(By Lauren)
The last country we were visiting was Vietnam, and we started out in the capital of Hanoi. From the airport we got in a taxi van full of locals, not entirely confident that we'd be dropped off somewhere near our accommodations. However, once all the other passengers were dropped off, we paid the driver an extra dollar each to get taken straight to our hostel.
May De Ville was the name of it, and it was extraordinary. Built to be a hotel, the owner decided at the last minute to turn it into a backpackers instead. We stayed in a dorm room, but the beds were pristine and so comfortable, and the shower was always hot and at full pressure. The next morning we partook of the free breakfast buffet, which included treats like real bacon, omelettes, and donuts. It was a pretty good way to start the day.
We only had one full day in Hanoi, and we decided to pursue our own walking tour. Our hostel was situation in the Old Quarter, a lively area full of shops, vendors, and motorbikes. Oh man, the motorbikes. They were everywhere you turned, honking incessantly and seemingly ignoring all road rules. Crossing the street was always an adrenaline rush; you had to walk slowly and steadily as motorbikes came rushing straight towards you, dodging you at the very last second. It definitely must be said that at least the drivers stayed alert.
Our first stop was the Temple of Literature, a large complex dedicated to Confucius and his teachings. It was once a center of learning itself, the first "university" in Vietnam. Now it's one of the symbols of Hanoi. The temple grounds were filled with graduates taking pictures in cap and gown and traditional Vietnamese dress. Farther in, three ladies played old-fashioned Vietnamese instruments. A floor above them was a shrine to three kings who had contributed much to the development of the temple, and on the roof money lay on the shingles, thrown as a donation to the temple, we assumed.
Next we walked over to Ho Chi Minh's masoleum. It wasn't open to the public; in fact there was white tape at least 20 feet in each direction from the building itself that indicated we weren't allowed to cross. Supposedly Ho Chi Minh's body has been preserved much like Mao's in Bejing, but we'll never know. We also stopped at the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, a small temple elevated by, as you might guess, one pillar.
From there we wandered over to one of Hanoi's many lakes to see another pagoda, but found we were not properly dressed for full entrance. Instead we bought some pineapple from a nearby vendor. She gave us chili salt as an accompaniment. It was an odd taste combination, but I rather liked it. We trekked all the way back to our starting point, then around another lake to get some pho, the well-known Vietnamese noodle dish.
We were pretty worn out and wet at that point (it had been overcast and drizzly all day, our first day of bad weather in weeks), so we headed back to the hostel to chill out. Next up was Halong Bay!
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The last country we were visiting was Vietnam, and we started out in the capital of Hanoi. From the airport we got in a taxi van full of locals, not entirely confident that we'd be dropped off somewhere near our accommodations. However, once all the other passengers were dropped off, we paid the driver an extra dollar each to get taken straight to our hostel.
May De Ville was the name of it, and it was extraordinary. Built to be a hotel, the owner decided at the last minute to turn it into a backpackers instead. We stayed in a dorm room, but the beds were pristine and so comfortable, and the shower was always hot and at full pressure. The next morning we partook of the free breakfast buffet, which included treats like real bacon, omelettes, and donuts. It was a pretty good way to start the day.
We only had one full day in Hanoi, and we decided to pursue our own walking tour. Our hostel was situation in the Old Quarter, a lively area full of shops, vendors, and motorbikes. Oh man, the motorbikes. They were everywhere you turned, honking incessantly and seemingly ignoring all road rules. Crossing the street was always an adrenaline rush; you had to walk slowly and steadily as motorbikes came rushing straight towards you, dodging you at the very last second. It definitely must be said that at least the drivers stayed alert.
Our first stop was the Temple of Literature, a large complex dedicated to Confucius and his teachings. It was once a center of learning itself, the first "university" in Vietnam. Now it's one of the symbols of Hanoi. The temple grounds were filled with graduates taking pictures in cap and gown and traditional Vietnamese dress. Farther in, three ladies played old-fashioned Vietnamese instruments. A floor above them was a shrine to three kings who had contributed much to the development of the temple, and on the roof money lay on the shingles, thrown as a donation to the temple, we assumed.
Next we walked over to Ho Chi Minh's masoleum. It wasn't open to the public; in fact there was white tape at least 20 feet in each direction from the building itself that indicated we weren't allowed to cross. Supposedly Ho Chi Minh's body has been preserved much like Mao's in Bejing, but we'll never know. We also stopped at the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, a small temple elevated by, as you might guess, one pillar.
From there we wandered over to one of Hanoi's many lakes to see another pagoda, but found we were not properly dressed for full entrance. Instead we bought some pineapple from a nearby vendor. She gave us chili salt as an accompaniment. It was an odd taste combination, but I rather liked it. We trekked all the way back to our starting point, then around another lake to get some pho, the well-known Vietnamese noodle dish.
We were pretty worn out and wet at that point (it had been overcast and drizzly all day, our first day of bad weather in weeks), so we headed back to the hostel to chill out. Next up was Halong Bay!
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