Finally drafting my final entry on Vietnam and as I was doing the previous two, all I could think about is when will I ever go back there again and visit the places that I didn't go i.e. Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue etc. There is so much more to see and experience!!
Honestly, my parents weren't supportive of me travelling to Vietnam, they got even madder when I told them I'll be travelling with just another female friend. Mom be like, 'why can't you get your guy friends to go instead?' Well, I still made it home safe and sound right!? :') (Got me a lil confused right there because I thought they would be more supportive if I went with a female friend but I thought wrong HAHA)
I booked my air tickets first and only told them that I'm going 2 weeks before the flight, because whenever I mentioned Vietnam to them, they would just brush it off thinking that I was only joking. Jiez got mad at me for some reason because my parents weren't supportive but I still went ahead to book the flight tickets. But NO ONE can stop me if I wanted to go somewhere or do something I wanted to do and this was one of it. Because as they always say, you only live once right?! And for someone who have been living her life based on wrong/bad decisions, this had to be one of the best decisions I've made.
Day 5:
The sleeper train departed at 9pm from Lao Cai Train Station and we reached Hanoi at 5am (such an unearthly hour) hence, the decision that we should pay to check in earlier so we could catch up on our sleep. By the way, the sleep on the train ride back was the best sleep I've had in the entire 8 days vacay, but we still needed more.
And so, we slept in till noon. Okay, I slept in till noon because Jiez woke up 1-2 hours before I did and she didn't want to wake me up. Before I fell asleep, I even told her that I'm not going to sleep because I was wide awake! Who was I even kidding?!
Made our plans for the day and decided to visit the Museum of Vietnamese History but before that we had to get our lunch because we were starved. Saw a Caucasian couple having Banh Mi before we left for Sapa and Jiez managed find the shop and navigated us there!!
It was so good not even kidding. Fox said it's not authentic but who cares!:D
We had our lunch while walking to the museum. Took us awhile to get there because we were lost but we still made it!:') Apparently, they close the museum during lunch hours so fortunately for us, we only waited for 10 minutes before we were able to purchase our tickets (30,000dong/ticket).
While waiting for lunch hours to be over~
We had our lunch while walking to the museum. Took us awhile to get there because we were lost but we still made it!:') Apparently, they close the museum during lunch hours so fortunately for us, we only waited for 10 minutes before we were able to purchase our tickets (30,000dong/ticket).
While waiting for lunch hours to be over~
The museum is really huge and there were quite a number of exhibits. Kinda lost interest after awhile and started to fool around. Here's an example..
"We chanced upon the evolution of humans. And Sherye, the unknown, is the time before apes. 😂 " - Jieyi
Some of the exhibits.
Shopped around after we're done with the museum and went back to the hotel to freshen up and rest before meeting Fox for dinner. Met him at the hotel lobby and off we went to have pho because I was whining so much that I didn't get to eat pho over the last few days, he brought us to have pho (YAY)
Paid 110,000 dong for the three of us, the exchange rate was 1SGD = 16,000 dong so technically, each bowl of pho costs $2.30?!
Still doing it the Vietnamese way and loving it!
I'm not so sure about the topic we were talking about but in the video but I mentioned about us pumping money into the Vietnamese economy and Fox was smiling so widely?! So cute^^
After we were done with pho, Fox brought us to another eatery that sells something similar to dumplings and it was sapid. To be honest, I had no idea what I ate either and whenever I asked Fox how to say it in Vietnamese he would just give me the 'you-will-not-get-it-even-if-I-told-you' look. He gave up trying to teach me Vietnamese by the way, never ever got the language despite trying to since poly year 1 LOL.
I googled and the dumpling lookalike is called Banh Goi.
Since we still had time, we decided to get some ice cream at the so called French Quarters (nearby Old Quarters). We were practically eating non stop for the entire evening, goodness.
It was really crowded at the ice cream shop and Fox paid for us again:)
Crowded but we got our ice creams and happy!
Took a slow walk back to Hoà n Kiếm Lake and while we're at it..
