hanoi, vietnam - part 1:

After six glorious days in Luang Prabang, we were off to Hanoi, Vietnam where we spent a couple of days exploring, shopping and eating as much Vietnamese fare as possible, before heading home. 

I have a bit of a soft spot for Vietnam, and Hanoi in particular, as it was the very first destination I visited independently after finishing school. On that trip I well and truly caught the travel bug and it was there that I fell in love with travel photography (you can see some photos from that trip here and here).

Hanoi was just as I had remembered it, busy, loud - full of life and lot's of character. There were a few more cars, but other than that it definitely still had it's charm.

We walked around the Old Quarter, meandering our way through streets specialising in goods such as shoes, lanterns, cane to cooking utensils and fabric. It's such a fascinating area with many layers and influences from different eras including such as French colonial rule. And the food. Oh the food. 
It was good to be back!

next: Halong Bay and one more post from Hanoi.