Vietnam travel: First Time in Hanoi

I really wanted to travel to Vietnam and finally, on my Honeymoon, I visited the country. I had been waiting for it for so long that my expectations were very high. Maybe that's why the verdict of the visit there was bittersweet.

The first day we arrived at Hanoi, it was crazy. There are many motorcycles everywhere. The smell is rare, a mix between pollution and dirt from all the traffic. We stayed in old town, at the Hong Ngoc Dynasty Hotel, which is quite nice. The rooms are comfortable, have air conditioning, which is very appreciated, and the style and decoration is quite flirtatious.

First Walk Through The Neighborhood

In old town of Hanoi, there is an area of ​​36 streets where each street originally sold a different type of product. Even today, it’s that way for the most part, although business is mixed with a more modern restaurant or store.

When we go out for a walk around the area, of course the first sensation is total overwhelm. The streets are narrow and there are many motorcycles that circulate like crazy, without traffic rules. Crossing a half-meter long street is practically gambling. Or so we thought that first time! The truth is there are hardly any traffic accidents. They are so used to this chaos that they are cautious and have good reflexes.

We went to see a market in the area. A kind of gallery with hundreds of stalls. It smells terrible and we got out of there with that smell stuck on our clothes, it even lasted us several days (and weeks after washing).

From there, you can go to the central lake, where a wider area begins, with wide streets and sidewalks. Taking a walk, you can see the opera building. But don't be fooled by width. Traffic and pollution are the same, but with more sidewalk to move around.

Ok, this first day in Hanoi, as I remembered it, was quite awful. We didn't even eat all day. The sticky heat, the fatigue of the trip and the madness of the city took away our hunger. BUT! If you can, try a typical sweet from there that they sell in ice cream shops. It's a kind of dough filled with ice cream of different flavors.

For dinner, the guide himself recommended a place on the same street as the hotel. Do you know what it was called? Number 1. It must be that either he is the best, or he was the first in a chain. Although it did not look like one or the other.

The main dish we ate (and the only one on the menu) is called Bun Cha (roast pork with green papaya in fish broth, served with a bowl of rice noodles to dip in the broth). We accompany it with Vietnamese rolls, served already cut together with a mountain of green things (lettuce, mint, etc.). Friends ... this moment, after a long day of disappointment, was when I fell in love with Vietnam. Vietnamese food is some of the best I've ever had.

The "restaurant" (if you can call it like that), it was little more than a stall, with two tables on the narrow sidewalk. We didn’t fit on that "table". Basically, the chairs are plastic stools at almost ground level. To sit we were almost squatting, not knowing where to put our legs, because the tables are the same height. It’s the worst of these restaurants at street level, they are uncomfortable and we don’t fit!

Second Day: Manual Tourists

On our second day in Hanoi, we visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where this former president, the banner of the war against the United States, is embalmed. Some people say it’is not really him, and only remains as a symbol of the country.

However visiting him is almost mandatory for all Vietnamese. It was full of people, even schools, lining up around the "embalmed body" of "Tio Ho" (that's what they call him). It’s a bit disturbing, I have never seen a body embalmed live and direct (if it’s real).

Next to the mausoleum is the Presidential Palace, built by the French, where Ho Chi Minh lived. After walking around and learning a little more about the history of this man, we went to see a lacquering workshop. It's a factory-museum that sells paintings created using the technique of egg, paint and tree resins. The creations are really impressive. The complete factory, where the whole process takes place, is located in a town 40 km from Hanoi, a rural area whose subsistence is the sale of these crafts.

Our next stop is the Temple of Literature, considered the first university in Vietnam and where Confucius is worshiped. It's a very beautiful place to see and transmits a lot of peace. Here we meet for the first time with the figure of the phoenix with the turtle. It's a symbol of longevity and prosperity, so if you come across it in Vietnam, you better touch it!

Rickshaw Cycle Ride

It's very typical to take a ride through Hanoi riding a cyclo, a kind of tricycle with a pedaling driver, similar to Tuk Tuk. Imagine the ride with the dangerous traffic of the motorcycles, it seems that you are going to crash all the time! Cars and motorcycles appear from all directions without any kind of traffic regulation. I really recommend it, because it's not really dangerous. But your face in roundabouts and crossings will be priceless.

And to rest and refresh, I recommend you try the cold coffee with egg. It's typical of Hanoi and is very, very, very delicious. After gathering strength, we began to walk around the city aimlessly, to adventure, to see what we found. It was a great 3 hours, to be surprised with almost anything we came across. We stumbled upon a giant lake with a tiny super cute temple. When we wanted to continue ... it turned out that we were on the same esplanade as the mausoleum at the beginning. And we were close to the hotel again! We toured Hanoi almost in a circle!

If you are thinking of going to Vietnam, I recommend you go. My first bad impression can’t condition you to know a wonderful country. Do you want to know more? I will continue describing the trip in future posts!

Thansk for reading.