Hanoi is a change from Hoi An. It is the second largest city in Vietnam with over 8 million people and 5 million motorbikes. It feels a lot like New York, but more hectic. The sidewalks are full of motorbikes, restaurant tables, and goods for sale, so walking in the street is common. Crossing the street is a challenge because cars and motorbikes do not stop for pedestrians. We had a few days to explore Hanoi. It was not nearly enough time, but we made the most of it.
We arrived in Hanoi on a Friday afternoon during the weekend of the autumn festival. We checked into our Airbnb and then walked to Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword).
According to the legend, Emperor Lê Lợi, who used a magical sword to defeat his enemy, Ming China, was boating on the lake when a Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) surfaced and asked for his magic sword back. Kim Qui’s master, a local God, the Dragon King (Long Vương) had given Lợi the sword. The Emperor gave the sword back to the turtle after he defeated the Chinese. The lake was renamed to commemorate this event. It was previously called Lục Thủy meaning “Green Water”. You can go see the Turtle Tower (Tháp Rùa) standing on a small island near the center of the lake that is said to be linked to the legend.
On Saturday, we met up with the Sigstons for a walk around the lake. A group of people must have thought Michael was famous because they asked for a selfie with him. We ate lunch at a vegetarian restaurant called Vejo. Lucas loves the fried tofu there.
Henry got his Big Mac from Vietnam. There were no pickles and the meat was dry, but overall, he enjoyed it. We enjoyed watching the people, motorbikes and cars navigate Hanoi. The Vietnamese are masters of packing people and things on motorbikes. People wake up early in Hanoi. There were people selling meat on the street from 5-7 a.m. in the mornings.
Saturday night, we went to play pickleball. It costs 50,000 ($2) Dong to play, and then you pay 10,000 Dong for each game you lose. It was a fun group of pickleballers. Michael, Lucas, and Kristian also played on Tuesday.
Sunday morning, we went to Train Street, a narrow street hidden in one of the back streets of Old Town. There are high, skinny houses on either side of the tracks. The families and businesses have the railway as their backyard. The train passes a few times per day. It was crowded with tourists when we got there, and it was not clear how to get to a café on the train street. The main entrance to Train Street is blocked off, and we had to be invited by a café owner to pass through. Men in bike carts approached us and offered to drive us to another part of Train Street to a café. We took them up on the offer and had an exciting ride (sometimes into oncoming traffic) to Café A99. We saw the train go by, and it was very close.
Vicki and I got up early Monday morning to find tai chi at the lake. We did not find tai chi, but we did find a group of women exercising to music, so we joined in. We also found bao buns on the way home. There are groups of women all over the lake dancing and working out. There are also individuals biking, jogging, stretching, and moving their bodies in all sorts of ways all around the lake. It is wonderful. The older population in Vietnam is more fit than the older population in the United States. They work long hours and move their bodies every day.
We joined the dance group at 5:45 for three days during the week. In one routine, they shake their arms and laugh out loud. It is fun. Vicki plans to continue with the flip because she is staying in Hoi An for the rest of October. She told me that she showed up one day and all the women were in matching outfits. We think they must be getting ready for some sort of performance.
We took the kids Monday morning to a trampoline park. During the week, it is $7 for unlimited jumping and rock climbing. We played dodgeball and jousted, and the kids conquered the ninja warrior wall. Michael and I made it up the rock climbing wall on the easy course, but Lucas mastered the next level. He also made it through the ninja warrior course.
Lucas, Henry, and I got haircuts in Hanoi. I also got a 30-minute hair wash/ head massage. It was glorious. The boy’s haircut was $7 with a tip. My haircut and wash/head massage were less than $30 with a tip, and mine was more expensive because I had more than a trim. The hairdresser spent 45 minutes on my cut.
We visited Đền Thủy Trung Tiên located on Thanh Nien Street, on the shore of the Truc Bach Lake. The temple is associated with the Vietnamese spiritual culture of worshiping the Dog goddess. The dog is a lucky animal thought to eliminate evil.
Tuesday night was another mom’s night out. We ate at a restaurant called Met. Vicki and I shared the vegan pancake and tofu with lemongrass. After dinner, we met the dads for fancy drinks at Sky Bar. The dads went out a few of the nights we were in Hanoi to play pool, and Michael took Lucas and Henry gaming at a gaming center. It cost $1 for an hour of play.
Wednesday, we went to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. The performance recounts 15 of the over 400 stories of Vietnamese folklore, history, and daily life told through puppetry and accompanied by live music.
Hanoi is a bustling city full of great food, culture, history, and fun. We could easily spend more time in the city, but it is not in the plans for this trip.
