Bangkok to Hanoi, Vietnam - Day 1 (Phase 3)

We headed for SuvarnabhumI Airport, Bangkok’s three year old airport, a huge and very modern facility.  After all the official rigamarole, we boarded our plane for a two hour flight to Hanoi.  Because two of the main bridges into Hanoi are under reconstruction, our bus ride to the hotel took nearly two hours -- usually a 30 minute ride.  After checking in to our rooms we headed out for a short walk around the neighborhood.  Hanoi is strongly influenced, architecturally by the French, who occupied Indochina, including Vietnam for around a hundred years.  We saw lots of local people out on the street playing Vietnamese checkers, setting up “fast food” shops on the sidewalks (not allowed before 5 p.m.) and just generally hanging out.  The traffic is unbelievable with hundreds of thousands of motor scooters competing with taxis, buses, trucks, bicycles, and a few privately owned cars.  After a delicious dinner at the Banana Flower Restaurant, we hit the pillows for a long awaited rest.