Hanoi III: So long, Vietnam, Hello Laos.

NohB in bed on the night train from Sapa

I arrived in Hanoi groggy after not having slept so well. I wandered around the Old Quarters and enjoyed the stark difference between the quiet, vacant streets at dawn versus the hustle and bustle of salesmen hawking and tourists gawking later in the day. I ran into the Kiwi couple from Sapa at a bench overlooking the lake and we enjoyed a nice breakfast together before parting ways.

From the bench on the lake.

Masks in the Old Quarter

I caught a xe om (motorcycle taxi) to KOTO, a non-profit restaurant that serves as a training program for street kids. The menu was definitely geared to the western clientele but the service was lovely with kids eager to please and do their best. After nursing a runny nose and the beginnings of sickness for a few days, their lemongrass, ginger and honey tea hit the spot. I can't say enough about Phở. I just love the stuff. I don't think there was a day I didn't eat it in Vietnam. Tofu Phở. Phở with egg. If only it was served with chili flakes. I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the Hao Lo Prison, better known as the Hanoi Hilton, and then headed off the the airport for my flight to Luang Prabang on Air Laos.

Hanoi Hilton

The Hanoi airport is not designed on ease-of-use and information dissemination. Strangely enough, most of the screens showing flight information in the departure area displayed information about arriving flights. I sat there, exactly 2 hours prior to departure with no visible place to check into. I asked where to check in for my flight and was directed to a variety of different closed counters. Eventually, I just sat down, read my book and when I looked up ( about an hour and a half before my flight) a counter with my flight magically appeared. A little later, I was led to a small plane of questionable safety standards. I couldn't even get the tray table to work correctly which made me fear for the larger, more important parts of the plane. It was a nerve racking hour but we eventually came to a bumpy landing on Loatian soil.

I shared a tuk tuk into town with a lovely Danish couple who, much like the Kiwi couple would keep popping up during my stay. I stayed at the first guesthouse offered to me, being exhausted after the train from Sapa, my early morning Hanoi wanderings, and the mental energy spent willing my plane to stay in the air. The owners were an adorable older couple who spoke just enough English to make everything easy. The bed was harder than I like it but I slept like a baby.

Bed in Luang Prabang