Hanoi was hands down one of the highlights of the trip. A contrast to its larger and more chaotic counterpart in the south, Hanoi is a fusion of old and new Asia. I spent most of my time in the Old Quarter. Above is the The Huc bridge on Hoan Kiem Lake, taken in the morning before tourists arrived.
Burning fake money at Ngoc Son Pagoda.
Prayers at the Temple of Literature. This shot was a mistake but I kind of like how it turned out.
No visit to Hanoi is complete without paying a visit to Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed corpse. Here’s his impressively Communist mausoleum. No hats, no shorts, no laughing, no photos. An interesting experience.
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Speaking of Ho Chi Minh, the guy’s completely ubiquitous. Banners, statues, portraits, money. He’s everywhere in Vietnam.
Army Museum. Lots of captured American tanks, guns, planes. etc.
Moto traffic in the Old Quarter. Unlike a place like Phnom Penh where two or three people regularly share motos, Hanoi seems to have a one person one moto policy. Also, I’ve never heard so much honking in my life.
Ca phe sua da. Iced Vietnamese coffee with a huge shot of sweet condensed milk. Delicious. I had about three per day, and I don’t normally drink coffee.
St. Joseph’s Church, Old Quarter.
Hoan Kiem Lake at dusk. Most popular in the early morning and around sunset.
One of Hanoi’s more confusing intersections at night. Try to make sense of the traffic patterns.
More from Hanoi here. I’ll devote another post to exploring the Old Quarter, a street photographer’s paradise.
