Day 2: The Streets

Day 2, I awoke fresh and well rested until my eyes landed on something scuttling near my bed. Cautiously I lifted my head from the pillow only to spot the largest cockroach I have ever seen. I let out a silent scream and quickly weighed my options. If I called a maintenance man now, who knows how far the creature will get!? Thinking quickly, I leapt for a bottle of water and karate chopped the insect as a high pitched girly shriek came out of my mouth. I ran out of my room to breakfast knowing he would not be the last little bugger I see on my vacation! I spent the day exploring Hanoi's old town, meandering down side streets and purchasing a couple paintings related to the city's street life. If you told me the easiest way to cross the road was to just close your eyes and run, I would believe you. Motor bikes and scooters own the small narrow streets of Hanoi, and they sure don't make it easy for those walking on foot. I've only managed to find one tiny bahn mi shop, but there were only 2 foreigners at the shop, and I was skeptical. The phö shops are packed, so I popped into an authentic Vietnamese place, Quán Bia Minh, for a fresh bowl outside in 90 degree weather with a fan that refused to blow on me. Finally at 6 pm, I met my G Adventures tour group and our team bonded over dinner and drinks. Drinks led us to a youth hostel which provided free shots and a bar crawl! I now feel like I'm 20 again.