Hanoi - The Coolest Part of Our Trip!

What a great city! The epitome of East meets West. A well welcomed treat when Taryn and I grew tired of the extremely warm weather..It was nice to be actually – COLD! It was the most northern point in southeast Asia that we had been to. It's pretty amazing when you just stop and look out into the streets...motorbikes clearly outnumbered cars at least by 20 to 1. French colonization is clear in this city, especially where we stayed – in the French Quarter. We treated ourselves to a lovely little hotel – the Heart Hotel which provided us with free Internet and it also doubles as an art gallery. It is in a supreme location – everything was within walking distance. Highly recommend this quaint boutique hotel for the value! We enjoyed the serenity of the Lake and the Japanese Temple in the center where a traditional legend was said to have taken place– where locals and travelers alike mellow out. While in the French Quarter Taryn and I treated ourselves to a fabulous spa day at a beautiful Q Spa which overlooks the lake. We both got amazing hot stone massages, facials, and enjoyed sauna/steam room as well as the Jacuzzi. After our services we were surprised with a beautiful snack with a refreshing beverage on the top floor of the building. The room was stunningly cool – it had rock decored floors and exposed wooden beams that evoked calm and zen. There were lounge couches and chairs strewn about and a vast array of travel and lifestyle magazines to further induce our state of relaxed minds! This was bliss at its finest for a fraction of what it costs in the states. When we did venture out of the area – it was about a $4 ride to our rooftop bars – where Taryn and I enjoyed wine and cheese while savoring our visuals of Hanoi's Skyline where it met body's of water. We had epic Gastronomic meals – and strolled through the city's many museums. We visited the Hanoi Hilton where senator and Presidential Candidate “08, John McCain was held. It was incredibly heartbreaking to view all the artifacts from prisoners and read and hear about all the stories of the prisoners who were there simply standing up for the rights of Vietnamese and later POW s. We visited the Vietnam National Museum and Natural History Museums. A beautiful time in a beautiful city.