Ho Chi Minh 7/11/08

It rained a little as we left Hanoi this morning. In any case, we reached the airport early despite the horrendous morning traffic. The flight was short, just 2 hours and we are in the more commercialized city in Vietnam. The traffic is the same - noisy and wild, but bearable.

The Vietnamese are very hard-working people. You will hear the shutters of the street shops going up as early as 5am in the morning. The streets are filled with motorcycles & bycicles (the current primary mode of transportation) and there is no stopping them. In many articles all over the world, peopl talk about the traffic here and how impossible it is to even cross the streets. Well, there is not trick or magic to it. It is actually very simple. Just trust yourself and cross the street. Just as how some economist would say that the market would correct itself, the traffice here too will do the same. They will, in their own way (mind the horning), part for you. Do not hesitate and do not fret because if you do so, they would not know where you plan to go and cannot plan what to do. Get me?

Try it and let me know.

Hanoi 6/11/08

It still has not rained in Hanoi today. A good thing. I hear that some parts a still flooded and I pray that it will all subside soon. Work was very good today. Kept busy most of the day and the day ended quite late. This time I had not had a chance to explore much of Hanoi and I hope tomorrow HCMC would be better. I hear that it is also raining a lot at HCMC and I hope that it would not tomorrow as we have plans to visit the famous Ben Thanh market ! Well good night.

Hanoi 5/11/08

There is not a drop of water where I am in Hanoi and the weather is more than fine. When some found out that I was going to Hanoi, they told me it is under water and that I should not be going. I had imagined that I would be picked up by the hotel's water taxi . But of course, that was not needed.

Hanoi Horison is a pretty nice hotel. They gave me a room that has a balcony that faces the pool! I was contemplating at home on whether to bring my swimsuit but I did not as I never have the time to do so when I am out here for work and guess what? I have some time to myself now, a room right next to the pool, with a balcony, and my swimsuit is in my closet at home .

In any case, did I mention that it is pretty noisy out there? People are getting off work now and there is constant honking from everywhere! Maybe I will sit outside later in the evening to take in the wonderful Hanoi weather. And if it is raining somewhere, I pray that it will not flood there. Hanoi is too beautiful.