Arrived at 9:30 this am, long travel but really not that bad. Slept some on the way, managed to stay up when we got here and walked the day away. Hanoi. Like living a breathing the Mario Cart wii game, millions of motor scooters on the roads beeping and zooming past. When the roads are crowded, they come right up and drive on the sidewalks. Sidewalks are full of Pho vendors selling variations of soup with veggies, meat. I really tried to get the tofu variety at one place, which the woman next to me was eating, but the soup lady just told me no. The sidewalks are where people carry out their entire day, sitting at mini stools socializing, eating and selling. So much food is prepared and sold on the streets.

Diito for Kate. We managed a great dinner in a place recommended by the Lonely Planet guide and populated with tourists - all carrying their own copies of the Lonely Planet. We each had a Hanoi beer, dinner, side dish and appetizer - for 260,000 dong. Which means $15. So we are in budget.

Sue has mastered street crossing which means plunging a teeming mass of motorbikes, bikes, cars and women yoked with baskets of fruit and hoping for the best. Early bed tonight. We are both a little fried.

Stay tuned.