As I left off in my last post, Bangkok was full of museums, street food, temples, street food, lively people, and some more food — this left little room for rest. Enter Hanoi.
GETTING TO HANOI
I opted to fly from Bangkok to Hanoi, and at around $100, it was the most expensive leg of my two-week route. A VOA (Visa On Arrival) is available in the airport, and if you're a scrappy ginger that gets to the front of the line, the process only takes about thirty minutes. It costs 35$ for American tourists.
GETTING AROUND
The number one tip for getting around Hanoi: prayer. The traffic is infamously chaotic, and being a pedestrian is like a mix between Frogger and The Hunger Games. I stuck to the sidewalks.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Again, please go ahead and check out more pics under the PHOTOS tab!
Hanoi reaffirmed the energizing powers of wandering around a new city. I couldn't hold my head up on the plane over, but after arriving in Hanoi, I couldn't bring myself to take a rest. Plus, the hostel wasn't ready for me to check in.
I went to go walk around the central lake, Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, in Hanoi's Old Quarter. A group of students approached me, wondering if they ask me some questions in English and film it for a project. Wary of a pickpocket scheme, I moved my bag to my front, clutching it as I agreed. When I walked away, I felt pretty sure the interaction was pure. By the second group that wanted to practice English and discuss tourism, I was very sure the interactions were pure. The third group gave me chocolate and a flower crown to "always remember the friendliness of Vietnam." Then two men asked me to go out for coffee. (I sadly declined). The famed friendliness of the city isn't overrated.
My hostel overlooked a Cathedral in the historic Old Quarter, one surrounded by cafés and people hanging off of terraces; the persistent French influence isn't exactly subtle. Despite the problematic aspects of this post-colonialism, it's hard not to appreciate the French architecture and cuisine. This brings me to...
FOOD
I reduced my diet to three major food groups: Banh Mi, Egg Coffee, and Pho.
Pho
Vietnam's culinary call-to-fame, Pho, originated in Hanoi. After getting caught in the rain within my first few hours, I was thankful to be caught in the birthplace of noodle soup.
One Pho joint stands out: Pho Ga Truyen. A seemingly rundown shop among hundreds like it, it's set apart by a daily line of locals and tourists alike, who clog the street and give death-stares to the current diners. Pho Gay Truyen has only beef noodles on the menu, and it's been dishing out their secret recipe for decades. I found myself sitting on a small plastic stool in this place for two of my three nights in the city.
Egg coffee:
At the top of my Hanoi to-do list was Cafe Giang, the home of cà phê trứng, or egg coffee. It's what it sounds like. The first cup was invented due to a milk shortage during war with the French in the 1940s. I wasn't sure what to expect, but as a caffeine addict, I was excited to try. It arrived with a thick, sweet concoction sitting on top of hot coffee, like a latte that didn't blend. It tastes like an especially decadent cappuccino — I would never have guessed that an egg was whisked into the drink. Again, I found myself at Cafe Giang for two of my three days in Hanoi.
Banh mi:
Simple sandwich made with fresh baguettes. Easy to find anywhere. Inexplicably tasty.
THINGS TO DO
National Women's Museum
Since every other museum has felt a like man’s museum by default, the National Women's Museum was my first priority, only after food. I was ecstatic for this lens to learn about Vietnam’s history, for the chance to exclusively examine how Vietnamese women’s roles have changed over time.
First off, there's the fact that this women's museum exists. This should be an inherently positive thing. Where's our women's museum in the U.S.? (If you're wondering, it's here, in online existence only).
Then, there's the issue of how to categorize and convey the role of women in Vietnam. Two of the three permanent exhibits are about family and fashion. I'm struggling to find the words for why this feels...superficial? Limited? Undermining whatever wave of feminism I most align with? As if two-thirds of women's contributions can be chalked up to home life and clothes? Regardless, the exhibits were informative. Vietnam officially recognizes over fifty ethnic groups, and the specific roles of women vary across customs. An obvious difference is in matrilineal groups; in one example, the youngest daughter is the official inheritor, so it totally flips the whole first-born son hierarchy. Nice.
