Hanoi: Day 2

Saturday, we spent the day tackling Hanoi. With only one full day to explore all Hanoi had to offer, we had to pick and choose what we wanted to see the most. So we started off with my pick, the Museum of Ethnology. I first read about it on Tess’ blog and then heard about it in a few guidebooks and websites. They all raved about it so I wanted to check it out for myself. 

 The Museum of Ethnology focuses on the 54 ethnic groups within Vietnam. The museum provided different details about the different ethnic groups- from daily lives, to clothing, and food, language etc. I was amazed at how people are able to survive today- some of the ethnic groups still rely on hunting and gathering methods for food and survival! The Museum also had life-size replicas of houses of the different ethnic groups. We were able to explore the houses; they were all so different- one was about 15-20ft off the group and around 100ft tall while another was just 2 or 3ft off the group and about 100ft long. 

After the Museum of Ethnology, we took a cab to the Ho Chi Minh Complex. The museum there was closed for lunch when we arrived, so we wandered over to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. This too was closed- it’s closed every year from September to December for renovations/fixing ups (gotta keep him looking good! Haha).

 We walked to a place for lunch, in search for pho, but the café that was recommended to us wasn’t serving lunch- only tea, so we found another small café and grabbed a quick lunch before heading to a local market. This market was very different from the one we visited in Ho Chi Minh City. It was definitely geared to local people- as it barely sold any touristy things. It had three levels and was packed with people and goods. There was barely any room to walk. Needless to say, we didn’t spend too much time here.

Our next stop was Hoan Kiem Lake, one of Hanoi’s famous lakes. We walked around part of the lake- it was just around 4 or 5 so the sun was slowly setting, providing some nice pictures.

We stopped at Fanny’s, a French ice cream parlor along the lake before heading back to the hostel.

We met up with Tess and the group she is abroad with (some HWS and Union kids)again later that night before packing our bags for Halong Bay the next day.

  HWS kids in Hanoi!

Tess and I

Hanoi: Day 1

Friday morning we set off for Hanoi! We had a 12-something flight, so we had breakfast at the hostel and hung out for a little bit before leaving for the airport around 10:30am. Since it was a domestic flight, checking into our flight and going through security was easy. I feel like the workers weren’t too concerned with anything.

{One thing we noticed while checking in was that Vietnamese don’t understand standing in line like we do. People were literally just gathering around the counter throwing their passports and tickets to the lady; constantly shoving and pushing each other just to get checked in. It was crazy.}

The flight to Hanoi was only 2 hours; I napped and listened to my iPod. When we arrived in Hanoi the taxi our hostel arranged for us greeted us. Driving from the airport to the hostel, I noticed a huge difference from HCMC and Hanoi. In Hanoi, driver still relied on their horns, but not as much; it was much quieter than HCMC. In addition, it seemed like the Hanoi airport was further from the city than the airport in HCMC (not that that’s really important…).

We arrived at our hostel, the Drift Backpacker and unpacked in our dorm style room- yep, we stayed with 3 other girls in bunk beds (I got a bottom bed J). We grabbed a quick dinner at the hostel before heading off to meet up with the HWS kids studying in Hanoi. I was rather excited to see my fellow Heron, Tess.

After being dropped off on a random street and being told the address was ‘over there {insert hand point here}’ and asking numerous people for directions, we finally ran into a few HWS kids who were able to lead us to their dorms. And I finally got to see Tess for the first time since May! It was great to see her.

Tess, along with some other HWS kids took us out to eat at a BBQ chicken place. It was basically a street where people sit on these little chairs around small tables and eat this delicious chicken and bread. 

We were served chicken leg (basically both pieces of a chicken wing on a stick- it was hard to eat, but we were all able to handle it) and some other type of chicken, and then this bread which is grilled and dipped (?) in honey. All so delicious.

Afterwards, we went to this small little bar (not really sure what to call it) by their dorms. They basically brew (again, not sure) their own beer and sell it for less than 10,000 dong or less than fifty cents. They also served peanuts, cucumbers and salt (who would have thought- but the combo of cucumbers and salt is delicious) and quail eggs (yes- I actually had a quail egg!). We hung out there for a little while before finishing the night off with fried bananas at another street vendor. Again, delicious. It was a great day to start off our visit in Hanoi!

The quail eggs!

And fried bananas!

Vietnam: Day 2 Cu Chi Tunnels

Thursday, we signed up for a half-day tour of the Cu Chi tunnels, the famous tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Located about 70kms outside of Ho Chi Minh City, it took about two hours to get to the tunnels. I was amazed by the drive though, it seemed to take forever to get out of the city but then all of a sudden we were surrounded by nature.

(Sidenote: Vietnamese rely on their car/bike horns rather than their blinkers. Motorbikes seriously just weave in and out of traffic. It’s insane but I loved it.)

When we arrived at the tunnels, we were taken to an ‘underground’ room- it was a huge square hole, around 10-12 feet deep, and contained a diagram of a tunnel as well a map of the surrounding area. The tunnels that we used during the war were over 200km long and connect Cambodia and Vietnam, which was how the Viet Cong got their supplies. In addition, the Viet Cong lived in these tunnels for months on end. There were 3 or 4 different levels of the tunnels, a well for water and some tunnels that connected to the Saigon River.

Map of the surrounding area- HCMC is in the bottom right corner, Cu Chi Tunnels are in the red area, Cambodia is in the top left corner. 