Bad selfies because Gopro can't function that well when it's dark
Came across a statue of a scholar, this place is even more happening at night compared to day time or maybe because it was a Sunday
Fooling around as usual
Had to cross the road to get to the lake and the traffic was just terrible! Did I mention how I always cuss when I cross the roads here? My vietnamese friend did it too! Not at the traffic but at me LOL
The rule to cross the roads in Vietnam is to walk slowly and never jump back or you could just close your eyes and walk.
So, I told Fox that he should just walk and he was like "F*** YOU, why not you show me how you cross", so I did, I just walked straight up and both Jiez and Fox were running after me, in the midst of crossing the road Fox blurted a hokkien vulgarity which was so funny because of his accent and I actually never ever heard him curse in hokkien so that was a first :D
Got to the lake and it's as stunning as it is in the day, just a lot more happening with a lot more people hanging around, exercising, children playing etc.
Another 'Lao Fu Zi' theory?
Fox refused to take photos and I had to force him to for keepsakes
*Stands still for 5 seconds*
Decided to head to the beer street that is famous in the Old Quarters but it's such a bummer that I didn't take any photos there just a few snaps and videos for Snapchat which I did not save, BOOO:(
That night didn't turn out great because Jiez's allergic to smoke and there were so many people smoking where we sat, no, basically everywhere because it was so crowded. She paid for our beers and snack (fried fermented pork which was surprisingly good) and headed back to the hotel. At that moment, Fox and I didn't know what was going on and we followed her back thinking we made her angry or something.
"Did I say something wrong?" - Fox HAHAHA Obviously not, you're like the sweetest friend ever! I thought I made Jiez angry and only found out later at the hotel that she was feeling really unwell.
Thank god she was fine after!
Well, that sums up my eventful day 5
Well, that sums up my eventful day 5
Day 6:
Booked a day tour package from the hotel to visit Trang An on the day we left for Sapa (day 2). We were contemplating between Ha Long Bay, Tam Coc and Trang An and chose the latter. We took really long to decide which attraction to visit and thanks to Jiez amazing bargaining skills, we paid 40USD for the tour instead of 60USD. Told Fox about it and he scolded me saying that 40USD is still expensive and that the hotel is scamming us LOL. This topic pieces with what I mentioned in the video above of us pumping money into 'your' (Fox's) economy.
Anyhoo, we got up really early because our arranged pickup time was 8am.
It was about a 2 hour drive to Ninh Binh City which was where we visited the Bai Dinh Pagoda. Since we had a late night, we were asleep the entire journey there.
While waiting for our buggy ride..
Had to take a buggy ride in because it was too far and hot to walk
We were awed when we arrived. To be honest, I never liked visiting temples and pagodas in the past however, I think my trip to Phuket sparked an interest and opened my mind to visiting places like these. Learning about other religions and cultures never fail to amaze me.
Booked a day tour package from the hotel to visit Trang An on the day we left for Sapa (day 2). We were contemplating between Ha Long Bay, Tam Coc and Trang An and chose the latter. We took really long to decide which attraction to visit and thanks to Jiez amazing bargaining skills, we paid 40USD for the tour instead of 60USD. Told Fox about it and he scolded me saying that 40USD is still expensive and that the hotel is scamming us LOL. This topic pieces with what I mentioned in the video above of us pumping money into 'your' (Fox's) economy.
Anyhoo, we got up really early because our arranged pickup time was 8am.
It was about a 2 hour drive to Ninh Binh City which was where we visited the Bai Dinh Pagoda. Since we had a late night, we were asleep the entire journey there.
While waiting for our buggy ride..
Had to take a buggy ride in because it was too far and hot to walk
We were awed when we arrived. To be honest, I never liked visiting temples and pagodas in the past however, I think my trip to Phuket sparked an interest and opened my mind to visiting places like these. Learning about other religions and cultures never fail to amaze me.
There are more than 500 La Han (Arhat) Statues along the walkway. Although there are many signs telling people not to touch the statues, people still do it because they believe it is lucky for them if they do so, which is why certain parts of the statues have changed colour.
The 36-ton bronze bell in the bell tower can be heard 10km away according to my guide
According to my research, Bai Dinh Pagoda is one of the largest religious tourist centre in Vietnam. I also learnt that they construct a high step at the door so that evil may not enter the temple/pagoda.
