Sat 24 Sept 2022 - Hanoi

Active walking day

Sunrise 5:45am Sunset 5:51pm

SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Walk along the ‘Rail Tracks of Hanoi’ and explore a rarely seen side of Vietnam’s capital. We meet the locals and see how they have adapted to daily life just metres from the trains.

Make sure you bring your camera today to capture some fantastic photos as the people vie for trade just metres from the trains.

Our afternoon sightseeing includes the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside only), the beautiful Presidential Palace (outside only) and Ho Chi Minh’s neighbouring traditional Stilt House, where the former Prime Minister lived from 1954 to 1969. We’ll also see the One Pillar Pagoda before heading to the Temple of Literature, a peaceful series of walled courtyards and graceful gateways, which is also host to the ‘Imperial Academy’—Vietnam's first university. We then visit the Imperial Citadel & Flag Tower, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010, before our final stop, at the notorious Hỏa Lò Prison. Formerly used by the French colonists for political prisoners, it later housed the imprisoned US pilots that were shot down during the Vietnam War, and today the remnants of the gatehouse remain as a moving museum 

That is what was on the programme for today. No ‘Special Experience’, as such, as the government have stopped tourists from walking along parts of the tracks, for safety reasons and the vendors now have to trade from the front of their shops and not the back door. We still got to walk the part of the track that is allowed to be walked.  

We continued on our way, with ‘Ruby’ explaining the various areas, and what that represented. 

I’m not having much success uploading photos, so I’m not going to try any more.  Will post some on FaceBook instead or might actually post this and then go back and edit. I’m the meantime I’ll  keep writing.

After walking through this old quarter, we passed an area where murals have been painted on the wall. Looks really lovely.  We then passed the Water Tower, an aquarium area.  There are still people that carry their wares over their shoulders at either end of a bamboo or wooden stick.

We continued on heading towards a very old railway bridge, that seemed to go for miles. Ha something to do with France and the Eiffel Tower.  Looks very rusty to me. Apart from the trains, the only other traffic is either pedestrians or motor cycles.

After that bit of the walk, we were picked up by the bus and taken to an Egg Coffee Cafe. Cafe Giang, since 1946.  It’s very popular with the locals and apparently is very famous.  Most of us opted for the iced coffee version and I must say that it was refreshing and different. 

After that, it was back in the bus and to another market area, which was mainly greens, fish and fruit.  After that walk about it was off to Rue Lamblot for a set menu lunch. Very delicious and a bit tastier than last nights dinner, according to some of the others.

After lunch we headed to the Temple of Literature. From there, we then went to view the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace and HonChi Minh’s Stilt House. We also saw the One Pillar Pagoda, just as the afternoon thunderstorm and the heavens opened.  Thankfully I and a few others had taken our umbrellas today but as I was sharing with one of the other solo ladies, we still managed to get very wet, before the bus arrived to take us back to the hotel.

Apart from the wet end to the sightseeing, it was a good day.

Once I finish this and post it, I’ll be heading for bed.  We are being picked up at 5am tomorrow morning for some local activities and then our Halong Bay adventure, so have to sort the luggage out, as I’ll be only taking my carry-on for the cruise and the day after that, we fly to Hoi An,

I’ll be setting my alarm for 4am, I think. At least we come back to the hotel after our early start, for some breakfast and checking out.  

I opted for room service and some wine tonight and finally switched the TV on. Had to get someone to come and help me with that and it took him about 4 or 5 minutes to work it out. 🙂 so it wasn’t just me being stupid. :)

My pedometer says that I walked 12,908 steps today. No wonder I have a blister on the base of my right big toe.

I doubt that there is internet on the Halong Bay cruise, so I’m not planning on posting anything tomorrow night.   Night.