Street vendors are a familiar sight in the old quarters and are dominated by women.
In olden days, these women are from rural areas and come to the city to make a living, selling local produce, flowers etc. This picture on top would be my favorite picture throughout the whole trip. Flowers are relatively affordable and I had to control myself from buying a bouquet for myself.
Another fun fact told by my student guide is the meaning of Hanoi.
Hanoi means the city surrounded by/ inside the river.
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NINH BINH - TAM COC
Ventured out of the city to Ninh Binh. I joined the 1 day trip which cost about 35 USD. The tour packages in Hanoi are a good choice as it includes food, transportation and a tour guide. It is hard to venture out yourself in a country that doesn't speak much English.
Unfortunately when I went in November, there weren't any paddy rice field but the cool breeze made up for it. It was easily my favorite spot as the view was mesmerizing! The rower takes you on a boat ride for close to 2 hours through the caves and the unique part is that they maneuver using their legs. The reason was really simple, because the journey was too long so they alternate using their hands and legs.
Despite being a top activity here, it was really hard to ride a bicycle here. I was focusing really hard not to fall down instead of taking in the scenery. But luckily my new friend from France took a nice picture for me :)
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HA LONG BAY
I could mark this off my 'To Go List' now. The weather was not on my side on that day but it was still beautiful. It cost about USD 40 for the day trip and it takes about 4 hours by bus to and fro. Some people chose to overnight there but since I felt it was a waste, I took a day trip.
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FOOD
Bun Cha or fatty grilled pork with white rice noodle has to be the best food I had in Hanoi. I am thankful I managed to try this before I went home and it was just a random food store I walked in cause I was starving.
And I had this dessert everyday. I even introduced them to everyone i met there. Its a mixture of yogurt, fresh fruits and ice.
Last but not least, is the famous Giang Cafe's egg coffee.
Pardon the low quality picture but I wanted to show how it looks like.
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ACCOMMODATION
For accommodation, I stayed at GA Hostel. I would definately recommend this place as the people were super friendly. Link : GA Hostel
I recently read Mitch Albom's - The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto.
There is one part I found to be very meaningful :
“EVERYONE JOINS A BAND IN THIS LIFE. You are born into your first one. Your mother plays the lead. She shares the stage with your father and siblings. Or perhaps your father is absent, an empty stool under a spotlight. But he is still a founding member, and if he surfaces one day, you will have to make room for him. As life goes on, you will join other bands, some through friendship, some through romance, some through neighborhoods, school, an army. Maybe you will all dress the same, or laugh at your own private vocabulary. Maybe you will flop on couches backstage, or share a boardroom table, or crowd around a galley inside a ship. But in each band you join, you will play a distinct part, and it will affect you as much as you affect it. And, as is usually the fate with bands, most of them will break up—through distance, differences, divorce, or death.”
As I left Hanoi, I left behind my footsteps and brought home memories and lessons.
Here is to more adventures and to move forward.
Cheers.
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