After a 3 hours flight, we finally arrived at Noi Bai Airport. I headed straight to the waiting area. To my disappointment, no one was there to pick me. Luckily, I managed to find someone who was planning to go to my hotel (Hoalinh Hotel) so I paid him for a lift. I met Darren and Lin (both from SG) at the airport and we boarded the same car. When Darren and I arrived at Hoalinh hotel, the receptionist told us that our names were not in the booking list and all rooms were fully booked. Thank God for Darren, he could speak Vietnamese language pretty well. After a long negotiation with the receptionist in Vietnamese, we decided to move to Old Street Hotel. Darren engaged a motorcyclist to bring us to our new hotel. It was really “exciting” for 3 adults to travel on a small scooter under the rain along the chaotic and noisy Hanoi Street. It was an unforgettable experience!
After we checked in and unloaded our luggage, the motorcyclist brought us to a nearby roadside stall for dinner. The road lamps were dimly lighted, the floor was muddy because of the rain water and it was littered with tissue paper and many other things. The dining table was rather short and we had to sit on stools. I believed this was the kind of place where authentic local food was served and I hope that my stomach would be strong enough to take it. I had Pho Bo which means beef noodle soup. We also shared a roasted pigeon. Dinner was quite nice though.
Darren negotiates with the hotel receptionist.
Waiting for dinner to be served
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