Written by #1 (she accompanied her grandma on a trip to Vietnam)
We visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. This is a must-visit place for anyone visiting Hanoi. His body has been preserved and locals and tourists alike queue up to pay their respects. It was quite an experience. Strict code of dressing is enforced, with no tank tops or shorts.
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| Very impressive compound |
Went around the city in rickshaws.
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| Grandma enjoying her ride |
Had a chance to visit a school in the village. They have a huge gong which they use to summon the children at the start of class.
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| Primary school in the village |
We were given a tour of the villager’s homes and they are using this to filter something, I’m not sure what.
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| Spartan homes |
They start a fire to smoke their meats and corn.
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| Smoked ham? |
The kids in the village are kept out of mischief by this simple method. They are being entertained by the dogs.
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| Such happy children |
They harvest their own corn for sale.
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| Freshly harvested corn |
These ladies are all prepared to tout their goods to tourists. They will rush towards the vans and when you alight, they will walk side by side with you and strike up a conversation in English. They will tell you that you will make them happy by buying their handicraft. We ended up buying from them. They are mostly old women or children.
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| Spot the baby |
Traditional fruit seller trying to sell her fruits to tourists by the river.
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| Gamely poses for the camera |
We visited this cave named ‘Surprising cave’ that was hardly surprising. Perhaps I’m still not able to appreciate such beauty.
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| UNESCO-declared World Heritage area |
An old woman hawking her wares.
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| Beautiful seashells |
This used to be the capital of Vietnam. Think it is the red river, if I remember correctly.
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| Sampan ride |
Vietnamese noodles are a staple of their diets. We were served this as an appetiser at almost every meal, but a smaller portion.
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| Yummy Vietnamese noodles |
Road-side beancurd seller selling beancurd with ginger syrup.
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| US$1 per cup |
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| Nice! |
This is at the Hanoi club which is only for expats. Golfing range where they hit the balls into the river. Cool!
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| Wonder how the balls are retrieved |
Sane tip: It was really nice of #1 to accompany her grandma on this trip even though she was initially reluctant to as she was not sure what to expect of Vietnam. In the end, she enjoyed herself.
Save tip: I have realised that there’s a lot to see regionally and that when the kids are young, there’s no need to take them on far and expensive holidays.
~ mummy wee – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
