Arrival in Viet Nam

From Seoul to Hanoi took about 4 hours and it seemed like the longest part of the trip.  I slept for a little bit at the beginning but I tried to stay awake so I could pass out at my hotel, helping me adjust to the time zone.  I arrived at 9:55 pm SE Asian Time (+12 from Central US time) and even though I was exhausted, I had to wake up quickly because my parents warned me about thieves and pickpockets at the airport.  It didn't help that I was carrying a large amount of cash (I needed to set up a bank account in Vietnam so I had to bring some cash to hold me over until everything could be established).  In addition, I also had to get ~130 lbs of luggage, drag it to the exit, and find my ride...all while watching my back, pass customs, and hope my visa/papers go through (sometimes bribes are needed...).  Overall, it was pretty easy.  The Hanoi airport was very new, at least the section I was at, customs was quick, not a lot of people were there at night, and I found my ride quickly.


After an 45 minute taxi ride, we arrived at my hotel and I checked it and passed out just as planned.  Here are some pics, taken the next day:

The Outside of my hotel: Splendid Star Hotel

My view...to the left is someone's patio

I would highly recommend the Splendid Star Hotel - for about 20ish US dollars, you get a good location, clean rooms, free breakfast, free coffee/tea all day, HBO (why you come to Vietnam to watch HBO is beyond me) and a very nice staff.  I think they were especially nice to me because I'm Vietnamese(ish+American).  The hotel is right in the middle of the Old District of Vietnam where there are a lot of hostels, so they mainly get Europeans, Australians, New Zealanders, etc., so I think I was a nice change of scenery.  Anyways, I think I have typed too much, here are some pics:

St. Joseph's Cathedral - Located next to my hotel, the bells woke me up every morning around 5 am (I went back to sleep aftewards...)  I believe it was built around the late 1800s.  As one American next to me stated, "It needs a good power-washing," the inside was very nice.  They were having mass so I didn't take any pics of it inside but I did see the Archdiocese of Hanoi.  Funny thing is that at night, it basically becomes a parking lot for all the teenagers that come to the Old District.

The Hotel is also within walking distance to the Hoan Kiem Lake - This is my view during lunch.