We spent our first day in Hanoi walking the streets--and dodging the motorscooters. It was quiet when we went out the first time at 9 AM for a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake. It was busier at 11 when we walked back down to the lake to stroll the aisles at Intimex, a supermarket store. Yes, they have diapers, baby clothes, and other basic essentials--but they do not seem to have baby wipes, for which we must continue to search. At 1 PM we went out again and bought tickets for the 2:45 show at the water puppet theatre, an acclaimed marianette show with, well, water puppets, which reenacts the story of the boy emperor who defends Hanoi from invaders using a magical sword given to him by a water turtle from the Hanoi lake. Then he returns it, something like the King Arthur legend. Before the show we had time to kill, so we took a walk around the lake again, this time passing by the famous prison where the Vietnam government kept American POWs, including now Senator John McCain.
Finally, tonight at 6:30 we went out to find a recommended Italian restaurant called the Mediterranean. We got lost, partly because the city was dark and the traffic was insane. Gangs of motorbikes, seemingly hell bent on scaring pedestrians to the sidewalks, screamed about the city--chased, it seems, by taxis.
It took us 25 minutes of walking to find the restaurant, but only 5 minutes to get back to the hotel. There we met Martin, and we began the trip to Sa Pa, as we now know it is spelled, which begins on the 10 PM night train from the Hanoi stationj.
We don't know if we will have internet in Sa Pa. If not, you won't hear from us again until Wednesday.
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6 comments:
Hi Peg and Ed,
Looks like you are quickly getting the lay of the land. Keep us posetd on your adventures.
Ei
Glad to hear the flight worked out well. The internet is just fantastic. This blog is really helping us prepare for our journey to our girls. We appreciate your posts and anxiously await more pics of Luc and Maisie.
P&L...
Hi Peggy & Ed,
I'm glad you made it to Hanoi without too much trouble/hassle. I can't wait to hear more about your trip and to see pictures!
I'm keeping both of you, Luc, & Maisie in my thoughts.
-Charlotte
I didn't have much exciting on e-mail or the internet until I remembered I hadn't checked your blog in a while - a great journal from predeparture to taking the train to Sa Pa. The times we saw Peggy she had short hair - is Ed grooming any differently? Looking forward to seeing more pics of the sites and then the babes with their proud parents.
- Rick
Peg and Ed
We just discovered your blog, LOVE IT. We will be traveling to Langson to get our daughter this summer. Her name is Thuy Thanh Vi(Gracie) give her a hug and kiss and take a picture if you can. Tell Marci Hi from the Allsups(Jeff, Becky and Logan). We will need to get together someday we live in central Ill near Decatur and I have a brother who lives in La Grange, Ill. Keep us posted.
The Allsups
Hi Peggy and Ed,
Glad things are going well. Eliz and Doyle are very anxious to meet their new cousins. Eliz is showing everyone in the neighborhood the car with the two baby seats. She is also wondering which seat is for the girl and which for the boy. Eliz says she misses you and Doyle said," I love the babies when they get here."
(leave it to a 4 year old to say it so simply)
Hope to hear more soon!
The McNeela Family
P.S. Eliz has a lot of question about the logistis of the babies. "Where will the babies go in the taxi car if they don't have the car seats?" And many more we'll ask when you're home!
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