Getting better at bargaining

Nam Hai 1 Hotel, Hanoi

For $5, of which $2 was spent on airport entrance tax, we managed to get the tuk tuk driver to pick us up from the hotel, drive us out for lunch, pick us up 2 hours later, stop by the hotel to pick up our luggage and take us to the airport.

Old Quarters, Old Old Quarters

Our first impression of Hanoi, or the Old Quarters part of it, was that it was very old and rundown. The quarter had been around for over 200 years, starting out as street markets. Over the years, with new constructions built over old ones, the criss-crossing streets that make up the quarters had transformed into a slump. The streets were lined with narrow shops with old paint. Messy electric wires bundled around wooden posts.

We came out of our taxi to be greeted by fleeting motorcycles, an odor that was of a mixture of raw and cooked food and garbage, and a sight of locals sitting on stools along the walkways consuming their dinners, with piles of garbage and buzzing flies beside them.

We had Pho for a quick dinner. Looking at the cost of things around us, we began to feel that doing a packaged tour for vietnam was a mistake. Our hotel was in the middle of the old quarters, it smelled of perfumed wood and the decor was tacky, but at least the bed was clean. After all, clean bed and bathroom, and a functional air conditioner was all we needed. All we could do was to hope that tomorrow would be a better day.