Our first full day in Hanoi. The first thing I notice is the chaotic traffic, seems to have no road rules, scooters and cars go in all directions, even on the footpaths.
We are also getting used to the money, $50 Australian buys you 1 millon Dong, the local currency. It sounds like sooo much money!!
Today we had a tour of Ho Chi Minh's (the former president of Vietnam) Mausoleum.We walked through a large building, guards everywhere, standing so straight and serious. It felt very intimidating to walk through, especially when we walked through the tomb with his mummified body where there were yet more guards, this time with weapons. We got to see where Ho Chi Minh lived, it was so simple but beautiful.
The weather today was cold, around 13 degrees so before lunch we went back to our hotel to put more layers of cloths before heading back out around the city. Walking through the chaotic streets we had hardly any room, trying to not get run over, and avoiding people trying to sell us stuff we really didnt need.
We also visited Hanoi prison which was a confronting experience which showed us some of the history of Hanoi. There were torture weapons on display, cramped cells. It brought us conflicted emotions and opened our eyes to what it must have been like to be a political prisoner.
Tomorrow we get picked up from our hotel 5:30am local time to continue our journey and move on to Laos.
Mikaela Barnes
We were surprised to hear how cold it is, Have you tryed any interesting food yet? Looking foward to see what you do today! :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like an experience, I want to see more photos.. weather conditions here were much the same yesterday...enjoy all and thank you to the organisers awsome
ReplyDeleteWalking across the road over there is scary at first, but once you learn that everyone will drive around you it's no so bad. Just don't stop in middle of the road!
ReplyDeleteHave fun :)