Mom's arrival!

My mom has finally arrived! I managed to show her a bit of the city before the jet-lag officially kicked in. I even got her on the back of my motorbike (albeit for a short distance...) but I count it as a success nonetheless. She was quite gung-ho about getting on a motorbike and flexing her driving muscles, but once rush hour hit, her original excitement was replaced by anxiety. I couldn't blame her- Ha Noi rush hour is definitely it's own brand of intense. We grabbed a late lunch at Puku (a lovely new cafe opened up down the street from my house in a restored French mansion) where she enjoyed her first official plate of Vietnamese spring rolls... naturally mine are better. We ended our day with some sauna, steam room, and jacuzzi time in the hotel spa (a very non-Hanoian evening).

By day two, mom was ready and rearing to get onto a bike and "dive into the Hanoian lifestyle". This worried me a bit but upon persistence, I made a call to my motorbike guy, and an hour later, she is driving behind me on a blue Yamaha Mio. I took her on a quick loop around Hoan Kiem Lake (one of the more scenic drives in Ha Noi) and she did quite well. As long as I keep her off the streets during rush hour, she'll be fine. Looks like all the Vespa infatuation has really paid off! I'm taking her to Bit Tet tonight, my favorite "street meat" place, hopefully she doesn't get too afraid.

Mom is staying in Silk Path Hotel, right around the corner from my apartment. It has only been open for 3 months, and is stupendously beautiful. Her room is hand-picked (I came here a month earlier to guarantee that the room had an amazing view) and all the hallways are flanked with glass. I came over this morning to enjoy an "American Breakfast" together, and was very enthusiastic when a huge meal arrived with a side of coco-crispies. I haven't had cereal in some time, so it really was quite the treat. All this in addition to the spa leave me feeling rather spoiled. But my mom is here, this is how it's supposed to be!