We arrived in Mumbai, India in the evening and were immediately introduced to the intensity of the city.  Our first hint at this heightened state was seeing the airport filled with military, security personnel wielding high powered weapons.  There were security check-points everywhere.  Upon arriving at our hotel the car was also searched for bombs by both the staff and a dog. On our first morning in Mumbai, the hotel recommended we hire a private driver and guide for exploring the city but we opted instead for taking…

We were met at a very modern and empty Noi Bai airport just outside of Hanoi by our hostel driver who shuttled us to our hotel in the heart of the Old Quarter in downtown Hanoi.  Arriving at our hotel, we were in awe at the total chaos of traffic, shops, powerlines and people overflowing and mingling into one organism. Our first walk about the neighborhood seemed like a march into a bees nest of humanity but magically we were unscathed.  As we walked down the street, the…