Getting There - Aneel's Travelogue

Our train pulled into Hanoi station at 4am. Our hotel had told us that they wouldn't have a room for us in the morning, so we first tried to find a place to stay near the station, then got a cab to take us most of the way to our hotel. He couldn't seem to figure out how to actually get there, so we gave up, got out, and walked the last three blocks.

We sat outside our hotel (actually outside the hotel across the alley, since they had nicer steps and a streetlight), reading in the drizzly dawn. Just before 7am, the hotel opened its metal grating to let in a delivery of fresh bread. We dropped off our luggage and were told to come back at 10am and they might have a room ready for us.

Luckily, Baguettes & Chocolate opens at 7am, and there is even an open wireless network visible from their upstairs dining area. Darjeeling and pain au chocolate goes a long way.