My diary
AJ’s Story:
We slept in today, we’re staying at a very nice hotel that has a big comfortable bed. We walked down the street to a French pastry shop where we ordered a few croquettes and coffees. We mapped out our day.
Our first destination was the Heritage house. A very nice student walked us through the house discussing the customs of traditional Vietnamese life. She was also very curious about our traditions. She was quite shocked that we would not be spending Christmas with our family this year. The house was rather small, the French colonialists taxed the house based on the width so most houses in Hanoi are very narrow and long. It contained a interior courtyard for collecting rain water, a small kitchen, wash room, a room for honoring your ancestors and a bedroom.
After the Heritage house we had planned to visit Bach Ma Temple, but it was closed for renovation. We made our way to Dong Xuan Market. The market was super busy with motor car fumes, the smell of cigarettes burning and people racing all around. Hanoi, in general, is pretty dirty and has a lot of smog / air pollution. At one point I had to sit down because I was getting dizzy.
After the market we started to make our way to a food tour we had planned for later in the day. I was still not feeling very well. The food is different from in the United States and my stomach has not adjusted. We ducked into a Circle K, which had surprisingly nice facilities. As I was preparing to leave I realized there was no toilet paper (rookie mistake, I should have checked). I thought about calling Jaimie for help but realized she did not have cell service on. I was on my own, the only thing by my side was my trusty “Southeast Asia on a Shoestring” travel book. I decided that I likely wouldn’t be traveling to Brunei anytime soon and promptly commandeered 2 pages for sanitary needs.
Our street food tour was led by an enthusiastic young tour guide. The only other people on the tour was a polite Taiwanese couple. We hurried around the old quarter eating beef jerky rolls, an assortment of fried goodies, chicken dry noodles, bia hoi (fresh beer), dried fruit candies, jackfruit sticky rice and mango in coconut ice cream. We finished the night with the tour guide recommended “Pho 10” on our own.
Hanoi: Day Two
December 14, 2019
|
Hanoi, Vietnam
AJ’s Story:
We slept in today, we’re staying at a very nice hotel that has a big comfortable bed. We walked down the street to a French pastry shop where we ordered a few croquettes and coffees. We mapped out our day.
Our first destination was the Heritage house. A very nice student walked us through the house discussing the customs of traditional Vietnamese life. She was also very curious about our traditions. She was quite shocked that we would not be spending Christmas with our family this year. The house was rather small, the French colonialists taxed the house based on the width so most houses in Hanoi are very narrow and long. It contained a interior courtyard for collecting rain water, a small kitchen, wash room, a room for honoring your ancestors and a bedroom.
After the Heritage house we had planned to visit Bach Ma Temple, but it was closed for renovation. We made our way to Dong Xuan Market. The market was super busy with motor car fumes, the smell of cigarettes burning and people racing all around. Hanoi, in general, is pretty dirty and has a lot of smog / air pollution. At one point I had to sit down because I was getting dizzy.
After the market we started to make our way to a food tour we had planned for later in the day. I was still not feeling very well. The food is different from in the United States and my stomach has not adjusted. We ducked into a Circle K, which had surprisingly nice facilities. As I was preparing to leave I realized there was no toilet paper (rookie mistake, I should have checked). I thought about calling Jaimie for help but realized she did not have cell service on. I was on my own, the only thing by my side was my trusty “Southeast Asia on a Shoestring” travel book. I decided that I likely wouldn’t be traveling to Brunei anytime soon and promptly commandeered 2 pages for sanitary needs.
Our street food tour was led by an enthusiastic young tour guide. The only other people on the tour was a polite Taiwanese couple. We hurried around the old quarter eating beef jerky rolls, an assortment of fried goodies, chicken dry noodles, bia hoi (fresh beer), dried fruit candies, jackfruit sticky rice and mango in coconut ice cream. We finished the night with the tour guide recommended “Pho 10” on our own.
Best food: beef jerky rolls
Most interesting site: Hoa lo prison
1.
Chapter One: The Journey Begins
2.
On Arrival: Hoi An
3.
Hoi An: Day Two
4.
Hoi An: Day Three
5.
Final Day: Hoi An
6.
Train to Hanoi
7.
Hoa Lo Prison +
8.
Hanoi: Day Two
9.
Two Days in Ha Long Bay
10.
Leaving Vietnam
11.
On Arrival: Cambodia
12.
Angkor Tombs
13.
Cambodia Final Thoughts
14.
On Arrival: Chiang Mai
15.
Elephant Sanctuary
16.
Temples of Chiang Mai
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