Bye to Hanoi, for now
After my morning walk, L and I went out to lunch with a couple of others at Highway 4 in Hang Tre (Bamboo St). I figured that Highway 4 goes up to the highlands because this is one of those places where you sit cross-legged on the floor (as many of the highland minority restaurants have it, not only here, but in Bangkok, etc). My knees are not good at this, but fortunately this place cunningly has got space under the table so you can sit with your feet down. There was a party of very noisy Vietnamese (8 inebriated men, three women and 1 toddler).
We moved to another room, where we could actually converse, and ate green papaya salad and oxtail cooked in medicinal herbs (smells like Chinese medicine for those who are familiar), washed down with local beer. L ordered me to bring my Propaganda Posters along, so they got shown around again. I think next time I go I need to buy a few more of them for L!
After lunch we just hung out at L's place until it was time for me to go to the airport. I got through the check-in faster than expected, as the flight was far from full, so I went out for a walk around before heading through the gate. North of Hanoi, on either side of the airport road it is now wall to wall housing developments, plus some factories. Ten years ago there were only paddy fields and you had to watch out for buffalo crossing. Further north, however, the landscape is still rural. These hills go on for another 150 km or so to the Chinese border.
To the west, the sun was setting in the smog.
We moved to another room, where we could actually converse, and ate green papaya salad and oxtail cooked in medicinal herbs (smells like Chinese medicine for those who are familiar), washed down with local beer. L ordered me to bring my Propaganda Posters along, so they got shown around again. I think next time I go I need to buy a few more of them for L!
After lunch we just hung out at L's place until it was time for me to go to the airport. I got through the check-in faster than expected, as the flight was far from full, so I went out for a walk around before heading through the gate. North of Hanoi, on either side of the airport road it is now wall to wall housing developments, plus some factories. Ten years ago there were only paddy fields and you had to watch out for buffalo crossing. Further north, however, the landscape is still rural. These hills go on for another 150 km or so to the Chinese border.
To the west, the sun was setting in the smog.