Ha Noi
Intro - Saigon - Vung Tau - Da Lat - Nha Trang - Road to Ha Long Bay - Ha Long Bay - Ha Noi
 |
 |
Students having lunch by Hoan Kiem
Lake |
 |
A home built in the billboard framework |
After Nha Trang, we flew to Ha Noi. We drove into the city and once again we were thrust into the world of hustle and bustle.
We arrived at the Hilton Ha Noi Opera, not to be confused with the Ha Noi Hilton, which was the POW camp where Senator McCain and others were held during the war.
We immersed ourselves into the market district, where every street has a theme and is named accordingly. There was a street full of auto repair and supply shops, as well as a whole street dedicated to bamboo and so on. We were disappointed to discover that Saigon had better prices on pretty much everything than Ha Noi, but we still had fun haggling and searching for the perfect gifts for our family and friends back home.
We walked past the lake in the middle of town and visited the pagoda on the island, where, according to local legend, a giant turtle was caught. People of all ages were hanging around the lake and we bought a kebob of some deep fried dough. It was a little cold, but it tasted a little bit like a doughnut hole.
We went to a restaurant in an area of town that specialized in snails. We were overlooking a pond while we ate steamed snails, right out of the shell. It was tasty and a great experience.
Hoa and Cuong had haircuts in Ha Noi, which included head and shoulder massages and took about 2 hours, while Hanh and I went to a cafe around the corner and hung out and enjoyed the ambience.
We went to the Water Puppet Show, where puppets danced on the water to the sounds of live traditional Vietnamese music.
We ate at a nice French restaurant where we had a little wine. Hoa had so much that she signed the table cloth instead of the check. We were all in tears. Good times.
We spent the last couple of days shopping until we were ready to drop. The streets were narrow and filled with stalls. We were all competing to see who could get the best deal. I think Cuong won that one.
Exhausted again, we were happy to be on our way home.
On the way back to the airport, we noticed the people had set up tents and shacks within the framework of the billboards.
We left Viet Nam with the sense that it was on its way up. The juxtaposition between technology and tradition was startling. There is a huge gap between those who are in poverty and those who are prosperous. The beauty of the landscape easily hides the many battles that have been fought here.
It is a country trying to reunite and rebuild itself after many years of war. They are well on their way.
 |
This literally reads, "Dog Meat
Restaurant" |
 |
Architecture and infrastructure |
Feel free to contact me.
