, warm freshly baked baguettes, and I had a great bowl of Pho.
Today, we walked Hanoi. Lots to see, complete anarchy in the streets, loads of people. We went to the Vietnam History museum and the interesting Revolution museum. We saw lots of sights. Made a couple of purchases.. I bought some Chaco sandals for $17 (Travel Gal paid almost $90 for hers at home). And . . . I had a bowl of Pho for lunch. That's three meals in a row of Pho! I am so incredibly happy!!
We returned to the hotel to dry off - the humidity here is absolutely breathtaking. Oppressive would be a good way to put it.
Tonight I am hoping to enjoy a good Vietnamese meal that will make me cry.
More fun planned for tomorrow.