Tunnel Diagram. You can see the water well on the left side, the Saigon River on the right, various bunkers in the middle of the picture (1st level of tunnels) and various connecting tunnels throughout the rest of the ground.

Throughout the tour of the Cu Chi tunnels, we were able to see and experience different techniques used by the Viet Cong. Some included manholes, various traps and camouflage things. There was also a shooting range that allowed tourists to use some of the guns used during the war, but I opted out of that.

Guns that we used during the war. You could try them out in the shooting range. Sorry the picture isn't too clear. 

Before leaving, we were able to go through a tunnel. Although this tunnel had been made larger for tourists, it was still extremely small. I have no idea how people lived in them for so long. Our group started off heading down one by one, following the local guide but we slowly got spread out- you would have never known though since our voices carried and it sounded like people were right in front of you even when they were a good 30 feet ahead of you. I took a video of my experience in the tunnel, but it’s mainly dark and then towards the end Kat and I were taking each other’s picture so my camera was being handed around, but just for kicks…

Inside the tunnel!

After we got out of the tunnel, we made our way back to Ho Chi Minh City. We went back to the Ben Thanh Market and got some souvenirs and gifts before heading back to our hostel. We grabbed a quick dinner at a restaurant nearby, nothing too exciting. And then packed up and got ready to leave for Hanoi on Friday. 

And here are some pictures of the hostel we stayed at...

Vietnam:Day 2 Mekong Delta

Wednesday morning, we booked a full-day tour to the Mekong Delta area. Our tour guide, Dang, picked us up from our hostel around 8:30. He was great! He had a fun personality and was really into his job, which only added to tour. The drive to the Mekong Delta took about an hour and twenty minutes and we arrived to the dock around ten.

The Mekong Delta region consists of 4 major islands, Dragon, Tortoise, Phoenix and Unicorn Island. 

We sailed across the Mekong River from My Tho City to Ben Tre Province. We were dropped off at a coconut candy workplace, where Dang gave us a quick tour of how coconut candy is made.

Our tour guide, Dang, explaining and demonstrating how coconut candy is made.

A piece of coconut candy in rice paper

Then our group piled into three motorcars/motorbikes. I shared one with Kat and then a couple from Australia; we started our journey into the jungle in the Province. The motorbike was small and the road to the jungle was packed! I believe school just got out because we passed hundred of young teenagers on bikes, all wearing uniforms. And there weren’t too many cars, so it was basically just motorbikes on the road, leaving everybody to weave in and out of each other. When we got into the jungle, we were frequently ducking our heads because of the low branches. It was rather funny because Kat and I were facing forward, so we could see the road, but then the Australians were facing us so they weren’t sure when the branches were coming so we were always saying “duck!” It was quite funny.

Our motorbike

After a little while, the three bikes pulled over and we all got off and Dang gave us a quick tour of some local fruits. Within a ten-minute walk, we were able to see so many different fruits- we even saw cocoa growing!

We then proceeded to a coffee shop for a little snack. The coffee shop was in some lady’s yard and we were able to try various types of fruits. We were served pineapple, pomello, pear-apple, rambutan. Rambutan was delicious! To eat it, you basically peel the skin off, like an orange, and then eat the white jello like thing that’s inside. But inside the white jello substance is some nut, which you do not eat. There wasn’t much to eat once you peeled it, but it was so different and delicious! I think I am going to try and buy a few to eat before I head back to Hong Kong.

The red fruit in the top right is Rambutan. Below is what it looks like once peeled. 

Since the coffee shop was in a lady’s yard, we were also able to tour her house. Dang explained that only the men sleep in the house. Daughters are forced to sleep in the backyard!!! The kitchen is in a separate building, as is the bathroom.

The front room with a bed in the corner, where the grandparents would sleep. The table is for the men- the women are forced to eat outside. 

The inside kitchen.

The yard- the outside kitchen is in that house/hut.

Inside the outside kitchen

Coconut shells!

After the quick tour of the house, we were on our way to visit the ‘Snake Lady.’ But to get there, we took this little dirt road that was crazy. It was so bumpy, and the driver was going so fast down this small road. It was insane. And we survived!

We arrived at this small little tourist place- I think there was a restaurant there (we didn’t eat there but I’m pretty sure people were) as well as a gift shop, Happy House (bathroom!) and some snakes. Everybody was able to take a picture with a small python around his/her neck. Have I mentioned I’m not too fond of snakes now? The scaly skin is so weird. Hahaha.

We then walked down to a small river where we got into these small rowboats and road down to lunch. I was in a boat with the Australian couple again and they were nice enough to take a picture for me! The boat ride was great- made me miss rowing at home. I was amazed the oarlocks were only attached by string!

We were dropped off at a small dock where we got on a bigger boat, which took us to lunch. Lunch was at another part of the island. We were served elephant fish-wrapped in rice paper with lettuce and rice noodles. We also had spring rolls, some noodles type things and rice. All so delicious!

Before:

During:

After:

After lunch, we headed back to Saigon. We were dropped off by our hostel and just as we were getting off the bus, it started to rain. Everybody on motorbikes had their ponchos ready. I find it rather funny how different cultures react to rain- in Hong Kong, they rely on umbrellas, but here in Vietnam they rely on ponchos. I feel like in the States, we rely on a mixture of everything (probably because most people have cars and aren’t always outside like they are here in Asia).