Hanoi

We visited Hanoi on two occasions, once before going to Halong Bay and once upon our return from Sapa. Our first impressions were that Hanoi was similar to Saigon (yes, it can rival Saigon's crazy traffic), but with an older feel to it-narrow street and plenty of lakes. On our first visit we strolled around the lake in the Old Quarter and made sure to sample the Pho.

Beside the lake in the Old Quarter















Parents on motor bikes waiting to pick up their kids after school

On our return from Sapa we got the chance to visit some of the tourist destinations in the city. The museum of ethnology was a highlight. The museum provided information about all of the cultural traditions of the numerous ethnic groups in Vietnam and included approximately 10 full scale models of traditional houses of these groups on the grounds of the museum.

We also paid a visit to the Hao Lo Prison (aka the "Hanoi Hilton"). The prison was built by the French and held Vietnamese communist soldiers from the early 1900s through the 1950s. The prison later became the location where American pilots who crashed in northern Vietnam were held as POWs during the Vietnam War. The most famous of these prisoners was John McCain. The museum displayed McCain's uniform and gear that were recovered off of him when his plane crashed in the West Lake in Hanoi. Not surprisingly (though to our frustration) the museum painted the American POWs imprisonment here as a fun-filled walk in the park providing photographs of inmates playing sports and games and celebrating Christmas.



















Me in front of the Hanoi Hilton


We also walked through the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, which includes the humble three room house on stilts that Ho allegedly lived and worked in during his leadership.

Ho Chi Minh's House on Stilts

Sadly we couldn't see Ho's embalmed corpse in the mausoleum, as it was in Russia at the time getting some touch ups :) I would like to note that Hanoi and Vietnam LOVE Ho Chi Minh. There were tons of billboards with his face and many residence's have portraits of him hanging on the wall.

Billboard with Ho Chi Minh




















Another billboard

We also visited some temples and pagodas, including the Temple of Literature. The Temple of Literature is dedicated to Confucius and is considered the first university in Vietnam, dating from the 11th Century. Of course we also ate lots of street food! Below: Mark getting a tea on a tiny stool



















Sadly Hanoi is where the journey ended for Sarah and I. On our last night together we went to a traditional water puppet performance (both entertaining and very bizarre). Sarah left the following morning for a brief visit with a friend in Hong Kong before returning to the Chicago area. I left that evening on a 30 hour trip back to Boston. Mark, however, has decided to extend his Southeast Asian journey and hopped on a 15 + hour bus back to Laos where he got his hands dirty (and his belly full of sticky rice) on a farm for a week in the southern part of the country.

It was really hard for us all to say good bye and to even imagine being alone (we have spent everyday together for the past 4 months!) but we had a wonderful trip and are excited to see what life brings upon our return to the US.

And if anyone out there is planning a trip to Southeast Asia, please email any of us-we would love to provide any insight we can! Thanks so much for following the blog, I hope you have enjoyed it!

Sapa

Sapa is a gorgeous mountain village located in the far northern reaches of Vietnam, kilometers away from the border with China. Sapa is most famously known for the numerous ethnic villages located around it, in which many of the people still don traditional wear and live traditional lifestyles. We arrived in Sapa after taking an overnight train up from Hanoi. The train was a welcome and more comfortable change from the usual overnight buses (which often left us sore and grumpy in the morning). We spent a day exploring Sapa-Mark and Sarah went to visit a neighboring village near by, while I did a bit of shopping in the local market. We also hiked up to a nice viewpoint in the town (see photo below of Mark and Sarah)

Mark on the streets of Sapa

In the afternoon we booked a hiking tour and we were off hiking the next day! Our guide was a wonderful 17 year old Hmong woman named Mo who spoke nearly perfect English. We were accompanied on the trek by two Danish women as well, Maria and Seena. Since Sapa is up in the mountains, everyone terraces the land for rice paddies. The technique makes for an absolutely stunning landscape. We were lucky and had two clear days hiking across the mountains and had breathtaking views of the rice fields.

The crew-Mo in front, Sarah in pink and Lindsay right behind Sarah

Halong Bay

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is a bay off the northern coast of Vietnam well known for the thousands of limestone karsts that dramatically rise out of the waters. Here we arranged to stay one night on a small boat with about 12 other people before spending a few nights on one of the islands in the bay, Cat Ba island.

Mark on our boat, "Asia Cruise"

The view from the roof of our "junk"

Sarah and Mark soaking up some rays on the roof of the boat

After a night on the boat we disembarked on Cat Ba island and booked a hotel by the waterfront. While the night on the boat was wonderful, we were thrilled to spend a couple nights on an island on our own, since the boat trips through the bay turned out to be one of the most touristy ventures we have experienced thus far in our four months.

The view from our hotel window

The first day we spent on a beach called Cat Co 2 a ten minute walk from our hotel. The beach was one of the most beautiful that we had been to on our trip.

Siblings!

