One last time on the road in Hanoi

As always, time flies on vacation, and today we already had our last day in Hanoi.

Without any fixed appointments or booked tours, we took a taxi to West Lake after a relaxed breakfast to visit the Tran Quoc Pagoda.

Along West Lake, our path led us south to the Governmental Quarter, passing by the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the One Pillar Pagoda. On the large parade square, there were only a few people besides the uniformed guards. Normally, you would have to wait up to 3 hours to catch a glimpse of Ho Chi Minh. However, during this time of year, he is in Russia for the preservation process, as he is every year.

After a short rest in the shade of the One Pillar Pagoda, we made our way to the Temple of Literature. In the extensive temple complex, we learned more about the history of the former university, which is so unique in Vietnam. For centuries, students from all over the country came here to study the teachings of Confucius. Some of them only took their exams at an advanced age.

Since our stomachs were already growling with hunger, we headed back to the Old Quarter from the Temple of Literature for a late lunch. On the way there, we passed by the famous Train Street. Twice a day, a train passes through a narrow alley between residential buildings, while the rest of the time, normal life takes place on the street. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, this street has been closed to tourists for some time, so we could only take a quick look from the intersection.

In the maze of alleys, we were looking for a very specific delicacy that is typical for Hanoi - Banh My, a filled baguette. As a special side dish for lunch, my pants also tore, so we took a spontaneous shopping tour to buy me new pants. Of course, a few souvenirs also jumped into the shopping cart.

The last must-see in Hanoi was the water puppet theater, where everyday scenes and legends from Vietnam were lovingly portrayed.

After that, we tried a hot stone massage at the hotel's spa before enjoying a cocktail in the sky bar one last time to end the day.