Bicycling Vietnam - The Beginning

Here are just some random photos from the trip so far. 

I arrived in Hanoi for a bicycle trip through north Vietnam and Laos. Turns out there is only one other person on the tour. On our first day of bicyling we covered some of Hanoi. Here's a shot of  'my boys' or 'posse' - Matt from Bristol, UK (hands over eyes), Al the tour leader and Han the local Vietnamese guide.

In the middle of Hanoi's madness there are moments of loveliness like this rose seller beside her bicycle.

We're in town at the beginning of the lunar month and so many shops create elaborate arrangments for temples. This one was very large, sitting on the street, ready to be purchased, picked up and taken away.

Okay, well I tried to flip this photo but I've given up. The French built a rather large prison in Hanoi in the 1800's and went about rounding up 'communists'. They filled the space with 2,000 prisoners and it was to only hold 500. This little number was a 'guilotene light' as I like to call it. Very efficient at culling the prison population. By the way this was the prison that John McCain spent time in the 1970's. It was referred to as the 'Hanoi Hilton' because supposedly the American prisoners got really good treatment. That's what the signs read.

There is an area of Hanoi that you can buy dog meat. This was a restaurant that served it. "Thit Cho" is the Vietnamese word for dog. Didn't see any - dead or alive around.

We've left Hanoi and headed south to a rural place called Coc Tom. This was just a nice photo of a woman in her boat.

As usual my favourite - pigs. There are no supermarkets in rual Vietnam. You either go to the local market in the village square or the market comes to you. The local pig seller comes to your house on his scooter, you select a piglet or two and raise'em as your own until it's time to butcher.