2 weeks Vietnam

After we clarified the food question in the last blog, we return to traveling. Unfortunately, our two weeks in Vietnam are already over and because the internet in Laos did not cooperate in the last few days, the entry is a bit late. :-)

Our first stop in Vietnam was Hanoi, where we enjoyed the lively hustle and bustle in the narrow streets of the Old Quarter and the delicious Vietnamese food. We also tried not to be run over by a motorcycle while visiting the sights (Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Literature Temple, etc.)... crossing the streets is quite an adventure!

And without knowing it, we sneaked into the 'Open-Air' exhibition of the Military Museum for free, where you can see all kinds of weapons/airplanes from the Vietnam War and quite a bit of propaganda (the Vietnam War is called the 'American War' in Vietnam). In the evenings, the streets of Hanoi are occasionally filled with loudspeakers announcing the latest changes in laws (parking motorcycles on sidewalks is prohibited...).

From Hanoi, we also made our way to Halong Bay, where we had booked a 3-day 'cruise'. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and it was mostly cloudy and rainy. Nevertheless, we had fun kayaking and especially swimming in the warm sea water (definitely warmer than the air temperature of just under 20 degrees!).

In addition, we were spoiled with extremely delicious food on the boat, got to make our own spring rolls, tried our luck at squid fishing (with limited success), and Zora even had a round of Tai Chi in the morning.

From Halong Bay, we went via Hanoi and the night train directly to Hue, the old imperial city. Here, we walked in the footsteps of the former emperors and especially visited their tombs. The gentlemen did indeed exaggerate a bit with the size of the tombs, so you can visit several hectares of large tombs.

Our last stop in Vietnam was Hoi An, where we enjoyed the very relaxed but also incredibly touristy atmosphere. (There is even a happy hour for the 'river lanterns'). Of course, a day at the nearby sandy beach was not to be missed (luckily the weather had turned for the better again) and we also visited a mix of street food and cooking tour, so we should be better prepared for the desired food invitations...

As known, the plan to somehow get back to Laos via Kon Tum worked out, although the bus rides were sometimes quite 'interesting', the transportation sometimes resembled more a freight than a passenger transport, and the buses are absolutely not designed for European dimensions (neither in terms of row spacing nor in height). But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger - right? :-)