The weather kept getting colder as we traveled further north through Vietnam. We had heard from some Aussies that the retail prices are much lower in Hanoi than other towns south of there, so we intended to spend some money once we got there.

We arrived in Hanoi psyched up for some power-shopping. We had been admiring all the bamboo lacquerware, silk scarves, and other souvenirs since our arrival in Vietnam. We figured we would get the best prices in Hanoi, so we had waited on many items. Unfortunately the shopkeepers there just really weren't in the mood to bargain!

We tried many different tactics. First, we acted friendly and interested in their wares, asked the price, and then politely counter-offered to get the ball rolling. We were either laughed at or simply told "no". Tough crowd! Every other Vietnamese city had been great for bartering, in fact the locals expected it. For our next approach we tried giving them our offer up front, hoping they would counter-offer with something in the ballpark of what we wanted to pay. But no, they were not interested in coming down in price.

We tried to understand what would make bartering so difficult here compared to other towns. Were there just too many rich European tourists in Hanoi willing to pay the full asking price? Did we look rich in our new custom-made clothes from Hoi An? We tried changing out of our "good" clothes and into something more..."backpackeresque": ratty t-shirt, dirty shorts, cheap flipflops. But alas, this didn't help our cause one bit.

We admitted defeat and walked over to Hoan Kiem Lake for some relaxation from the noisy, crowded streets. The lake is less than 2 miles around, and is quite picturesque. A tiny little temple, Tortoise Pagoda, sits on a islet in the middle of the lake. There is also a larger temple, Ngoc Son (Jade Mountain) in the lake, with a pretty red bridge leading out to it.

The next morning, we got up early and set off in a final attempt to get some bargains. We were in luck! We found a pair of sisters who had just opened up their shop for the day. We were their first customers of the day, so we would bring them good luck for the day. They gave us a 'discount' on everything we wanted, instead of us having to barter them down. It was a relief, and we were able to pick up bamboo dishes and fabrics for reasonable prices. They even offered us tea! How sweet is that? We bought enough to fill a medium-size cardboard box, so they wrapped all the dishes in bubble wrap for us and packed it all up for safe transport. Shopping mission accomplished.

We finished up our brief tour of Hanoi with a satisfying bowl of pho (pronounced fur), Vietnamese noodle soup. It was about 33 cents a bowl and really delicious! It's like fast food, only healthier; you order from the cook, sit down at a tiny sidewalk table to be served your freshly prepared soup, then pay the cashier when you're done. The soup consists of a tasty broth, thin rice noodles, meat and fresh herbs.

That afternoon we headed off to the Hanoi Airport for our 1.5-hour flight to Bangkok. Hot, sunny beaches - here we come!