After 2 easy flights from Hat Yai to Bangkok and then Bangkok to Hanoi we found ourselves in Vietnam. We arrived early in the morning and our hotel had a taxi driver waiting for us at the airport. As we drove into Hanoi I immediately fell in love with the city. Although it is full of motor bikes, traffic and some flashy store signs it also has a charming feel to it. The buildings have a European style to them and the streets are spotted with flowering trees. In general, everything felt a lot less touristy than in Thailand. Lonely planet describes it well: “Here exotic old Asia blends seamlessly with the dynamic face of the continent, an architectural masterpiece evolving in harmony with its history, rather than bulldozing through it.”
We decided to start our Vietnam adventure in a nicer hotel since we had been roughing it the last week or two in Thailand. The hotel had wifi, aircon, a flat screen tv and they even upgraded us to the honeymoon sweet.
The three days in Hanoi we spent exploring the city and acclimating ourselves to Vietnamese culture. Some of the highlights were:
Walking around Hoan Kiem Lake and going to the Ngoc Son Temple-- the lake itself was nothing too special but it was surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. One morning we were lucky enough to see a large group of old women (and some men) doing some sort of exercise routine right by the lake-- it was a pretty hilarious site. The temple is on an island in the lake and is a one of the city's tourist attractions.
Our first Pho-- one of the most popular dishes in Vietnam. It is a soup with rice noodles and usually beef or chicken and is popular throughout the country. We had no idea how to order or what exactly was in it but it was delicious. This soup is actually very common for breakfast.
Walking through the French Quarter-- this is more of the high end part of Hanoi with many french inspired cafes, designer stores and an opera house. This was also where I tried my first Thai Coffee which I am officially addicted to. I think that it is really strong coffee (maybe just an espresso shot or two) with condensed milk and sugar. It is DELICIOUS.
Food tour- we did this the first night and it has been one of my favorite things we've done yet (props to Andrew for finding it and scheduling it) . See the next post for a detailed description of all the delicious food we tried.
The Night Market- this market was only on Friday, Saturday, and Sundays so we were lucky to be there for it. We were happily surprised to find that it was a market catered for local rather than tourists. This was refreshing to see after Thailand.
The streets- the region of Hanoi that we spent most of our time is called the Old Quarter which consists of 36 old streets. In the 13th century each street was defined by the merchandise that was sold on that street. Many f this still exists today-- for example there is a street at sells only shoes and another street that sells mainly children's clothing or even lamp shades. We found the show street the most entertaining. Andrew bought a pair of Nikes and a pair of New balances for $15 each.
The Military Museum- I unfortunately wasn't feeling well our third day in Hanoi so I spent the day in the hotel room but Andrew ventured to the military museum. He found it to be an interesting experience, as it showcased many exhibits and artifacts regarding the Vietnam War and the Vietnamese war with the French. It also explained the events from the perspective of the North Vietnamese, which was interesting to see.
Seeing this city in Vietnam for the first time made me realize that unlike Thailand where we had done tons of research in advance, I really had no expectations and very little knowledge about Vietnam. I knew very little about the cities and culture and we really didn't have much of a plan for our 3 weeks in the country. As nerve racking as this is it also makes traveling much more exciting. We have so much to learn and see-- the beauty and culture of Vietnam has so far been such a pleasant surprise. I think that Vietnam will exceed my expectations.
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