Interesting place for sure! We stayed at a beautiful French style hotel. A couple years ago the bar near the pool went under renovations and a bunker that used to hide foreigners during the war was discovered.
List of everything interesting:
List of everything interesting:
1. 4 and 5 people including newborns on a motorcycle
2. Women carrying tons of food including raw chicken in baskets over their shoulders
3. Yes the triangular hats are still worn
4. People playing badmitten and some game similar to that but using their feet all over town
5. A guy carrying dead chickens tied by their feet on a motorcycle
6. A guy peeing against a bus in the middle of town like it was no big deal
7. Street signs and one way streets are only suggestions as we almost got ran over by a motorcycle going the wrong way down a street. You also have to be careful because red lights don't mean you have to stop and sidewalks are not only for pedestrians but motorcycles as well. Basically to cross a street you walk really slowly making no sudden movements and the motorcycles and cars will avoid you. Hopefully! :)
8. Trash belongs on the street or wherever you want it to belong
9. Cows roam freely
10. People actually eat that chicken from street vendors
11. I could go on and on...
Because of the whole chicken thing...we ate at the hotel most of the time. Connor was very spoiled drinking fresh strawberry and watermelon juice.
Connor was fussy so we got out of the hotel and went for a walk.
We wondered up to this open area and a lady was renting these cars for something like 3 dollars for 10 mins. and I am sure she jacked up the price for us. But Connor had a blast. John was driving him using a remote control.
Turtle tower
Hoan Kiem Lake
The Huc Bridge
Dinner the first night.
Again, Connor is spoiled. He was eating lobster bisque!
So tired from a day of travel!
The second day we did tons of touring! First stop Temple of Literature. Built in 900 AD, the Temple was the first University of Vietnam, however during this time they studied Confucius and such. Amazing!
Crazy Motercycles!
Lady carrying stuff!
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Obviously I didn't know this, much like many other words although this would have come in handy when visiting the building behind John. We walk in weaving and winding and then come to this room with yes, Ho Chi Minh's body. The Russians supposedly re-embalm him every couple years. So weird!!! I almost laughed, not sure why because I know this is a sacred place for the Vietnamese but it was just so odd and I was caught off guard. Anyways, now I know the definition of a mausoleum.
Ho Chi Minh's palace
One pillar pogaoda
Dinner at Bobby Chinn's Restaurant
This was just one section of a long mosaic along a highway.
Playing with Dinosaurs
Sitting on an elephant like Grandma and Grandpa Johns'
The 3rd day we went to Halong Bay, a 4 hour car ride from Hanoi. We stayed on a Junk boat.
This was the drive to Halong.
We stopped half way through the drive at a large touristy shop but these women were making art (what looked like paintings) with thread.
On the boat.
The first day we went for a hike (15min) to a cave, went kayaking and swam in the ocean. Connor had fun kayaking in Daddy's lap.
Cave: 3 buddhas for health, wealth and happiness
Our boat is the far one on the left
Back on the boat after a shower. Connor had dinner at 6 then we put him down and John and I had a dinner by ourselves. First since Christmas!
Dinner table
Room
Fishing Village (will explain later)
Birds made out of veggies
A Junk Boat made out of veggies, rice paper, and skewers.
Good morning!
We went to a fishing village the next day where around 300 people live on the water in the houses (more like shacks) you see below, children and all. They fish for a living, buy fresh (not potable) water in plastic barrels and barter for other goods. As I figured out after I talked to my mom, they have no restrooms so must in the ocean...Ewww... They seem to live a hard but very peaceful life. School is not mandatory in Vietnam but the government does supply the village with a small school from age 6 to 12 if you want your kids to go. The kids are picked up on a boat in the morning.
Squid boat
Back to the city...WHO NEEDS A TRUCK!
And Dinner!
Playing at our hotel. I think he must have run up and down this 100 times.
We went to Bat Trang Village (a pottery village about 30 min from Hanoi) mainly looking for gifts and this vase. There were probably 100 stores selling pottery. The concierges at our hotel said we should be able to get vases around $40. When we got there they tried to sell us a vase for $180. We went back to Hanoi and found a shop selling pottery from Bat Trang for $25. What a sham (I want to say something else but...) Lucky I didn't buy anything and the village was neat regardless.
We bought a gorgeous oil painting by a Vietnamese artist Nguyen Minh Son.
The craziness again.
On Saturday we went to the Water Puppet Theater, a type of children's entertainment that has been around for a long time. We all enjoyed it.
Connor in his "bath robe"
Last Day!
I think Connor is ready to go home...or we pulled his paci out. :)
