Halong Bay and other final Hanoi-an thoughts

Today I made the 3-hour pilgrimage to Halong Bay, which is not only now UNESCO protected World Heritage site, but also the backdrop for one scene in the James Bond flick Tomorrow Never Dies. Alas, the weather sucked today. And by suck, I mean it really sucked. Almost zero visibility with a layer of haze wherever you looked. I must admit that that my camera skills are definitely not to the point where I knew how to deal with this yuckiness...and so there are very few photos from today's journey (scroll to the bottom for Halong Bay in grey ;)).

But nonetheless, Halong Bay, with its 2,000 limestone islands and green waters was still a sight to behold. I hope I'll get a chance to revisit one day when the weather is better. Although I have to say, it did remind me a lot of Langkawi, a trip for which I also don't have any pictures. Perhaps limestone islands and I were not meant to be.

And with that, my trip to Hanoi draws to a close. A few final Hanoi-an thoughts....

-The ice cream is really really good here. Try Fanny's (oldest in town, I think) for the "Com" or young rice (when it's in season), or right here at the Sofitel Metropole for their cinnamon or sapa honey flavours. Delish!

-Hanoi is charming. I can't really describe it. It's probably some combination of the colonial architecture mixed with the crazy chaos.

-There are no Starbucks here. Or McDonald's. The people of Hanoi just wouldn't stand for it. They'd rather sit around little tables on the street drinking and eating with their friends as they have for decades. Something about that is cool and admirable. Sucks for the Canadasian chick who likes soy almond lattes though. :(

-The coffee that they do have here, though, is great. And they like their coffee strong. If you think that Vietnamese drip coffee back in the US at your favourite pho joint is strong, think again. They use about 1/3 of the condensed milk and probably double the grounds. The result is an awesomely yummy, excruciatingly buzzing caffeine infusion. Gotta love it.

And now, it's time to pack for the journey home.