Hanoi

We paired up with a couple of ladies (IRE and AUS) from our cave excursions who were going our way from The Phong Nha Farmstay to Dong Hoi to catch the night train on to Hanoi.  This time on the "SOFT BERTH" sleepers.  It was a step up in comfort and privacy with a 4 bunk cabin to ourselves.


Hanoi is a lovely city.  We stayed at the Golden Land Hotel in the Old Quarter.  The streets were busy and shared by pedestrians and traffic as the sidewalks were used for motorbike parking.  The architecture was great and the narrow frontages and mysterious alleys were intriguing.  We should have ventured out of Old Town more.  Just a few blocks away the streets were wider and offered less touristy dining options and cheaper ice cream! 

There was a lot of shopping to be found in the Old Quarter of Hanoi.  The girls' favorite shops were a stationary store and this man who carved personalized wooden stamps.  Jeff got several Communist Propaganda posters.

(Wow, these photos are horrible, we'll never be invited to instagram).

     In our last city in Vietnam we took a "Street Food Tour" (itinerary pictured above).  It would have made more sense to do this within the first week of arriving in a country to familiarize ourselves with the various specialties we could have kept our eye out for... for the LAST 4 WEEKS!  The tour was enjoyable, but not exactly "street" as all stops were in sit-down restaurants.  My favorite new item tried was Banh Cuon, which is a steamed rice crepe that wraps sautéd mushrooms and pork.  Reminded me of a peirogi.   

     Genna cozied up to our young-guide Sunny.  As they linked arms to share an umbrella and cross streets, Genna chatted to her about home and school life.  Genna did a great job of making pleasant conversation with many new people we met and the locals were eager to pinch her baby cheeks and learn more about her. 

     We also enjoyed Egg Coffee on the tour and several other times.   There are many "famous" Bun Cha (top right photo) places in Hanoi.  It is OK to order just 2 portions for a family of 4.  There are so many components to this meal and it arrives in generous amounts.  It is often a place with a set menu, so you just sit down and they bring the spread to you.

This was more like it - street food on the street.  We had many Bahn Mi throughout Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.  Some better than others with variations in lightness of baguette and quality of filling.  Some of the best were in Kampot, Cambodia and HoiAn Vietnam.  The saucier the better (IMO).





More war memorabilia in the Hanoi Hilton.  The interpretation is skewed to show the torture endured by the Vietnamese at the hands of the French in contrast to the comfort provided to the American POWs held here.  Perhaps we should read John McCain's memoir to compare perspectives.  Again Maya and Genna were turned off by the horrors of mankind's gruesome tendencies.






Most days' forecast 😓
For some reason we didn't buy an umbrella until Laos.

Jeff took a GRAB (motorbike taxi) on a solo excursion.  

Turtles at the food market.

     There was a "Craft Village" across the street from the Temple of Literature.  It was fairly dead this morning, but the girls wandered around and decided to try (the least culturally relevant activity) acrylic painting on canvas.  Other booths offered kite making, lantern painting, calligraphy, pottery, etc.  Regardless, it was an enjoyable break for them before we were off to another boring attraction: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  

     We also enjoyed the Water Puppet theatre one evening. We don't typically fawn over tourist-trap venues like this, but the water puppets were actually really cool. They could probably sell tickets to a behind-the-scenes access or at least an interpretive museum to explain the magic.