I woke up at 530 am. Now it's 5:30 pm and I can't believe how much happened today! I started by wandering the streets noticing the locals eating pho for breakfast on the sidewalks In front of cafés on very low stools. I was really intimidated, especially because my chopstick skills with noodles in particular are lackluster. Given that I was already nervous enough navigating this new city on foot by myself, I cut myself a break and ate a croque Monsieur at a western style place by Hoam Kiem lake. The lake is in the heart of Hanoi and holds sacred meaning for many of its people. I also had a delicious, tiny but strong cup of coffee that I believe contributed to some shakes I had later on. :P
also the honking as I walk on the city streets still causes a trigger response/ activation of nervous system fun times for me so I think that contributed. It makes me really appreciate being able to live in a place where there isn't so much honking. (Though at least when people are honking here, it isn't sexist street harassment. Hanoi men don't seem to buy into that bullshit, and this is considered a very safe place for solo women travelers).
After eating, I walked to the Vietnamese women's museum and left completely awestruck. I went to the "Hanoi Hilton" prison museum which was a place of torture and misery for many Vietnamese radicals during French colonialism. Later on, American prisoners of war like John McCain were imprisoned there. One of the videos stated that the American POWs were treated very well and that they were lucky to be imprisoned by the Vietnamese, who took mercy on them. It was fascinating to hear how different this was from the story I grew up hearing.
while I was there a Vietnamese guy came up to me all smiley and held out his hand to shake it. I laughed and shook it and then he kept walking with his friend. Random. I think I didn't mind because it was in this rather controlled museum setting about really tragic subject matter and it was nice to be yanked out of it for a second.
Then I helped point a lost Canadian tourist in the right direction and he told me I sounded Canadian. Lol. Took more pictures and had a rather extravagant lunch of the best fish sandwich ever and seafood soup at the Green Mango.
I saw wedding photo shoots happening in front of an old cathedral, tried Korean ginseng candy, saw adorable little girls with pigtails and sun umbrellas, and learned how to say thank you, but already forgot and need to relearn again. :P
Theeeen I went to the museum of ethnology, which tells a lot about Vietnamese culture and tribal life. Perfume's (hotel owner) 23 year old brother, quan, took me on his motorbike, as it's more toward the suburbs. It is awesome to see so many amazingly classy looking people looking like bad asses riding on their motorbikes. I love the look of sharp red pumps resting on either side of a bike! I don't think I had ever ridden on a motorbike before, so that was awesome too.
The museum of ethnology was cool and I'm definitely glad I went with Quan because he was hilarious and helpful in showing me around.
Now I am exhausted and want to go to sleep, but dinner beckons with Perfume and family. I can't sleep through it a second night in a row!
Tomorrow... Halong Bay!!!
