Hanoi has been the capital city of Vietnam for almost a thousand years. To get the feel for Hanoi, to experience the pace and life of this interesting city, it's best just to take a walk through the Old Quarter. We'd driven through Old Hanoi in a van, even had a rickshaw ride through the area , but our best experience by far was by walking.

I don't think an American tourist with a camera around his neck will ever really blend in anywhere, but we had an up-close chance to see and listen and smell and even touch the ... (more)