Ah, the olden days of Hanoi. This is what things used to look like...charming isn't it?
But not anymore. With a real GDP growth rate of almost 7%, it's all hustle and bustle.
Now it's frantic chaos with endless streams of motorcycles and bicycles - people seem to be constantly on the move.
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) seems to have a different vibe but run at an equally frantic pace. Below is a photo of Hotel de Ville (People's Committee Building). It was built between 1901 and 1908 but unfortunately, is not open to the public.
The gardens in front of the building are lovely though...
But not anymore. With a real GDP growth rate of almost 7%, it's all hustle and bustle.
Now it's frantic chaos with endless streams of motorcycles and bicycles - people seem to be constantly on the move. 
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) seems to have a different vibe but run at an equally frantic pace. Below is a photo of Hotel de Ville (People's Committee Building). It was built between 1901 and 1908 but unfortunately, is not open to the public. 
The gardens in front of the building are lovely though...
...with a nice statute of Ho Chi Minh himself.
The detail on the building is amazingly ornate. Apparently, at night, the exterior is covered in thousands of geckos feasting on insects.
I love this. A couple playing badminton in the middle of a major road (Dong Khoi area, Saigon).
I feel a bit overwhelmed with my first two days here. There's a lot to take in. Landing in Hanoi, flying to Saigon the following day, and planning for a the first field visit to Binh Thuan tomorrow has left me a bit disoriented. More to come, so please check back...
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