Travelogue :  Amber's Southeast Asia travels

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I decided to fly over to vietnam in search of culture. I head back to bangkok from the islands south but decided not to go up to Chiang Mai as just felt it was going to feel too western and organised tourism for treks etc. Once in bangkok Lea, Frederike were there so i just hang out with them. Ok i then flew to Vietnam.... Hanoi.

Hanoi was great in terms of cooler than bangkok and it felt authentic, ladies walking about with those graet hats on (no tsure what they are called???) and the arcitecture i loved...... on the way tio hanoi from airport i saw loads of really tall french colonial buildings (later a german guy...yep another one told me they are so narrow and tall brecause in the old days they were charged on the ground space they took up!!! I arrived in my hostel. This was more of aculture shock to me than hanoi or anywhere!!! i felt like i had landed in a crazy kids school and sharing a dorm with 10 girls was all new to me. I panicked and decided i dont like travelling alone etc etc i want to come home. Pretty silly and i have a new rule to only book ways of of where i am after 2 days not freak and do it straight away!! The next morning feeling pretty spaced out i went to a cafe and sat down opposite a guy.....who happened to be a good bit of luck. Duncan was from Colorado but was studying in Hanoi umm handy so i got a guided tour of hanoi while he was helping me find a new hostel to go to. This guy was just 22 and i felt i was now the child so age doesnt always count!!! Anyhow i just stayed in hanoi a few days and left and flew back to bangkok! I dont regret this as i can only be as i am but yeah im learning about myself which im surprised about as thought i knew all i could

So Hanoi...... seemed small low key in terms of small streets which i like little alleyways and i found the vietnameses people very sweet and calm..this however is different from what everyone else says so maybe if i go to saigon i will find different. But to me they were very helpful and i felt trust with thenm unlike what i find with the thais. Hanoi had lots of nice little cafes and some very trendy lovely shades and interesting wooden leather ornate chairs! I also liked how there were so many tiny art galleries with vietnamese art which i like very much and little shops with silk purses and the cutiest little vietnamese dolls with those hats on!!! Ok not sure how good i am at describing the feeling you get from bieng in hanoi but hope it gives some idea....to me a tiny bit of india on much lesser poverty scale, lots of tuk-tuks and people but still afeel of western life!! I will try add pics.

I am now back in bangkok...ok try not to laugh its my security blanket. I have spent time with Adam which was really nice not many people i can hang out with for hours and talk and chill with so thqat was just what i needed. We went to the new year festival which was crazy.... i will say more later...

cute little girl...she was with her class mates and teacher at the temple on lake kiem, and next the street i stayed at in hanoi