Hanoi Part 2: What we did

Happy Monday!

I hope you had a great weekend. Saturday was the perfect Spring day in Melbourne! Tj went mountain biking and I met some friends for brunch. It's Sunday as I'm writing this and it's windy and rainy and miserable lol. I can't wait to have a few nice days in row :)

A friend from work is going to Vietnam in a few weeks, so we went for lunch on Friday so I could tell her all about our trip and it made me miss it so much. It's nice to go through my pictures now. Last time I wrote about where we ate in Hanoi, and today I’d going to share some pictures of what we did in between all the eating.

Where we stayed

We stayed at a boutique hotel called the Acoustic Hotel and Spa. We had such a nice stay. We would go out for the day and come back to the room and feel so comfortable and at home. Everything in this hotel is designed so nicely, I think that’s why Tj picked it. It’s in a great location and was very easy to get around. What made our stay really special were the staff. They we all so friendly and nice. This hotel opened a few months ago and they worked so hard to make sure we were happy. We stayed there for a few nights and then again when we returned from Halong Bay. We will definitely stay here again the next time we are in Hanoi.

What we did

My memories of Hanoi are of walking around and trying not to overheat. Tj and I did a lot of browsing in shops, especially the ones that had air conditioning haha. We would walk five minutes, then go in a store to cool off, then walk a little bit more. It was busy and chaotic but very charming. There was so much to see! Here are some random pictures.

Hanoi’s Train Street

Everyday a train passes through Hanoi on this tiny street, just inches from the houses and cafes. It goes by at about 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm, but Tj and I went to check out the train street early in the morning so we could walk along the track. It was already sweltering.

Temple of Literature

We went to this temple built in 1070 on Thursday after walking along the train street. This was the only really touristy thing I wanted to do. I was so intrigued by the name. I definitely overdid it that morning though. It was sooooo hot. By the time we made it to the temple, I just rushed through, took a few pictures, and stood in front of a fan for a few minutes. If I ever go back I would rent the audio guide because I didn’t know what I was looking at.

Beer Corner

It’s exactly as the name describes. Sit on a little plastic stool, have a beer, and people watch. Try not to get hit by a scooter. Tj said it has a great energy, and it’s a nice place to chill and have a few drinks and some nibbles.