We dropped off Rambo and Groot and thanked them for their service. 4,000 km of incredible riding through Laos and Northern Vietnam.
We enjoyed a lazy day in Hanoi. We took in the Women’s Museum, which was surprisingly good. The English translations were well done and the museum offered great insight into the role of Women in Vietnamese society today and historically. We learned about the hundreds of Vietnamese street vendors, all women, who sell their wares from bicycles and baskets. Fruit, flowers, fried treats. These women come from remote villages in search of work. Up at between 2-4 am to purchase their daily goods from the night market, they spend all day chasing down tourists to buy their wares. They make a couple of dollars a day before retiring to a shared dorm at a cost of 35 cents/day. They return to their villages every few weeks to see their families and pay the bills. These women can only grow enough food on their small family farms to feed their families for a few months. To provide food, clothing and to allow their kids to go to school, they must work in Hanoi selling what they can for a small profit. The men back in the villages, tending to the livestock.
After the museum we enjoyed a traditional Vietnamese treat served on roadside stalls throughout Hanoi. Fruit, red bean jelly and green jelly in a milky sauce. Delicious.
To kill some time before “The Village”, a cultural show playing at the Hanoi Opera House, we hit Pizza 4P’s for cocktails and a cheeseboard. With immaculate service and great food, this place is our go too.
We were skeptical about seeing “The Village”. We were disappointed with every cultural show we saw in Ireland and Laos, and figured this would be another disappointment. However after watching a short promotional video, we decided this had potential. It turned out to be great. The show was extremely professional, the acrobats skilled and the show well choreographed. A day in the life of a small village, something we had witnessed so often during our month in Vietnam, as told through music, dance and acrobatics, set within a beautiful and simple stage design.
Dinner was green papaya salad with dried beef and dumplings. I will miss this meal. This has become my favourite dish in Vietnam.
Live Life Epic 