The third permanent exhibit celebrates political achievements. It sounded promising. Political achievements in my American-educated mind conjure images of the fight for suffrage, the civil rights movement, our Shirley Chisholm's to our Kamala Harris's...my idea of political achievements is naturally rooted in democratic ideals. It shouldn't be surprising that women's political achievements in Hanoi would instead be celebrating communist victories. Reading a celebration of communism as an outsider, I was most taken aback by two themes. First, the praise of violence. Lots of violence. Second was the way in which women were outwardly embraced in communist movements, far more than the oft-silenced heroes we learn about in American history. Still, majority of the political achievements featured in this exhibit involved getting crafty with some violence.(Even though I couldn't resist the tales of espionage, secrecy, and the hardcore dedication. Respect.)
My thoughts after visiting this museum have been largely channeled into the hope that they can add an exhibit about women's achievements in science and technology, the arts, education, etc. Even if such an exhibit doesn't pop up, I hope the content for it continues to grow.
Hoa Lo Prison
Like the Women's Museum, Hoa Lo Prison challenged me with questions about the presentation of history.
The Hoa Lo complex was built by the French colonists to hold political prisoners, and later held American prisoners of war. It's presented as a place where communist inmates were able to transform their imprisonment into a school for revolutionary thought. During the Vietnam War (or American War, as it's called here), American POWS ironically dubbed Hoa Lo "Hanoi Hilton." It was jarring to see all of the irony removed in the Vietnamese exhibits. Americans were pictured smiling, loving their "stay in Vietnam" so much that they fondly called it Hanoi Hilton! Charming! They even pictured John McCain as learning to love his time here, where he was a prisoner of war from 1967-1973.
The exhibits on Vietnam's victory forced me to recognize just how much my schooling had skirted around America's invasion of Vietnam. It’s not my purpose here to dissect the horrors of the "Resistance War Against America," but to point out how Hanoi challenged my perceptions of whether history can ever be justly framed.
The Temple of Literature is the site of Vietnam's first university, a picturesque complex dedicated to Confucius and other honorable scholars, with architecture dating back to 1070.
Bing Minh Jazz Club: Despite the bustling daytime, Hanoi offers a quiet nightlife. Tourists will have a tough time finding a dinner spot later than 9pm. Run by the "father of Vietnamese jazz," this humble spot lives up to its promise of feel-good music by polished performers.
DAY TRIP TO HALONG BAY
Aboard the Halong Bay Tour Bus, an enthusiastic tour guide was equipped with a microphone, rehearsed punchlines, and tons of Vietnamese history. He gave an overview in the differences between Northern and Southern Vietnamese life. Whereas the North is heavily influenced by China, communist leadership, and traditional values, the South is seen as more modern and has a more thriving economy.
On the way, we stopped at the "Human Center," where those handicapped due to Agent Orange create art for tourists to buy.
The cruise around Halong Bay made up for the bus ride through Vietnamese traffic. Emerald waters, indomitable rock formations, and a quiet mist surrounded our boat throughout the ride. The breathtaking setting has been a site for both James Bond and King Kong filming.
Following our energetic guide, we explored some caves, and even had the chance to kayak. A note to my patient kayaking partner: if you're reading this, I'm so sorry for my lack of coordination or upper body strength.
Plus, I was NOT bitter to be a solo lady surrounded by couples while on this scenic cruise! Not! Bitter! Thanks for asking!
Hanoi was the perfect recovery spot on my trip. It was full of delicious food, allowed me to learn and push my thinking about history, and offered a cool break from Cambodia's humid climate.
Next, I become a shell of a woman on my 36-hour bus ride from hell to Luang Prabang, Laos. Thanks for checking in!