So tonight is my second and last night in Hanoi as tomorrow I am heading to Cat Ba Island on the coast.

The centre of Hanoi surrounding my hostel is a constant bustle of activity. I challenge you to walk down a footpath without having to move out of the way of a stationary or even a moving moped! And I would be amazed if you could make it to the end of a street without hearing a horn peeping. There is so much going on down every street it is hard to take it all in. Shops and bars tend to spill out into the street, with people sat on small tables and chairs drinking, and there often being no window or door between the shop and the street.

One sight which really caught my eye was people burning money on little fires in the street, this is supposed to be passed on to their future life and seems to be a really important part of their culture.

Aside from all the activity in and around the buildings, there are people walking down streets trying to sell you books, donuts, fruit, and anything else they could think of. It takes a few tries to make them believe no means no!

One of my favourite parts of the city has to be Hoan Kiem lake. Despite the madness around it (it is surrounded by busy roads), when you stand looking over the lake and view all of the relaxed people, it is almost possible to forget the noise around you.

As it was our last night in the city, my room mate and I went to the hostel bar for drinks. This night led us on to the sister hostel bar, and finally to a club. It’s safe to say the Vietnamese know how to party, especially when it’s a full moon!  We headed home around 12 with the city still buzzing. I definitely prefer the nightlife to daytime here, there is a happiness and excitement in the air which doesn’t seem to be around during the day.

I feel my time in Hanoi has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions. When I first arrived I felt pure excitement, especially seeing sights such as the 20-30 long boat cargos I saw heading down the river on my journey from the airport. When I actually explored the city however, I felt as little disappointed as it was just city life, nothing that amazing.

I have since come to appreciate that this is a way of life, not just a two day tourist attraction, and once my mind realised this, everything I saw seemed to have more meaning. I have to say, I don’t think this will ever be a favourite place of mine but I am definitely glad to have seen it.