Hanoi, Vietnam In Pictures

My week in Hanoi was wrapped up with visits to contemporary art galleries and bucolic parks and gardens. (All of these were steps away from an ulta chaotic traffic scene where crossing the street was  an adventure that I preferred to avoid.) The little visited Botanical Garden was a delight with the web of roots emanating from a 19th-century tree becoming a magnet for both people who want meditative solitude as well as those who just want to snap a selfie. The coffee culture is vibrant with whitewashed shops displaying edgy art, such as giant ants crawling up columns. A trip to expansive West Lake reveals a section blanketed by lotus blossoms as well as a shoreline mostly ringed by a pedestrian path. Pagodas and anchored boats acting as a combination restaurant, coffee shop,  and bar dot the periphery. And when I wanted to get above Hanoi's often frenetic vibe, I took the elevator to the twentieth floor Summit Lounge at the Sofitel Plaza Hotel. This short YouTube video slideshow provides a window into my one-week trip in Hanoi.