Good bye Vietnaaaam!

We arrived in a cold and misty Hanoi at 430am.  We wandered the streets finding a place to stay for the day, finally ending up at a hostel at 530am.  It was a lucky moment as 8 Aussies were checking out, as we were walking by.  Otherwise, we would have had to wait until at least 8am for most places to open.  A nice nap was had and we were soon sipping coffee and eating croissant at yet another French patisserie.  If the French did anything right in Vietnam, it was leave their stamp on the cuisine and architecture.  After sorting out a few formalities for our onward travels we visited Hoa Lo prison, otherwise known as the "Hanoi Hilton."  I had visited this museum on my last trip to Vietnam but a subsequent visit was worthwhile.  It's always difficult to see propaganda that is negatively directed towards your own country.  Not to mention, the gross inaccuracies and misrepresented events that go uncontested.  I guess I enjoy learning the whole story and not just a one sided biased account.  The museum  is found in only part of the original structure.  The rest of the building was razed at one point to make way for an ugly apartment block. 

All good things must come to an end.  After two weeks of travel it was time to part ways with my friends.  I headed to Cambodia and they left for the States via Hong Kong.  But first, we would have to deal with unexpected rush hour traffic and a taxi scam in the making.  We got to the airport 20 minutes before my flight was to depart.  We bailed from that taxi so fast, the guy could barely execute his scam!  See, we agreed on 300,000 Vietnam Dong ($15) with another driver and then bizarrely switched to another one who would continue the drive to the airport.  Fully expecting to get fleeced, we executed a grab and go maneuver that saw us escaping quickly from the taxi before he could even say "you pay me now."  We said a hasty good-bye and then I was THAT guy.  The crazy person running through the airport as if the world is obliged to share in the misery of my lack of planning.  Thankfully, I had checked-in online, printed my boarding pass and there was nobody in line for either immigration or security.  The boarding door closed behind me and I was underway to Siem Reap, Cambodia to explore the wonders of the Temples of Angkor.