We knew we liked Ha Noi immediately. You have no idea how refreshing it was to see two different stores next to each other! Who knew you could buy a pet bird and bike tires in the same place? Our home for our three-day stint was at Little Hanoi Hostel #2. They put us in the mountain room which was appropriately named for its six-floor walk-up. We definitely shed some pounds on our many hikes up to the room. We explored the old town on our first afternoon and evening. Walking by St. Joseph's cathedral in the rain was beautiful and we had a wonderful dinner of sticky rice and pork belly at a very local place. For dessert we ate ice cream in our ponchos at a small shop called Lick.
Our hostel was conveniently located near the lake.
Can anyone tell us what "meat floss" is??
The next morning we became truly immersed in Vietnamese culture. We bought pollution face masks!!
Then we embarked on our very busy day. Fist we visited the Women's Museum. Neither of us had visited a museum like this before, and it was amazing to see a museum dedicated to the ladies! We probably would have been impressed if the museum was average, but it majorly exceeded our expectations. We saw exhibits in fashion, family structure, and hard, impressive work ethic of the Vietnamese women. Before we hit our next cultural stop we took a much needed break for snow cones.
These are our favorite ladies! You decide which one is cuter.
Arelys's choice is the one in the red:
Next we visited the Hoa Lo Prison. This museum depicted one of Indochina's largest prisons of its time. It held political prisoners, women, and many internationals including Americans such as John McCain. The displays depicted what it was like to be encarcerated here. Many were locked to their wooden bunks or locked in pitch-black cells with multiple people. However, it seemed as though the Americans that stayed here were able to play many sports and enjoy leisure activities. We were also interested to know that people from all over the world were employed here.
Later that morning, we visited Confucius' temple. This is where many Vietnamese students come to pray for good grades throughout their schooling. There was also a beautiful, decorative pond and many statues honoring the scholars that have studied there.
For lunch we went to a wonderful restaurant called KOTO (Know One Teach One). This establishment employs at-risk youth from the surrounding communities. Teens and young adults learn how to become servers and chefs in the restaurant's program. We enjoyed spring rolls and Vietnamese noodles.
For dinner, we were craving a taste of home. We caved and went for delicious burgers. At the restaurant we chatted with our Swiss waitress. We asked her why she moved to Ha Noi, and she explained how impressed with the Vietnamese people and culture. She told us how the culture has a very strong work ethic. People pull themselves up by their boot straps and everyone works. No one waits for handouts and no one is lazy. They were so excited that they every got us into the mix!
After dinner, we hit the weekend night market. Here we were ripped off like typical tourists. We had just finished complimenting ourselves on our bargaining skills, but we found out Achilles heal. We spotted delicious-looking doughnuts in the distance, and we could not resist. Without blinking an eye we handed over 50,000 dongs to the cute old lady. Only seconds later we discovered that the doughnuts may have been a week old. It has been three days and we are still upset. If you hear us mention the phrase "doughnut angry" you'll know why. Otherwise, the market was wonderful. We were surrounded by locals buying clothes and groceries for the week. We were lucky to find meat on a stick to make up for the doughnut tragedy of 2014. We felt alive as we walked through the bustling, urban scene.
The next day was just as busy! We started by taking a trip to the post office (hint hint). Let is know if you get something from us from the post man! We then traveled to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. We were not able to enter because it was closed, but we were able to view the vast structure from the outside. Even when the site is closed, it is still heavily monitored by local military. Next we visited two of the city's pagodas.
We must have walked about 10 miles between the two days, so we took a much needed nap. Afterwards, we went to the traditional Water Puppet Theater. The many acts of the show displayed typical Vietnamese traditions throughout the ages. Performers controlled the puppets while waist-deep in water behind a curtain. They were accompanied by a group of musicians. It was difficult to follow the story, but we were able to appreciate the beauty and tradition.
When we ventured out later that Sunday night we were shocked! The typical American Sunday evening consists of a large dinner and parking your butt on the couch. The Vietnamese have a whole different idea! The streets were packed with people relaxing and exercising by the lake, zipping by on motorbikes and socializing on stairs and near fountains. They give work to live a whole new meaning.
Our last meal in Ha Noi was our very best. Squatting six inches above the ground as we grilled our own meat and vegetables was a wonderful way to end our time in Vietnam.
We were sad to leave our hostel in Ha Noi. We loved the manager, Anne and hope to meet her again soon. The next leg of our adventure takes us through Laos. We will kayak, explore the beauty of Luang Prabang and spend three days living in a tree house with the gibbons! Check in for more soon!
Love,
The Frizzy Girls
PS It's REALLY hot here.
Confucious say: Find Fan.
Using public bathrooms around the world could be our next FFT grant! It was an adventure in itself.
Check out those sweat stains!
Sooooo many plane rides!
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