Gooooooooooooooooooood morning Vietnam! (It was inevitable)

Or maybe not? A new country always takes time to get used to, but I think this time it will take a bit longer.

I arrived yesterday morning to Hanoi. Getting from the airport to the old quarter and finding a hotel went smoothly. We picked a guy on the way who pushed us hotels. I ignored him. But other people on the street don't let go so easily. Everyone wants a piece of a cake that it's you, and they won't let go so easily. Yesterday I did a mistake to look at the books one guy was selling. I saw he had a Vietnam Lonely Planet for a ridiculous price. Luckily, I've already seen a very cheap offer in Laos, so when he showed me the book, neatly wrapped of course, I quickly recognized that it was a photocopy. So I thanked him and went on my way, but he didn't let go for the next two minutes, following me. It ended up with a nice juicy "F$%# you" in my direction.

Traveling in Thailand and Laos made me accustomed to eating on the streets, where the food is cheap and the company is local. I had a couple of nice places the last two days, in one even I got a how to hold your chop-sticks properly lesson. Nevertheless, today for lunch the "waiter" gave me an outrageous price for a dish. I didn't understand what the dish actually was, but it seemed too much for street food to me. I went the nearby restaurant, which has a menu with the prices on it, and they were much cheaper! And I'm talking about a restaurant here, with all that applies. Of course that they tried to rip me off at the end too, but it was just a matter of checking the bill. I had the means to check that.

The whole thing is part of the package of traveling to Vietnam (Thank Racheli for this phrase), but I believe it will take me a few more days to get used to it. Maybe it is also because of the gloomy weather right now. The sun just didn't show up in the last two days.

Tomorrow I'm going on a three day tour to Halong Bay, UNESCO world heritage site. At least now nature will have it's say too, which is unbiased, no matter what color of skin you have.