After a good nights sleep and great buffet breakie at the First Hotel it was time to check out and head to Ho Chi Minh airport for our 10.20am flight to Hanoi. It was a good opportunity for Steve & Tonya to see how crazy the traffic is as when we arrived it was under the cover of night. The drive is usually only 10 mins but we must have been in peak hour and it was pretty crazy. If the streets are full then just take it to the footpath! That's what the locals were doing. I dont remember my motorbike instructor at the RTA tet telling me that was ok, oh well.

Got to the airport safely and waited for the flight which was slightly delayed. The flight was 1h 50 mins to Hanoi on Jetstar and was ok. On this flight Binny discovered the joy of the travel pillow. Not having used the grey velour semi-donut before, it took about 3 nano seconds for he to drift off into a cloud filled slumber. Flying has agreed with the mum to be & Yoshimoto so far so I am please about that.

Landed in Hanoi at around 2.10pm local time. Weather was overcast and apparantly there had been a storm earlier. The lanscape change from the airport to the old quater in town is great. You pass through what would have been traditional grazing & rice paddy land with wide open spaces and plenty of room on the roads to it narrowing down to a onway free for all Evil Kinevilathon through the back streets of the old town. Got some great footage of leaving the highway and progressing through the narrow streets to our hotel. I think I have also captured an attempted bag snatch by a local on a motorbike but it could just be this lady trying to belt a guy with her handbag as he was flying past, will send the footage to the lab for analysis.

Checked into the hotel and then went for a walk down to the lake in the centre of the old town. Found a nice cafe/bar on the side of the lake called the Little Kitchen. We were starving so ordered what I like to call the 'bearing meal', meaning it's ok to order a pizza & fries and a long neck once in any town whilst you work out where you are & what you are doing. I dont think I will be able to get away with that for much longer!
Finished lunch and took a stroll over to the Water Puppet theatre to buy some tickets for tomorrows show. Had a brief walk around town and headed back to the hotel for happy hour and a rest.

I was dissapointed to learn that a cafe Binny & I went to a few times last year "The Cyclo Cafe" was closed for reno's. Great little joint that has diner style booths made from old Vietnamese cyclos and good traditional grub. Oh well, hopefully next time it will be open.

The heavens decided to open at about 7pm so and adventure around town for something to eat was put on the backburner. the hotel recommended a great place called 'The Hanoi Garden' restaurant. We were all so tired and in need of a good meal that would send us off to sleep. Had a short stroll back to the hotel and tried to work out the TV. It's on the blink after the storm so its cheese or snow....thanks Rusty.

Tomorrow, off for a wander around town & then the Water Puppet show and back to my fave place to eat............Bobby Chinns.