Introducing... THE GIRLS

Adrienne, Marta and Shannon.... arrive in Hanoi to trace the footsteps of history and culture.... and to drink the worlds cheapest beer! No joke, 1 USD (40 baht) gets you 7.5 beers! Not only is it cheap, but it's good - best beer I've ever had (Let's say SILK IN A GLASS!)
But don't stop looking at the pictures now... we did do other things as well. Well, Marta did

*picture - transport by cyclo, highly recommended

posted by Shannon

Hotel review

The last one - 15$ per night, shitty breakfast, AND NO WINDOW hahaha and ONE bad hahaha

Spring Hotel, well, 25$ per night, no breakfast

SAPA hotel, well I don't know how much was it, but Marta spend a lonely night in 4 person room, pathetic? yes.

Our first hotel, crazy 30$ per night with quite a good breakfast, by the way, only Marta go to eat it because girls were not able to wake up before 9.00. hmyy

Can't Fool The Girls

The man in this picture tried to get us to pay (10000 dong) to cross the bridge and look at a closed temple. We went back the next day (3000 dong) when it was actually open.
posted by Shannon

There's a man hiding behind this doorway
posted by Shannon

I liked this bridge
posted by Shannon

St. Joseph's Catholic Church

This was a bit of a landmark for us. It's just down the road from our hotel (Hanoi streets are a maze - you need a landmark). So, a big Catholic Church, perfect... you'd think. Adrienne and I thought so, until our first night of Beer Hoi. It seemed no matter where we went, we would get lost (we always found our way though - Adrienne usually knew at least the general direction) The tap had run dry, it was time to go back to the hotel, no way we're walking (actually i think we attempted to at first) we call a taxi, explain where we're going. He has no idea what we're talking about (an english speaker probably wouldn't have either) so he gets a translation and we're off, the 3 of us on his motorbike. Hmmm, things aren't looking formiliar - we don't remember being on this side of the tracks, nope we weren't looking for a dirty, deserted pier in a not-so-nice-looking neighbourhood at this time of night. Thing is, the driver HONESTLY thought that was where we wanted to go. I try telling him the same thing over and over again hoping he'll all of a sudden learn english and understand. No luck. Adrienne does a great attempt at Church bell sound effects and cross sign language. Definetly no luck, now he's starting to think we should just be dropped off at the pier. It's getting later, he wants more money. Then Adrienne suggests 'Maybe we could use the map in my back pocket that has the church clearly labeled on it' Uh, ya MAYBE. We'll blame it on beer hoi.

He still had to ask directions on the way back over the tracks.

posted by Shannon

Bread on Head

Vietnam: Excellent Coffee, Excellent Beer, Excellent Bread
Is this Asia?!
posted by Shannon

Drive As You Are

The ever ambitious Shannon and Adrienne are touring the city Vietnamese style (by cyclo). While Marta is off travelling in the mountains, we are taking to the dangerous streets of Hanoi! But don't worry about us, no cappuccinos were spilt on this grulling trip.

If it looks like the motorbike's are coming at us from all angles, that's just cause they are.
posted by Shannon

One of the many Vietnamese men in suits
posted by Shannon

Vietnamese Architecture

I like it
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Lanterns, Lights and Electricity

I'm not taking them down... you take 'em down

I bet these stay up year round

posted by Shannon

Spring Hotel

Our second hotel, we're high class girls.... Chandelier and all
posted by Shannon

Game Plan

Not sure we ever actually came up with anything, but we did go sit at the lake to discuss ideas
posted by Shannon

Back to School. We got to Vietnam just before Tet (Vietnamese New Year) thinking it would be a great party time. Well, the first night is, but after everything (EVERYTHING) is closed. Hmmm. These kids are just getting back after being out of school for a week. And yes, they are laughing at us.
posted by Shannon

It's just a nice shop.... what were you thinking?
posted by Shannon

Beer Halida

Adriennes brew of choice
(until we discovered the
microbreweries of
Beer Hoi Ha Noi)
posted by Shannon

Amazing trees in Vietnam
posted by Shannon

Even houses can't get in the way of the trees.
This was a very common sight. I don't think many trees get cut down here. It's very refreshing after coming from the 'put up a parking lot' mentality of Windsor, Canada and Thailand is leaning that way as well.
posted by Shannon

Trees Trees Trees....
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Have I mentioned Beer Hoi?
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Almost makes me wish the French had colonized Thailand.
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I read somewhere that this tower has become a sort of symbol of Hanoi. I don't actually know what it is though. Doesn't exactly scream FUN though does it?

posted by Shannon

Lots of communist prop everywhere. The big pictures are present day and the small poster is obviously anti-american from back in the "American War"
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Lenin and Friends

Chillin' with Lenin
posted by Shannon

The Lenin Monument seems to be the local hangout for the Vietnamese skater kids.

Sean and Chris, this picture is for you guys


posted by Shannon

Here Lies Uncle Ho

The final resting place for Uncle Ho (If you can call being embalmed for all to see, AGAINST your wishes to be cremated RESTFUL.)
Probably one of the best representations of communist architecture.
posted by Shannon

Temple of Literature

The first University in Vietnam















We tried stopping Marta from defacing all the art...
posted by Shannon

Hanoi Hilton

Built by the French to hold captured Vietnamese POW's. Later used by the Vietnamese to hold American POW's. This is also the former 'home' of American Senator John McCain. It was very interesting to walk around the prison/museum and read the captions for a lot of the installments. Can you say BIASED. Wow, unbelievable how gullible they think we are. Say there is a display of prison uniforms worn by the Vietnamese POW's under French control, the caption would go something like this "Prison uniforms the captured Vietnamese were forced to wear" and then you'll see a display of uniforms worn by the American POW's (basically the same) and the caption will go something like "Prison uniforms provided by the Vietnamese government for the use of American war criminals." I won't bother to go on, but there are lots more examples of this. I took it all as cultural insight :)

I nearly hit the ceiling when I looked in the cell and saw this statue.


This is the view from the death row cells. Hmmm, not much to hope for. There is only documented history of the guillotine being used by the French. No comment.


and how about a sunny day beheading. Not sure why you would keep these things in a prison if you weren't planning on using them (OK, I couldn't resist a small comment)



This is a sewer that Vietnamese escaped through, I think it was from death row cells. That's what looking at guillotine all day will do. I feel safe saying that the Americans would never have been able to use this route. My head wouldn't even fit between the bars (really)!

For some better pictures and interesting reading about the prison go to
http://www.pbase.com/ckuhn55/hanoi_prison
posted by Shannon

Street impressions

SAPA

Hanoi FOOD

Banana flower.
Banana flower chicken salad, hmyyyy....