The sun has shown up in Hanoi after 4 months of absence, and I’m not sure that’s such a good thing. The rain clouds are jostling for space in the sky, ensuring that we have some really good non-sunny days with cool breeze, drizzle, and the perfect weather to stay outdoors.

I’ve passed on the cycling bug to Souvik, and to our friends, Shweta and Abhijit. Shweta is unstoppable on the back lanes of Hanoi (literally), and Abhijit is rediscovering the joys of his youth. Souvik, of course, is already in competitive mode, ass-training for a long cycling tour we’ve planned for later this year.

We had a nice long weekend recently, and great weather, and the four of us set out to cycle on the quieter roads of Westlake. Ahaan was sporty enough to sit in his li’l child seat behind me, and race cheerfully with his mamma and papa, even catching a quick snooze when the going got too slow for him.

Westlake was gorgeous, the cycling fantastic, and we rewarded ourselves with a break for cà phê sữa đá (that’s Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk).

Souvik & I cycled further – all the way to Hoan Kiem Lake and back: check this link for the route.