Vietnam | Hello Hanoi

On the 29^th of December 2014, five friends embarked on a 10-day backpacking trip to Vietnam with nothing but a passport, a way-too-thick guidebook and their carefully packed 7kg backpack. After around two months of talking about the trip and roughly planning our route, what was once a spontaneous idea by three friends finally materialized into a trip that was really happening! And due to my parents’ suggestion, I had to rope in my brother and his friend, Lydia in as well ‘cause apparently to travel in three or less isn’t “safe”. It was nice having them around also lah, don’t get me wrong!

And so, we boarded our flight on a Monday morning with nothing but only our rough route in mind: 

Hanoi – Sa Pa – Halong Bay – Da Nang – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City    

It was the monsoon season and so, when we were flying over Kelantan/Terengganu, it was quite saddening to witness an aerial view of the places that got hit by the floods. It was literally patches and patches of brown muddy pool of water from the air and I couldn’t help but imagine the distraught people must be in right then.

After a smooth three hour flight to Hanoi, about one-and-a-half-hours going through immigration and 4 local SIM cards, we finally stepped foot outside Noi Bai International Airport into the cool summer breeze of Hanoi, in search for the white shuttle bus which will take us in Hanoi Town! Thanks to Google and a lot of prior researching, we finally found the white shuttle bus (USD$3) after going through forth-coming taxi drivers and smartly-dressed bus operators. I wasn't too surprised that we had huge luggage squeezed in every empty corner possible to the point where I had luggage under my feet, as it was quite similar during the bus ride from Krabi Town to Koh Lanta last year. 

The bus ride to town took approximately 45 minutes, scurrying through traffic and it really takes 45 minutes for me to fall in love with Hanoi. The cool weather is one thing and the crazy beeping of vehicles is another, but the French influence in Vietnam is really quite evident in terms of its architecture. Tall, 4-6-storey-high thin buildings terraced together in a long row reminded me of French shophouses along cobblestone streets, just like the ones in Beauty and the Beast! The bus dropped us off at the entrance of Ngo Huyen (Huyen Lane) in the Hoan Kiem District as the lane is too narrow for a bus or a taxi to pass through. So, we had to walk through the lane to get to Hanoi Backpacker's Hostel - Original which was our home for two nights! 

Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem - the lane filled with backpacker's hostels, second-hand bookstores, local souvenir shops and travelling tour offices

It didn't take long before we found the signature red buffalo sign and checked into our 8-bed dorm which we shared with another 2 backpackers. The place was amazing and it is the total opposite of how society think backpacker's hostels look like - dodgy, dirty and small. There was a bright lounging area for people to chill, have a cup of coffee, read or plan their next journey. Each bed came with a locker to store away your pack and it also had a side shelf with a valuable compartment and a reading light. It was nonetheless, extremely impressive and traveler-friendly. We grabbed the free map provided at reception and headed out to hunt for some lunch at the end of the lane, as suggested by the friendly VBH crew! We had lunch at Ban Hue which had a simple-yet-cool concept and of course, the food was delicious. I highly recommend it! 

 

 

The food was generally very healthy, I would say, but definitely tasty! I like that almost every meal you have here in Vietnam, there is always a hint of lime and a lot of greens. Perfect if you're wanting eat healthy on a budget! I had pho bo, beef noodles with a side dish of fried onions and fresh vegetables. To have that in my tummy, and to savour it in cool weather, you will feel rejuvenated and like a winner for at least the first few mouthfuls of your meal. Writing about it now just makes me hungry. 

After a hearty meal, we decided to visit the Hoa Lo Prison Museum (VND20,000) located near where we were. The prison was built by the French when Vietnam was still part of the French IndoChina colony. It was used to detain political prisoners as well as American prisoners-of-war (POWs) during the Vietnam War. Walking through the French-built architecture, there were replicas of prisoners in different cells, gory black-and-white pictures of the war and also, an interactive 3D layout of the prison which informed us about the functions of each building. It was an eye-opening peek into the French colonization and the Vietnam War. 

Although the walls of the prison buildings were made out of strong French bricks, but Hoa Lo wasn't a really successful prison, as it had hundreds of prisoners escaping through sewer grates. It is also a little ironic to me that despite how much the propaganda of American POWs enjoying life in prison with pictures of them smiling playing a game of chess in their cells, there were still a huge number of escapes. I guess, prison is still prison, no matter how 'good' life was in it. 

When we stepped outside of the prison museum, it was close to 5pm and the cold temperature took our breaths away! But with our hoodies on, we strolled around the famous and picturesque Hoan Kiem lake. That is coming in the next post.