Arrival

We have arrived safely in Hanoi!! After traveling 10,848 miles in about 36 hours with no more than two hours of sleep at a time, we finally got here. A very nice driver named Zahn (sp?) drove us the 45 minutes to our hotel, pointing things out to us and chatting most of the way.

Here is a link to check out the hotel we're staying at: http://www.agoda.com/asia/vietnam/hanoi/charming_2_hotel.html?cid=1410012&urltogo=/asia/vietnam/hanoi/charming_2_hotel.html

The staff of the hotel all speak very fluent English and they have provided us with almost every possible amenity for very little money, especially compared to what a hotel with this kind of service would cost in the U.S. The hotel is located in the Old Quater of Hanoi and everything around us is bustling. There are about a billion motorcycles running around and I can't see that there are any enforced traffic laws. It's interesting to watch from our balcony, but slightly stressful when trying to cross the street.

We are within walking distance of several hotels and cafes in Hanoi. Last night we went to a fairly upscale restaurant and had secadas, ostrich meat, duck, and pork. Surprisingly, the secadas were pretty delicious! However, we were so exhausted from traveling that we could not muster the energy to explore the city after dinner. We went back to our hotel and were asleep before 8!

This morning we were woken at about 6 to the sounds of the city coming to life.There has been a constant buzz of motorcycles beeping and vendors talking since we woke up. We spent about two hours on the balcony just observing the goings on of this new and different place. The trash pick up seems to be just a lady pushing a cart down the street, stopping at each pile of garbage to sweep it up. There are two spots we can see from our balcony where people are just cooking in the street and serving food at very small tables with tiny stools as seats for the customers.

So far we are having a fantastic time. The jetlag is almost nonexistant, despite the 12 hour time difference, and we are feeling good. We decided when we were packing to only bring one pair of sandals for our shoes and it turns out that was a good decision because that\s all anybody here is wearing! Tonight we are looking forward to checking out the night market, which is a long market that goes from 6pm to midnight on the weekends. Hopefully we find some cool souveniers and try some amazing food!

We will have internet access for the next week and a half at least so make sure to subscribe to our blog or become a follower! We do not, however, have access to facebook, so don't expect fabebook updates from us anytime soon. If you want to contact us, send an email to Dustin's email at d.lowry11@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

Spot!

We recently subscribed to our newest "lifesaving device"- The Spot! (http://www.findmespot.com/en/ . . . Check it out).  It is a very compact, lightweight, waterproof satellite GPS unit that calculates our precise location on Earth while sending different messages to selected people at the touch of a button (ie.- Hi Mom!  Yes, we are still alive! (after exiting a VC Tunnel in the jungle of Vietnam for instance)).  It is also capable of sending an SOS to local authorities in the event of an emergency.  Our plan is to use it everyday at the same time that we take our malaria medication.  The best part is, receivers can view our geographic progress in real time.  A google map of our path is created at our discretion allowing friends and family to track our progress in a fun, interactive way.  I guarantee those who follow it will discover the existence of new places and ideas that they will actually enjoy and hopefully cherish for a lifetime.  Enjoy our BOT!