Part 2, Week 26: July 15-21
- Katie & Webster
- Jul 21, 2019
- 6 min read
This week we have been busy exploring all Vietnam has to offer! We spent most of our time in Northern Vietnam before heading down south this weekend.
On Monday we started our day bright and early at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. The Vietnamese people think of HCM as the father of Vietnam and as his final resting place, it was a very popular destination. We weren’t able to go inside and see the place where his body was kept due to renovation work but we did have a chance to explore the grounds where he lived and worked. It was surprising to see how he lived a very simple life even though he was a high ranking leader.
Then we headed to the Hanoi Prison, also known as Hanoi Hilton. This is the place where many people were held and tortured during the French occupation and during the war. We were a little disappointed that it was so commercialized for tourists. Very little of the original facility was left and renovation had been carried out to make it easier for tourists to access. It was really interesting to read about and look at pictures of what happened in those walls so many years ago.
On Monday afternoon we headed to Mai Chau. The drive was breathtaking. We drove through the countryside, over the mountains, and past the rice paddies.
Once we arrived we settled into our room and had a quiet night. We enjoyed a swim and had a local dinner at the hotel.
On Tuesday we woke up early, before it got too hot, to go explore Mai Châu. Our tour guide, Son, who is with us for our entire stay in Vietnam led the group through a few villages, through the jungle and past all the rice paddies. It was interesting to learn about typical Vietnamese countryside life. Women take care of the farming, cooking, cleaning and taking after the children. We were able to talk to some local women who were transplanting rice for the next crop. The group of four can plant 1000 rice plants each day. Then the natural irrigation system takes care of the rice. Each plant produces 100-200 grains of rice, most which are sold for family income. After our walk we stopped at a local homestay for lunch. They prepared authentic dishes for us to try overlooking the rice paddies.
We spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool, in the AC, and having a delicious dinner. We ended our evening with a traditional Vietnamese dancing show. It was so neat to see a traditional performance. Webster was really into it and even jumped in on the last song! So fun!
On Wednesday we woke up early to head back to Hanoi. The drive was just as spectacular on the way back. We drove past mountains and rice paddies, little villages and countryside.
When we arrived back in Hanoi we stopped for a quick lunch before heading on a cyclo tour. Webster and I were both under the impression that we would be riding bikes around the city but instead we were picked up by drivers who had a little carriage on the front of their bikes. It was such a fun way to see the city from a different perspective - right in the action of all the traffic!
In the evening Webster opted in for a local street food tour! He joined some others from our tour group who were keen to try new things. They were out exploring for about 3 hours! He tried green papaya salad, fresh shrimp spring roles, bbq pork noodles, banh mi, coconut sticky rice, egg coffee, and a durian dessert.
Meanwhile, I spent some time on the roof of the hotel with some others who didn’t opt in for the street food. We enjoyed the view and then walked around our hotel neighbourhood. It was a great way to end a long travel day!
On Thursday morning we went to a local hospitality training school for breakfast. The students who were studying there came from impoverished backgrounds. G Adventures, our travel group company, puts a part of their proceeds towards the school to help pull those students out of poverty and help them find a sustainable job.
After breakfast we made our way to Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO heritage site. The bay is filled with limestone rocks that are exposed above the water. We drove about 4 hours from Hanoi city centre to the port where we boarded a tender before getting onto our boat. Our group of 16 stayed on a traditional junk boat that was owned and operated by locals. We got on board and had some lunch on our way out to the bay. The view was just spectacular!
In the afternoon, we tendered over to a quieter bay to go kayaking. We wanted to get up close and personal with the rock. It was a lot of fun! (Thanks to Webster for paddling most of the time!)
We spent our evening relaxing on the deck and watching the sunset after dinner. We had hoped for a cool night but it was extremely hot! Although we would recommend Ha Long Bay, we would suggest going during a cooler part of the year to really fully enjoy it.
The next morning the boat staff took us to explore a cave formation in one of the rocks. We walked through the huge openings and explored the caves for a few hours. It really reminded us of our time in New Zealand.
We spent the afternoon driving back into Hanoi to catch a plane to Hue. Hue is about halfway between North and South Vietnam. We ended up being delayed about an hour so we arrived quite late into the city. We had a well deserved rest!
On Saturday we explored the city like a local on the back of a motorbike! Half of our group opted to explore the city with Hue Backroads. We each had a motorbike driver so we could enjoy the scenery and take lots of photos! Our first stop was at a local market and historic bridge. It was really neat to walk through a local market!
Our second stop was at a local’s home. Miss Teuwey was born with only one hand and is very skilled at making Vietnamese conical hats. She invited us into her home and showed us how she makes the hats. She sells about 2 a day to help supplement her income.
Then we stopped a bunker hill. The bunker was right near the perfume river and was used by the American army during the war. Although we couldn’t go in, it was neat to ride on our motorbikes through the forest towards the river.
Next, we stopped at an incense factory. Local women were making fresh incense from local ingredients.
Our fifth stop was at a tomb. This was the tomb of the king who reigned in Vietnam for seven years. He was known as a “simple man” yet his tomb was huge!
Next, we had a quick lunch at a convent. In Vietnam women who want to become monks (yes in Vietnam both men and women are called monks), have to train for three years to make sure it is something they really want to do. We had a delicious lunch prepared by the women before their afternoon prayer time.
Then we stopped at a Buddhist temple. It was neat to compare what we saw last week in Cambodia to what we saw this week in Vietnam.
Finally, we explored the iconic Hue Citadel. This is where the king used to live with his huge family. He had more than 150 children, most of whom were from different women, and all of them lived within the walls.
In the evening we headed to the local pub street for dinner. We walked up and down the roads looking into all the shops and restaurants filled with people! We ended up having a very local Hue style dinner.
On Sunday we boarded the bus one last time to drive to Hoi An. Hoi An was about three hours from Hue and we made great time with very little traffic. We made some sightseeing stops along the way at a local fishing village, a lookout point and for lunch.
Once we arrived in Hoi An, we checked into the hotel and immediately got ready to explore the city. Hoi An was rated the top destination to visit in 2019 by travel and leisure magazine so we had high expectations! We strolled down the pedestrian streets looking into little shops and cafes. After a while we stumbled into a local tailor. Hoi An is known for their custom made clothing and I was in heaven looking at tons of designs and thinking about what I would love to have made one of a kind for me! I decided to sleep on it and go back on Monday to see if I still felt the same way.
We spent the evening wandering through some local markets and looking at all the lights in the river. Hoi An is a beautiful city at night.
This week we are exploring Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City before heading to Hong Kong this weekend. We have really enjoyed Vietnam so far and can’t wait to see what else it has to offer!
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