At last...pho
After wandering around a good portion of Hanoi for the early morning, Chan finally comes across a good spot for pho, the traditional Vietnamese dish of rice noodles in incredibly delicious beef stock. We found this bowl on the street, right next to a bridge. The stand was covered with a tarp and all the tables were filled with locals (always a good sign) grabbing a quick breakfast before starting their day.
This bowl wasn't bad. The stock was on the bland side and had to be punched up with some salt and red chilis, but the noodles were excellent. All in all, an ok bowl. So the search for an incredible bowl of pho continues...
Hoan Kiem Lake
Hoan Kiem Lake is...a mix of peaceful morning mist and then hundreds of locals getting their exercise on with stretching, tai chi, aerobics, running, dancing, and badmitton. All before 7am.
First stop: haircut
Traveling without hair so so much easier. You don't have to worry about carry so much shampoo or hair product. And since SE Asia tends to be quite hot, it's an economical way to keep your head cool. So of course Chan's first stop is to get a haircut. Nevermind that he's getting it from some random dude on the sidewalk. That's all par for the course for businesses in Hanoi.