Hanoi (Vietnam)
We flew from Vientaine to Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines. Our 1 hour flight turned into a 10 hour journey due to delayed flights, lost luggage and a wait of 3 hours at the Hanoi airport for our ride. All in all, we still beat the 21 hour bus ride and got our luggage back, so no complaints.
We spent 4 days in Hanoi (the capital city) in the North of Vietnam. It, like Laos, is a blend of Asian and Parisian influence. Most Vietnamese speak not only their own language, but also French, English and often German as well. We were struggling to say Xin chao (hello) and Cam on (thank you).
Our hostel was located in the old quarter of Hanoi, which had some of the narrowest streets we have seen so far on our journey. Not only were they narrow, but the sidewalks were not “walkable” due to all of the motorbikes parked on them. Therefore, you had to walk on the streets and avoid being hit by countless motorbikes, regular bikes, tourist taxis and vehicles. Crossing the street was a blind leap of faith. There was never a break in traffic and you just had to step out and make no sudden movements. Here is a look at one of the streets in the old quarter. Can you pick out Eamon, Shari & myself?
Why did the chicken cross the road anyways? Perhaps to take a look at his friend the duck. Ducky doesn’t look so happy right now.
That being said, this lady doesn’t look very happy either. We soon discovered that the Vietnamese are masters at piling goods on the bikes. Not only this, but they are often seen with just a head peering out from their mass of goods while peddling down the road. Also customary is the masked face.
At the Temple of Literature, we were lucky enough to see another stately visit. As Wade saw the King of Cambodia in Laos, it was only fitting that Shari, Eamon and myself saw the King of Brunei in Vietnam! Luckily enough we had the camera with us. I think our spotting beats Wade’s given that the King of Brunei is the richest man in the world. Here is a look at him and his wife. You may have to double click to get a zoomed in view.
We spent most of our time in Hanoi, walking around on the streets taking in all the local flavours. We felt like we walked and walked and walked. Thus, we soon got used to taking breaks and enjoying traditional Vietnamese coffee, which, is individually brewed at your table with sweet condensed milk. Hmmmm…yummy. Here is a look at one of the typical stores we passed in one of our many walks. This one is selling Buddha statues. Mom, this picture is for you. If anyone every says your store is too crowded again…just show them this picture.
We also lined up for hours to see Ho Chi Minh in his Mausoleum. It is said that every year the Mausoleum is closed while Ho Chi Minh is sent to Russia for maintenance, although many suspect that he is a wax masterpiece. No cameras are allowed inside, so this is a picture from the outside. Also, you are not allowed to put your hands in your pockets as we found out when one of the guards reprimanded Wade. Ho Chi Minh was the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1946 until his death in 1969. He is described as Uncle of the people in Vietnam or often Uncle Ho.
Our last day in Hanoi, Shari & I took a trip out to the Perfume Pagoda of which the boys were not interested in seeing. Part of getting to the Pagoda was an hour boat ride down the Perfume river. Here is a look at the harbour…have you ever seen anything like it? Yes, we had to hop from boat to boat to get to our boat. Luckily no one fell in. Much to our surprise these boats, which held up to 12 people, were solely rowed by two Vietnamese women. We soon discovered that the women of this country work extremely hard, while the men primarily drive taxis! Since then we have seen women in all sorts of hard manual work. Not only are they expected to do this, but many of them have families that they also must cook and clean for.
We spent 4 days in Hanoi (the capital city) in the North of Vietnam. It, like Laos, is a blend of Asian and Parisian influence. Most Vietnamese speak not only their own language, but also French, English and often German as well. We were struggling to say Xin chao (hello) and Cam on (thank you).
Our hostel was located in the old quarter of Hanoi, which had some of the narrowest streets we have seen so far on our journey. Not only were they narrow, but the sidewalks were not “walkable” due to all of the motorbikes parked on them. Therefore, you had to walk on the streets and avoid being hit by countless motorbikes, regular bikes, tourist taxis and vehicles. Crossing the street was a blind leap of faith. There was never a break in traffic and you just had to step out and make no sudden movements. Here is a look at one of the streets in the old quarter. Can you pick out Eamon, Shari & myself?
Why did the chicken cross the road anyways? Perhaps to take a look at his friend the duck. Ducky doesn’t look so happy right now.
That being said, this lady doesn’t look very happy either. We soon discovered that the Vietnamese are masters at piling goods on the bikes. Not only this, but they are often seen with just a head peering out from their mass of goods while peddling down the road. Also customary is the masked face. 
At the Temple of Literature, we were lucky enough to see another stately visit. As Wade saw the King of Cambodia in Laos, it was only fitting that Shari, Eamon and myself saw the King of Brunei in Vietnam! Luckily enough we had the camera with us. I think our spotting beats Wade’s given that the King of Brunei is the richest man in the world. Here is a look at him and his wife. You may have to double click to get a zoomed in view.
We spent most of our time in Hanoi, walking around on the streets taking in all the local flavours. We felt like we walked and walked and walked. Thus, we soon got used to taking breaks and enjoying traditional Vietnamese coffee, which, is individually brewed at your table with sweet condensed milk. Hmmmm…yummy. Here is a look at one of the typical stores we passed in one of our many walks. This one is selling Buddha statues. Mom, this picture is for you. If anyone every says your store is too crowded again…just show them this picture.
We also lined up for hours to see Ho Chi Minh in his Mausoleum. It is said that every year the Mausoleum is closed while Ho Chi Minh is sent to Russia for maintenance, although many suspect that he is a wax masterpiece. No cameras are allowed inside, so this is a picture from the outside. Also, you are not allowed to put your hands in your pockets as we found out when one of the guards reprimanded Wade. Ho Chi Minh was the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1946 until his death in 1969. He is described as Uncle of the people in Vietnam or often Uncle Ho.
Our last day in Hanoi, Shari & I took a trip out to the Perfume Pagoda of which the boys were not interested in seeing. Part of getting to the Pagoda was an hour boat ride down the Perfume river. Here is a look at the harbour…have you ever seen anything like it? Yes, we had to hop from boat to boat to get to our boat. Luckily no one fell in. Much to our surprise these boats, which held up to 12 people, were solely rowed by two Vietnamese women. We soon discovered that the women of this country work extremely hard, while the men primarily drive taxis! Since then we have seen women in all sorts of hard manual work. Not only are they expected to do this, but many of them have families that they also must cook and clean for.
posted by The Adventures of Rena & Wade | 3:21 AM
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