After leaving HCMC, we flew to Hanoi and met up with some of Chad's MBA friends from GA Tech. Upon arrival to the hostel, everyone got down to priorities
We stayed in the Old Quarter area of Hanoi, which we found to be a bit frustrating. Each street crossing was treacherous and you literally just had to 'start walking' into the street and let the oncoming motor bikes stream around you. We walked around a lot, and at the day's end we were mentally and physically exhausted. It didn't help that our hostel receptionist consistently gave us bad directions!
Navigating the streets of Hanoi
The architecture around Vietnam reminded me first of New Orleans, but the blend of asian and french influences gave the city a unique feel.
Within walking distance was the Hoan Kiem Lake, a landmark at the center of Hanoi. In the center of the lake was the Ngoc Son Temple, a shrine to a heroic warrior and home to a petrified giant tortoise. We toured the temple but didn't have foreknowledge about the tortoise, so we just thought it was a statue!
The Western Union of the Afterlife: worshippers burn fake money to make sure their dead ancestors have enough to pay rent
After the temple, we went to buy tickets for the 'water puppet show', a popular tourist attraction in Hanoi. Essentially, it is a opera and marionette show, where the stage is a pool of water and the puppeteers stand behind a curtain to control the puppets.
Because the ticketers didn't speak English, and our group was reading the American Eastern Standard Time off their iphones instead of the local time, we arrived early seeking entry to the show. Convinced the show was starting without us, we badgered our way into the theater an hour early. Like waiting to rush into Target on Black Friday, we entered the reception area, and I bypassed the security guard and rushed up the stairs to confirm an empty, blackened theater. Realizing the time error after more delay, we stopped for some food- I had the local beer and 'pho', a standard rice noodle soup.
Tired from the food and from walking around so much, we slept through part of the water puppet show in the end. I did catch some puppet bull fights, and some carp that turned into a dragon. Gemma would later buy me a water puppet FAQ book for me to catch me up on what I missed! Of course, there are
youtube videos of the puppets as well!
One other fun point- we discovered our hostel had a sewage problem, and the bathrooms smelled awful. We were jubilant to come back after dinner that night to see the sewage truck had arrived to pump out the building!
We spent the next three days on a boat cruise in Halong Bay, then returned to Hanoi to close out our trip. After more eating and shopping around Hanoi, we took in a cooking class! We went shopping for fresh food through the markets, then came back to cook Vietnamese spring rolls, a grilled fish salad dish, and 'royal rice'.
Video of Chad cutting out the knots from the pineapple.
Finally, we got to see the Prison where John McCain had been held prisoner, and where the French had once kept the Vietnamese revolutionists.
Chad and I in jail
Gemma joined us here too
Chad tries to escape
Guillotine ghosts!
'Where did you buy that cool cat hologram poster?' 'Oh, just at the gift shop where John McCain was held in prison.'
Fun shots around Hanoi: Harry Potter meets Vietnam!
Streetside casket vendor
Settling up our bill- that's quite a mark up Chad put on for the 'Vietnamese Cat [petting] Tax' and trying to get me to refund his and Cathy's suits!
And at the end of it all, I saw the dead commie, Mr. Ho Chi Minh.
So much to pack into one week!
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