I feel like a fish in water

The bus ride from Nanning to Hanoi was an easy one and beautiful -- green, lush and with rolling hills. Now in Hanoi, I feel like a fish in water.

I love the frenetic energy of the place! I feel warmed by the Vietnamese full-face smile. The street life charms and welcomes me -- I've become one of the people sitting on tiny plastic stools drinking beer on the corner on a humid night while watching the thousands of motorbikes race past, the street vendors selling their wares, people rushing home from work and restaurants (quite often mom-n-pop places) in unhurried preparation for the night's diners.

Tomorrow I'll either bum around Hanoi or go to Halong Bay. We'll see -- my pace is now one day at a time.