We had the day in Hanoi before our night bus left for Sapa Monday night. We utilized our time by taking a free walking tour with our hostel, which was both informative and fun. We went to the first restaurant to serve Egg Coffee, a drink that is popular in Hanoi (and I think Vietnam in general); it’s basically a meringue on top of Vietnamese coffee. When you get it you drink some of the foam off the top then whisk it together. 

We also visited the giant marketplace during our walking tour, which was a sight to see. 3 giant floors of vendors selling everything you could possibly think of. The counterfeit product market here is huge but the most entertaining items in the category are definitely the fake Kylie Jenner lip kits, which are readily available. 

After our walking tour, we wandered around some more. We were oveheating and sweating as usual and desperate for some air conditioning, so we stumbled into the luxury mall in downtown Hanoi. It was beautiful! 6 floors, gold escalators and every luxury brand you can think of. We loitered until we were freezing from the air conditioning. 

For dinner, we headed to Bahn Mi 25. Banh Mi is A Vietnamese sandwich on a baguette and it is just delightful. I had a chicken Bahn Mi to hold me over for the long night ahead: 

Currently in Sa Pa, enjoying all the region has to offer. Post soon!