Vietnamese coffee made by pouring a small amount of sweetened condensed milk into a glass and then percolating strong coffee on top. When the dripping is done, stir until mixed, then imbibe. Delicious. There are a million other varieties of coffee, but this one is the classic.
Hanoi is Vietnam's capital. Like Saigon, it is buzzing with life as if everyone was on a caffeine buzz. They probably are given the number of coffee bars.
The main differences between Hanoi and Saigon are the weather and the government sector. In February, the weather in Saigon is beautiful, while Hanoi is grey and very humid with frequent drizzle and temperatures around 20 degrees celsius. Hanoi weather is confusing: you happily wear shorts and sandals, but you also want to wear a parka coat. How does that make any sense?
Vietnam has a communist political system, but runs capitalist economy. Like China. This ensures strong political control and stability as well as rapid economic growth. Hanoi is the seat of the government. Ho Chi Minh is buried here. There are grand avenues and parks, museums, and foreign embassies housed in beautiful French mansions. A proper capital city. Hanoi is like the Washington DC of Vietnam, whereas Saigon is perhaps the equivalent of New York. Except Hanoi is far more exciting than Washington DC. And Saigon is also more fun than New York.
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