During my first visit to Hanoi last year I was able to ride its famous rickshaw or "cyclo" as they call it there, on a brief pedal from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum back to the old quarters. Other than that, I wasn't able to hop on it and pass through the busier parts of the city, as I opted to spend most of my time moving and dodging motorcycles on foot.
Less than a year later, I was fortunate enough to be included in a familiarity tour organized by the Philippines' leading budget airline Cebu Pacific Air - for another runabout in this charming city teeming with colonial architecture and crawling with rich history. Among the first activities we did was to take a cyclo that rolled us to the heart of the Old French Quarters for an hour.
It was a colossal encounter of the elements as they battle it out for the attention of my senses. The roaring motorcycles whizzing pass gave me visual thrills. Smelling the beautiful scent of brewed coffee, as we turned one corner had me yearning for it to accompany the cold of the forming winter months. The constant blowing of the horns and chatters of the locals solidify the good sensation of being in a foreign land.
As evidenced by my endless ravings about Hanoi during my first trip here - this time was no different and it came with the added bonus of experiencing it with fellow travel bloggers, a lot of whom I've traveled with before already. Same goes with the new faces I met on this trip. Creating new memories in the city that made me walk miles and miles without skipping a beat - because of pure bliss of witnessing fascinating scenes at every turn and ricochet of my feet, definitely boasts of a wonderful time.
We ended our cyclo tour near the rotunda at Hoan Kiem Lake and quickly proceeded to Trung Nguyen Cafe to order some brewed coffee. While the weather wasn't as freezing as last December, I held my cup using both of my palm, rubbing the heat into my skin and as I savor each sip, In no time the source of that pleasing aroma warmed up my already cheery spirit.
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Special thanks to the Stratworks Family and Cebu Pacific Airlines for bringing me back to Hanoi - this time with other Filipino Travel Bloggers. #CEBTravels
Cebu Pacific Air is the only airlines that flies directly from Manila to Hanoi (thrice a week)
