Stopped in Hanoi for a few days to wrap up my tour of SE Asia.

The Capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, is not as tourist oriented as many other places in Vietnam.  But, there are still some nice places to see.

The plaza around the Ho Chi Minh Memorial is huge, but this is meant to be a somber place; so no eating, drinking, loud noises.

And, the places near there can also be impressive, but nothing seems open to visiting, and not even pictures are allowed for blocks and blocks.  There are hundreds of signs reminding you, and dozens of guards.  I did, however, with the permission of a guard, sneak of a picture of the Presidential palace because I thought it was pretty.

Not far from there, is the old town. This is just an area of hustle and bustle and shopping. I am sure there were some nice cafes in the area, but I didn't see much that would entice a tourist.

Outside of that, there are a couple of small temples.  But, for tourists, that is about it.   

Also, the center of Hanoi may be the most pedestrian unfriendly city I have ever visited.  It seems every sidewalk, when they existed, was blocked by tables, cars, motorbikes, forcing you to walk in the street. 

The next time I go to Vietnam, I will go straight down to Hue or Danang.