Livin' it up

We needed to get back to Hanoi but luckily didn't book the very early trip. So we could have breakfast at the hotel and hang out on the chairs in front for a while until at around 9 our bus arrived and we were driven to the western harbour where we got on a boat to HaiPhong.

AS we booked this trip in the hotel our bus and boat companions were entirely tourists.
At the mainland pier we were all shoved into a little bus where I got a seat in the back row where there was no space at all to put my legs anywhere. Luckily the trip with this small bus was not too long as it only took us for about 30 minutes from the pier into HaiPhong town.

The majority of the shops in HaiPhong are related to logistics. Plenty of large logistic centres,
container yards and factories on the way into town. Also there are hundreds (I actually believe it is at least 100) little shops to repair trucks and trailers.

It had a real busy harbour feel to it which I could only witness from my cramped seat.
However in town we switched to a normal overland bus and set off to Hanoi.

We arrived at a Bus station just a couple of blocks away from our magnificent Hotel that we should reside in this night. The famous Hanoi Metropole Hotel.

Our backpacks strapped on we evaded the taxi touts and made our way through the busy streets to the Hotel that previously hosted many famous people.

If it is good enough for most of the French presidents, George H. W. Bush, and Jane Fonda it shall suffice for us as well.

Joan Baez visited Hanoi with an American delegation in December 1972 and found herself caught in the Christmas bombings. She recorded her song "Where Are You Now, My Son?" in her hotel room at the Thong Nhat during an air raid, with the sounds audible in the recording.

Also Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard spent their honeymoon at the Metropole in 1936 after getting married in Shanghai.

Since the stay was not cheap we ensured we would only use any complementary services of the hotel, which luckily included the pool and the spa.

After a quick visit there we tried our suits (outside of the shop) for the first time. If not here where else!?

They still fit. Instead of trying lobster filled with caviar we decided we should get a Pizza.

The late Enzo Mascarpone once told me to visit a little place called Hao Y, so we took a Taxi there and enjoyed a great Bruschetta as a starter but the Pizza was not as amazing as Enzo had let me to believe. There was no tomato sauce on it (we could only use the ketchup or chilli sauce that was provided with it).

Since this little Pizza was not as satisfying in size or taste we decided to check out the next Pizza place up the road.

Here it was the same story, no tomato sauce, but we opted for a larger Pizza this time and struggled to finish it.

I now know: do not eat Pizza in Vietnam. Stick to Pho!

Back at the Hotel I enjoyed a glass of Talisker and soaked in a hot (like properly Japanese hot) bath for a while before heading to my unbelievably comfortable bed for a great night's of sleep.