If you frequent our blog, you know that we are big fans of the tour company Tours by Locals. Today, we had the great pleasure of being led by TBL guide Sammy, who lives in Hanoi. We made port in Cai Lan, about 2 hours by car from Hanoi. Sammy, who lives in Hanoi, spent the night in Cai Lan so she would be ready to gather us from the port as soon as we could get off. The ship came alongside at 8am, we were given clearance to disembark at 8:30 and we had a .6 mile walk to the gate. We found Sammy and jumped in our waiting 10-peron van for the trip, which included a restroom break about half way to Hanoi.

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, has a population of nearly 9M, and who’s architecture was very heavily influenced by the French occupation of the late twentieth and early twenty first centuries. It has a very different feel than Ho Chi Minh City’s skyscrapers and modern buildings. Hanoi, which is considered the cultural center of Vietnam, leans more provincial and historic.

Or first stop was to Hanoi’s Train Street, which unlike Bangkok’s train experience, is just one sided and the train is moving much faster. We grabbed seats at a local café, enjoyed a soda, and soon the train was rushing by. Super fun!

Next, we visited the Văn Miếu, literally translated as Temple of Literature, a temple dedicated to Confucius. The temple was founded and first built in 1070 and it hosted the Imperial Academy, Vietnam’s first national university, from 1076 to 1779. Confucianism, a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China and founded by Confucius in c.500 BC, integrates philosophy, ethics, and social governance, with a core focus on virtue, social harmony, and familial responsibility. The site is very well preserved and evokes an important tenant of Confucianism: wisdom and education.

Sammy picked out a wonderful traditional restaurant for lunch, Huong Mai, and we enjoyed more Pho but this version was less soup and more noodles than in southern Vietnam. There were also spring rolls, and salad, and crispy pho. The food kept coming and we kept eating! Delicious!

After lunch, we headed to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, a sprawling national monument and pilgrimage site honoring Vietnam’s revolutionary leader. Ba Ding Square, in front of the complex, is where independence from the French was declared in 1945. The mausoleum was not open today but we walked the grounds, saw the museum and the stilt house where Ho Chi Minh lived from 1958 – 1969. “Uncle Ho” is still very beloved and revered by the Vietnamese people. His struggle to gain Vietnamese independence from China, France and eventually the United States is to be honored.

Sammy shared with us a traditional Vietnamese coffee, which was delicious. Made of locally harvested slow-drip coffee and mixed with condensed milk, it had a smooth, but robust, chocolatey flavor. We all laughed at how it would likely keep us up at night, and it did, but we were happy to try it and enjoyed it very much.

Our final stop was the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the “Hanoi Hilton”. Originally built by French colonists between 1886 and 1901 to hold Vietnamese political prisoners, it was famously used by North Vietnam to house American prisoners of war (POWs) during the Vietnam War. While the majority of the prison was demolished in the 1990s to build modern buildings, the gatehouse and portions of the compound remain as a museum, which offers visitors a look into the harsh conditions experienced by prisoners. There was one room dedicated to showing the French guillotine that was used and the horrific treatment of the severed Vietnamese heads afterwards by the French. There was also a display depicting the awful aftermath of the US bombings and use of napalm in Vietnam. Another display showed photos of US POW’s enjoying Christmas celebrations and other “fair treatments”, though American prisoners, including notable figures like John McCain, endured severe torture, malnutrition, and confinement there. It was all a bit unsettling and a reminder of the multitudes of travesties of war.

We saw a lot for one day and we were grateful to have such a great guide in Sammy. Her driver was excellent too, considering the difficulty maneuvering into small streets, finding parking, and avoiding the motorbikes. Yes, we didn’t think it was possible after seeing Saigon but Hanoi had even more motorbikes. As the ship was not leaving until 7am the next day, we had no worries getting back on time. It was 7pm and dark before we arrived back to the Port of Cai Lan. We caught a golf cart from the port to the ship, along with a woman who had fallen, was bleeding, and judging by how she was holding her leg and wincing in pain, she likely had broken her hip. Hoping she is doing ok. It’s a reminder to be grateful each time we return to the ship in shipshape.

Tomorrow: Halong Bay

Recommended: https://www.toursbylocals.com/tours/vietnam/hanoi/tour-details/best-choice-for-shore-excursion-a-famous-and-hidden-hanoi-and-an-amazing-street-food-tour-664d22faebf20b195741f348