I know we're not supposed to wear shorts or sleeveless when we visit places like these, but our guide said it is fine for tourists which is why I decided to go in and have a look. Still awed!!
There are a lot more to this place than just the pictures above. Bai Dinh Pagoda is huge and we had limited time before having to leave for lunch.
We had our lunch at a local restaurant with a wide selection of dishes like beef, chicken, pork and goat meat but I thought was just meh. Made our way to Trang An aftermath which was the highlight of this tour!
Trang An being inscribed as one of the UNESCO world heritage site didn't disappoint one bit.
Being split into groups of 4, we shared a boat with a German couple and we didn't hesitate one moment to get on that boat!! So here we go..
It felt nice being rowed but so much hard work put in by the lady rowing the boat and the boat ride was 2 hours by the way..
"SELFIE!"
Why hello there! Thanks for smiling^^
How about a group shot now! (Was really honoured when the german lady told me I had a nice tattoo and even requested to take a photo of it.. LIKE SURE GO AHEAD^^)
Headed for the caves! There were 6 caves in total but I can't remember the names. Anyway they all looked the same.
If you look carefully, the lady was using her legs to row the boat
In the caves! Half the time we were trying to avoid hitting our heads. I was so engrossed in snapping I didn't realise I was about to hit my head until the german lady pushed my head down LOL
GoPro can't function that well in the dark and we look like we're going to the future
This one too!
Jungle book vibes
There were extra paddles in the boat so we could row if we feel like it. We even had a mini competition with people on other boats toward the end of the ride.
It was a long boat ride, my butt hurt so bad after!
Before we got to Trang An, our tour guide told us that the boat rowers are paid really little so they have to rely on tips given to them and encouraged us to give them a bit which I thought was reasonable. And our boat rower didn't ask for tips at all but Jiez decided to walk back and tip them^^
It was another 2 hours drive back, so by the time we got back to the Old Quarters was already 7pm. And I ate so much (Pho and Banh Mi) that evening it was cray!!
Also, a building in the Old Quarters caught fire. Fox sent me this image and told me to guess the cause of it, I guessed a cigarette bud caused it and then he said it was from Jiez's wrath the night before LOLOL!
But the actual cause is because the buildings in the Old Quarters are really old (called Old Quarters for a reason) and there was something like short circuit which caused the fire.
Saw a plant (lucky leaves) I really liked while shopping and I know I can't bring it back here so I bought it and gave it to Fox the previous evening.
I forgot to take a picture of it so I got Fox to do it.
He brought this plant to his workplace and said, "I put it right at the window bar so that it can look at its tree friends outside, all so young and free while your plant is inside a little pot isolated from the outside world. It's gonna become the most lonely lucky pot plant ever!" HAHAHAHAHA! Just STFU and say thank you (ok, he did but his comments are hilarious). He has his ways of making me laugh really.
Day 7:
Decided to visit the Temple of Literature after breakfast.
But first, we gotta take a dump and while Jiez's at it...
Temple of Literature wasn't too far from our hotel but we took a taxi down because we were too lazy to walk. I guess this place is where students pray to get good results? This temple is dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars.
There were a few courtyards in this place
Running away from responsibilities
We felt really out of place because we were the only ones in shorts. It gets really hot in the day so I can't help it.
We took about 45 minutes to an hour to cover this temple and we just sat down thinking what we should do next.
Thought that we should head down to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum since our hotel receptionist and Fox recommended. It wasn't a long walk there but we couldn't get in because we were in shorts! Jiez brought her cardigan and long pants but I didn't! What a genius, and Jiez said she wouldn't go in without me. So we considered the receptionist's suggestion and went to Bat Trang Ceramic Village.
We hopped into a taxi and it was about a 40 minute drive there. Our taxi fare was crazy expensive!
We hardly saw any tourists at this place at all.
The minute we arrived, we were approached by a lady to make our own pottery. Since it was really cheap (40,000 dong per item we make), we decided to make our own! It was a shop house located nearby the market, so we sat down and started molding. We were told to wait for about 30 minutes for our mold to dry before coming back to paint it. Yes 40,000dong includes painting too:D
While waiting, we went to walk around the market. Made some souvenirs before heading back to the shophouse.
