Five Countries, Four Weeks Pt.11 "Hanoi...and Close"

Hanoi Gate is the “hostel” we stayed at. There were not many cheap reasonable selections left and this was the most promising for the price all of us agreed on. We were beginning to feel the financial squeeze this far into the trip, certainly surpassing a reasonable budget by all means. After experiencing this trip though, it was all worth it, especially Hanoi. There were places on the trip that had me shaking my head and others that brought a legitimate peace of mind to light, but Hanoi was certainly the cherry atop the crazy flavoured cake. Hanoi was not just a hub, it was a party hub, a historical hub an architectural hub, it had everything. Some of Mandarin I knew was even useful in small shops. We tried more wonderful coffees, beers, and foods (including jellyfish salad). We tried staying hydrated and “healthy” with fresh fruit smoothies created before your eyes in the homes/business that littered sidewalks.
            We spent a solid 3 days in Hanoi, which gave us time to see things we really wanted to see. One of these “must see” things being, Ho Chi Minh himself. It was quite unbelievable even after seeing Chairman Mao in Beijing. The only other member publicly known as a part of the Immortalization Commission left for me to visit is Lenin. I recommend going, it is quite interesting to see how a human is involuntarily immortalized and instead of freed by the very thing that they thought would bring them that, they are held captive until their refrigeration unit breaks down I guess. True story, Ho Chi Minh actually wanted to be buried in his hometown, could communism let a living (or formerly living) piece of history slip through one’s fingers like that though?
            All jokes aside history was abundant while in Hanoi; not to mention right next to exciting things all the time. Great restaurants and cafes seemed to be all too many, there is not enough time left to try all them! I am worried that my next visit to Vietnam (Hanoi specifically) will result in me finding even more restaurants, except this time they will be piled atop one another and not only squished together.
            Our final day in Hanoi was great, except it wasn’t really in Hanoi. For less than 80 USD each we were able to hop on a tour bus that was a bit crowded but at least full of other travellers who were also heading to the “Old Capital” (Hoa Lu). Here we saw an Ancient palace of the 10th century; remarkable landscape with a rather interesting mode of transportation. There were many vendors outside the gates of the old Capital’s main courtyard selling food, snacks and souvenirs. Inside the walls of the courtyard, one will find many places to pay respects to deities for fortune and luck. Some of the subtle beauties like the stone carvings and low hanging branches of ancient trees are perfectly situated as the whole area has as serene peacefulness around it. After sometime around the historical background it is time to get a closer look into the more natural aspects of the area. Aside from a small unique river boat ride that winds around and through many of the mountains, there is also some biking one can do to burn some calories after lunch. We booked the day trip to Hoa Lu through our hostel and the deal included the bike rentals as well as lunch. The bike rental was quite nice so, we followed a tour guide into the flatland in between the mountains up to parts that met up with the river. Regardless of how cloud the day had become, the sights were unbelievable. But one must certainly make a point of seeing the famous rock formations that are littered through Halong Bay. However if one cannot make a point of those, the old capital has a quite close second on land instead of from the water. Vietnam was certainly the personal favourite of myself as well as the best place end the trip. One could not ask for a more relaxing experience before being sent back to the desk.
Before we get to the heart warming message of this wonderful tale, I would like to remind readers that it is not something I mentioned a lot of because it would get repetitive but, the museums and monuments that are listed as “must see” are totally worth seeing. All museums we went to were certainly worth the 4 USD (at most) that we paid upon entry (Cambodia War Museum-Siem Rep). To see the country is one thing, but to attempt an understanding of the hardships and historical causation for present day attributes of these places, it is really quite revealing.

When opportunity presented itself, it is only ridiculous not to take it; rocket launchers; crazy dishes of food; sketchy bars; and serene landscapes; are few and far between. The one thing even more valuable than the opportunity to see and do those things is to see and do those things with the people deemed as most important in life. Not everyone will see the entire world or maybe even everything they want to see, but nothing can stop a person from trying. 

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