#hoavien

The city of Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and is over 1,000 years old. That's three zeros. Because of its roots as the capital of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (aka North Vietnam), Hanoi is considered more shielded (think "Communist") and generally more "authentic" Vietnam. Authentic Vietnam, of course, is actually a mix of Chinese and French influences and results in some very confusing history lessons.

Hanoi Pro Tip before we continue: South of the lake there is a Vietnam Airlines airport shuttle to Hanoi International for 40,000 dong. The airport is nearly an hour away, and this is a near-miraculous deal. Take it. Shuttles fill up quickly but try to show up a bit early (think 2-3 hours before your flight) to get there on time. Do some research to see if any of the same shuttles can take you into Hanoi from the airport as well. 

Moving on! The Vietnamese Women's Museum was fascinating, especially when you take into account all the small tribes and villages that make up Vietnam and Vietnamese culture. Ryan was bored, though. We also visited the Temple of Literature and avoided the Ho Chi Minh statue complex complete with Lenin-esque tomb because, honestly, we were too tired. We visited Hoan Kiem Lake, had beers at Hoavien, strolled through Hanoi's bougie downtown shopping district and the Hanoi Opera House, and completely missed out on things like water puppet shows, which are apparently a big deal. Here is a link, so now you know as much as I do. And of course, banh mi and pho and spring rolls and street stir fry.