I’m sure the Lonely Planet would call Hanoi the Paris of Asia, and talk about boulevards, a city experiencing an influx of foreign investment and an attempt by the commies to promote local employment leading to joint ventures on hotels etc. I would call Hanoi stupendously hot. I’m sure I’ve read in another guidebook that Bangkok is the hottest metropolis in the world, but that was nothing compared to Hanoi. Firstly, I didn’t really go onto the streets of Bangkok during daylight. Secondly, Hanoi is not a metropolis. It says 33C and 66% humidity, but it’s like being in a fan assisted steam oven. Drenched with sweat like nowhere else I’ve ever been, regularly abandoning planned trips to local museums, we stagger around, too exhausted to even knock back all of the cyclo touts and motorbike taxis.

A bit of trekking to see some Hmong is in order. And maybe a bit of homicidal motorcycling.