Waking Up in Hanoi by Simi

Having checked into our hotel around 1.30am we indulged ourselves with a lie-in as wet weather had been forecast.
As it happens the rain was pretty light so headed off for for an explore around Vietnam’s capital city.

It hit us massively the difference between HCM city aka Saigon and Hanoi- HCM city was the US base during the Vietnam War ( or the American war as the Vietnamese understandably call it) and since the country’s unification has transformed into a modern thriving metropolis- Hanoi on the other hand , having been the capital city for over 1000 years still proudly retains its ancient history and charm. It’s a crazy and noisy place which is a feast for all senses and actually I loved it and 100% reminded me of what it’s like to go travelling - you don’t necessarily need to do anything - just going for a meal and booking a bus ticket can be the biggest adventure ever sometimes!

We navigated our way to the Temple of Literature taking in a quick glance at Train St ( but more of that later).

Crossing the road in Hanoi is definitely not like crossing the road at home but actually as long as you followed the advice we were given then we were ok!
Almost every tourist who arrives here has faced the famous problem of crossing the road in Vietnam and it’s become something of a rite of passage for every visitor.

At the beginning of our explore we spent a while standing at the side of the road watching dozens of cars and scooters honking and whizzing past. It became apparent that the drivers don’t follow the Highway Code.

The most important rule on crossing the road is to keep going. Once you’ve stepped out, you must commit to the crossing. Do not stop. Do not turn back. Even though you probably want to freeze or run back, this is actually more dangerous than forging ahead to the other side. Somehow the vehicles go round the back of you and if you walk at an even pace you actually manage to cross unscathed. It just takes confidence and belief. I felt we were like old pros by the end of the day!

Our first stop was the tranquil Temple of Literature. Again this place did not take card but luckily the boys were free and Arushi was half price with her student ID!

Tucked behind a walled compound with five separate courtyards, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was built under Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty in 1070 to honour Confucius. It became Vietnam’s Imperial Academy shortly after – a prestigious school for top academics. Today, the temple honours Vietnam’s finest scholars and signifies the beginning of a uniform educational system in Vietnam. We loved learning all about the super hard exams the students need to put themselves through. We had a go at writing some of the Chinese characters and this was hard enough for us! .. so much to learn! We spotted a silent monk skilfully brushing calligraphy style stokes to write aChinese aspirational characteristics- this clever entrepreneurial designer had a brochure showcasing a huge variety of traits you could choose! Arushi and Eashan both bought one!

It was clear to see how this lovely oasis in the middle of the bustling city made us feel restorative and peaceful yet it was time to move on!

Hanoi is notorious for its coffee so we had a pit stop where Matt and I had a coffee each and the children enjoyed some juices. Thumbs up all round!

Our next stop was Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum but not for Arushi sadly.. she had short shorts on so wasn’t allowed to the area. Ho Chi Minh’s body is preserved in the cooled, central hall, with a military honour guard. The body lies in a glass case with dim lights…. Seems quite unusual being able to go and see him like this but it’s the same for other communist leaders such as Lenin, Stalin and Mao. Apparently HCM didn’t want anything like this though for him and wanted to just be cremated.

The mausoleum is closed occasionally for restoration and preservation work on the body and this was one of those times however you can still wander into the square to look at the building as long as you didn’t cross the infamous yellow line ! There are strict rules regarding dress, such as covered legs, and behavior, such as silence and walking in two lines, when visiting the mausoleum. The rules are strictly enforced by the staff and guards and we felt quite terrified to hear the menacing whistle being blown constantly ! They were quick
To instil fear in us all!
After that we decided it was time for a little repose and headed to find some lunch!Read more