Sarah coming out of the water

While on Cat Ba we also took a day long kayaking trip through the islands. It was a beautiful trip that included venturing into a small cave, paddling past oyster farms and stopping to see some some giant fish in a fish farm. We stopped to eat lunch and hang out on two small beaches amidst the islands. When we got back to the docks our arms were like jello (or at least mine were), but it was well worth it.

Sunset

Central Vietnam

Hoi An

Our time in Hoi An was comprised primarily with shopping and eating. With only a population of around 80,000 Hoi An was one of the smaller towns we visited in Vietnam. While lacking in population it was rich in history, culture, food and, as we quickly discovered tailors. In fact there are over 500 tailor shops in this town, making it virtually impossible to walk down a street without a tout offering to make you a new pair of slacks or a custom tailored blouse. As a result we spent the majority of our first two days here picking out fabrics, getting measured, and then fitted for the various suits, coats, and pants we had made. Between tailor stores we managed to stroll down the charming streets and admire the beautiful architecture of the many well preserved buildings in this UNESCO World Heritage Site town. We also took some time to take a cooking class to learn some of the local specialties including Ban Xeo (Pancake filled with meat), Cao Lao (Noodle and Pork) and Vietnamese Wontons.



Lindsay and Sarah taking notes during our cooking class


One of the many charming little side streets in Hoi An


Mark trying his hand at ceramics



Sarah trying on her newly made coat


Mark and Lindsay outside a old clan meeting house


Another Charming Street in Hoi An


The Ancient Ruins of My Son. Built by the Champa People


Hue

After stuffing our bags full of our new clothing, we continued up the coast a few hours from Hoi An to the city of Hue. Hue seemed like it would be a great historical city to explore, unfortunately it was pouring rain the entire time we were here. While we couldn't do much exploring of the city, we did manage to go on a great tour of the Demilitarized Zone (aka the 17th Parallel). The tour included a visit to an amazing tunnel system created by a Vietnamese village, as well as a stop at Khe San the former site of a major US Base.

Lindsay and Sarah in front of a King's Tomb


Mark squeezing through the tunnel



Old Bombs left askew at Khe San

The Remains of a Helicopter at Khe San

The luxurious DMZ bus

Sarah next to a sacred turtle statue in Hue


Another Remnant of the US Military in Vietnam


A cultural performance in Hue

Saigon

Saigon

Well there is a lot to say about Saigon. We arrived after a four hour bus ride on one of our favorite bus companies yet-Phoung Trang. It was a relatively luxurious ride and Mark was very pleased with the complimentary bottle of water and wet nap provided to each passenger. Refreshed and clean we arrived in Saigon and were faced with a jarring experience. Saigon Traffic. It is absolutely nuts-thousands and thousands of motorbikes all over the streets, winding around pedestrians, bikers, cars, buses, everything. Crossing the street here was quite an experience-you step out into the street as all the traffic rushes around you. The idea is that you move forward at a consistent pace so that all the drivers can swerve around you. We caught on pretty quick, though the first few times you do it, its a bit harrowing.

Saigon Traffic

In Saigon, there is always a lot of action in the streets. At night, many people set up small stands on the street where they serve a few select dishes or have drinks for sale. The funny thing about these stalls is their furniture selection. They have TINY chairs and tables. Sometimes they just have four legged stools that sit about six inches off the ground. We were immediately drawn to them and tried to capture the hilarity that was Mark (being 6'5") sitting on these tiny chairs made for children.

Some small street furnishings...

Some smaller street furnishings

Speaking of dining, the food here was fantastic. Saigon is where we learned that we LOVE Vietnamese food. We ate some incredible Banh Mi (Vietnamese Pork Sandwich) and of course Pho Bo (beef noodle soup), which is a breakfast dish here.

Banh Mi...yummm.

For dinner one evening we went to a restaurant that had make-your-own soup in which each of us had a large pot in front of us filled with the broth of your choice. A conveyor belt that wrapped around the whole restaurant presented you with raw meats, veggies, noodles, dumplings, etc that you conveniently picked up off the conveyor belt and dropped into your steaming pot of broth. A great idea and one of our most fun meals of the trip.

Conveyor belt soup

On the tourist front-we visited the Reunification Palace (the former residence of the leader of South Vietnam pre-1975) and the War Remnants Museum, which provides historical information about the Vietnam War (or as they call it here, the American War). The War Remnants Museum was fascinating. The front lawn of the museum displayed numerous US tanks, airplanes and helicopters that had been left behind at the end of the war. Inside there were some incredible photographs and stories about the war and some disturbing sections about the effects of Agent Orange and Napalm.

Mark, Sarah, Ho Chi Minh and I in the Reunification Palace


The front lawn of the War Remnants Museum (formerly known as the American War Atrocities Museum)

We walked a lot in Saigon, exploring the different neighborhoods, including Cholon (a predominantly Chinese area) and visiting some markets and temples. On our last day in Saigon we visited the Botanical Gardens and Zoo.

Sarah inside a greenhouse at the Botanical Gardens



One of the crazy sights you'll see on the street in Saigon. That's a lot of balloons.