It’s been forever since I’ve posted…I feel like I’ve been going like crazy since we got to Vietnam! This country has been the craziest (in a good way) place we’ve been too so far. I wish I could wrap up the energy here and let everyone experience it! To be honest, the first night we got in to Hanoi I was completely overwhelmed and there was a small part of me that wanted to just call it and jump on a plane and come home. After a good nights sleep after a travel day (and some YouTube research while laying in bed) day 2 ended up being so much better. Dare I say this is my favorite place I’ve been to so far on this trip!
We met up with a group from GAdventures here but we did have a couple days to explore on our own, and we did a lot.
- Ate some of the best food
- Attended a traditional water puppet show – a centuries old traditional art form where wooden puppets on sticks dance on top of water telling stories and folk tails.
- Got massages 2 out of the 3 days (at $12 for an hour how could you not!)
- Train street – tons of little bars and coffee shops line the street and pack up as the train comes through. You are literally inches away from the train. Once it’s passed, everyone goes back to normal, walking, hawking goods, and trying to get people to come into their shops.
- A city tour where we went to Hoa Lo prison, the Temple of Literature, Tran Quoc Pagoda. The prison was famously dubbed “Hanoi Hilton” by POWs that were held here including John McCain. An interesting fact regarding Temples and Pagodas I learned was that Temples were built to honor people, spirits, and ancestral figures. Pagodas are dedicated strictly to Buddhism and where monks and nuns live and practice.
The city was busy and chaotic and I don’t think anyone paid any attention to any kind of rules or traffic etiquette we are familiar with. On top of that everyone parked their bikes on the sidewalk so pedestrians were pretty much forced to walk on the street. The advice we were given when crossing street, just walk with confidence, don’t hesitate and just go, the bikes will flow around you. That was wild at first but at the end of our time there, we were facing the bike traffic like pros!
The people here are very nice too, always willing to help and go out of their way for you. I’m excited to finish out our tour and experience more of what this country has to offer!
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