You can get all sorts of pottery here. Lots of plates, bowls, cups etc.
This is how the pottery shop looks like.
The shop owner wasn't in when we went back but we sat down with a few other locals after awhile and started painting with them. One of the girls can speak english and then we started talking :') 40,000dong kept us entertained for a good hour or so! I enjoyed painting so much even though my finished product looks like shit.
Got help from our new friend to call a taxi after we were done painting and headed back to Old Quarters. Another bomb to our pockets because the taxi fare was so expensive due to the distance.
Was supposed to meet fox for dinner but because he's a busy man, he couldn't make it due to work. Jiez and I went ahead to dine ourselves at an italian restaurant nearby our place. The food was good and it wasn't too expensive!! ^^
Before Jiez blew the candle because it was getting very warm..
Said we wanted to chill after dinner so we took a walk to 'The Coffee House' to have some coffee. I really love the ambience of this place.
The weather is cool at night. So we had a nice walk back to the hotel after chilling at the cafe. What a nice end to our last night in Vietnam :')
Day 8:
Because Fox couldn't meet us the night before, he brought me out to have xoi for breakfast!:)
Jiez didn't join us as she suffered from stomach ache over the past few days and said she was done eating street food so she'd rather rest in the hotel. Fox came to pick me at the hotel in his bike and it was extremely thrilling (my first time)! Not quite sure where we ate at but it was about a 10 minute drive from my hotel.
There we have xoi and it was damn good! It's like glutinous rice with your choice of egg, chicken, pork etc.
My foxieeeeee!
Then we rode of to get some Viet coffee! Second time had me using my phone to snap! My dad will never allow me to be a passenger or ride a motorbike:( So, this was a moment to remember! If he finds out I'd probably be dead HAHA
It was nice to have a friend bringing me around town, doing it the local way and stuff. Fox dropped me back at the hotel after I got some coffee and headed for school. The hotel receptionist saw and asked me if I found myself a Vietnamese boyfriend LOL! I wish!
Accompanied Jiez for breakfast before getting our luggages for check out. Fox arranged with his Uber friend to come pick us up a 2 days prior to our flight back and he was early for the pickup.
There were some hiccups along the way there because he drove sluggishly which was already annoying enough until he stopped in the middle of the road to reply a text, that was when Jiez raged like crazy. I thought she was going to get out with her luggage and flag for another taxi but I kept telling her to chill because we were still very early. Upon arrival, the 'random uber driver' (that was how fox told me to save his contact as lol) apologised to us saying that his friend was having some issues. But we only had to pay 200,000dong for our taxi ride there thanks to Fox, I think it's because of him that we get to enjoy local rates! So it was all good:)
Arrived Singapore safe and another Vietnamese friend of mine contacted me-.- He should've done so earlier so we could've met! But I am definitely going back there again so there will be another chance heh:D
This entry is really lengthy, so if you made it up to here, GOOD FOR YOU!
To my dearest overly attached girlfriend, Jiez, I am so glad I dragged you to Hanoi with me. Even though you have been skeptical about many things, and being afraid of dogs, I would still choose to do this trip with you. Thank you for bringing extra poncho and my colourpop!!, and letting me use all your stuff and carrying all my things because my sling can only fit my phone and wallet.
For being so considerate when it comes to sleeping, moving as quietly as possible just because you're afraid you will wake me even though nothing can wake me up, for taking care of me and dealing with my nonsense, for letting me laugh at you and for creating happy memories with me (sounds gay but fk it), thank you Jiez! I hope you enjoyed the trip as much as I did! I posted this picture on Instagram stating how it depicts our friendship, it cannot be more true than that. Sorry if you found me annoying or short tempered but congrats you dealt with it HAHA!
"The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on the porch with, never saying a word and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had."
Phew, I am finally done with my last entry for Vietnam! Took me a good 2 weeks because I was so distracted by Show Me the Money 5! Good lord, thought I was over the rap shit, NOW IT'S BACK! >:)
Till my next adventure, PCEOUT!
