Hanoi: prisons, puppets and OMG is that a train coming towards us?!

We got a 6 hour sleeper bus down from the chilly mountains of Sapa to the capital city Hanoi. We were bundled onto the Freezing Shelf From Hell at the bottom back of the bus, where we couldn’t sit up (or really move at all) and 4 air vents were pumping out freezing cold air. For 6 hours. SIX. The food stop was interesting too, offering a choice of ‘Meat floss magonaise bus recipe’ (no I’ve not made a typo) or ‘Big garlic cake’. It was a tough choice. Anyway, after a much-less-festive Polar Express, we’d arrived in Hanoi. I was expecting to hate it- I’m not really a city kinda girl- but I loved it! Here’s what we got up to...

Water puppet show

Now, it’s best if you see this AFTER you’ve seen Vietnam’s culture first hand. Ryan saw the puppet show last year having just arrived in Vietnam, it’s all in Vietnamese (as you’d expect) and he didn’t have a written guide to tell him what on earth was going on in between all the splashing, leaving him somewhat perplexed. This year, we had a little written guide telling us the title of each section, and everything we saw the puppets do was something we’d seen in Vietnamese culture over the last 5 weeks. It was a really nice end to our time in Vietnam.

The water puppetry itself is an art form that dates back to the 11th century when rice paddy fields were flooded and villagers would make entertainment by standing in the waist-deep water behind screens with the puppets moving over the water, controlled by rods. It’s a pretty cool twist on what we would think of as a traditional puppet show.

Hoa Lo prison

This vast prison complex was built by the French colonists in 1896 to hold political prisoners. Originally intended to house around 450 inmates, records indicate that by the 1930s there were close to 2000 prisoners. It was never a hugely successful prison, and hundreds escaped over the years, squeezing out through sewer grates. Later, it was used by North Vietnam for US prisoners of war. But, the way that the two groups were treated was very different. Vietnamese prisoners under the French Colonists described it as ‘hell on earth’ because of the conditions in the prison and the torture they received. Years later, the American prisoners were treated so well by the Vietnamese that it was nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ and they even received souvenirs when they left.

I’d definitely recommend getting the audio guide (it’s less than £2 on top of your £1 ticket) because some of the rooms have things to look at but come with no extra info. Plus, saves your eyes from all that reading doesn’t it.

Train street

Train street has unfortunately recently been closed by the government for safety reasons (daft tourists getting in the way and causing the train to have to emergency stop. Why do you have to ruin EVERYTHING), and guards now sit at all the entrances to prevent people walking down. It’s a massive shame for the locals who live and make their livelihoods on these tracks as their income has come to an abrupt stop. BUT, we had some sneaky insider knowledge (praise be the Instagram traveller community), and managed to be 3 of only 8 people on the tracks as the train went by. Here’s how you do it...

When you put ‘train street’ into google maps it’ll show 2 locations- north and south- walk to the south location. When you get there you’ll see a guard, but the friendly locals who work on the tracks are looking out for you. A lovely lady who owns a cafe on the tracks spotted us across the road and came to get us, she held my hand and walked us across the road and through onto the tracks, nodding at the guard as she went. And that’s it, we were in! Once you’re in definitely stay for a drink and a snack and wait for the train to go by. It’s such a cool little street!

(Note: Afterwards we went to the northern ‘train street’ to see if it really had been closed off and the whole thing was enclosed by barriers with no one being able to get down the tracks.)

27 Phung Hung Street Mural

This little spot in Old Quarter Hanoi opened last year after Vietnamese and South Korean artists participated in a community art exchange project. The paintings depict old Hanoi and it’s gradual change towards the modern city. Essentially it’s a lovely free little outdoor gallery.

The Women’s Museum

We spent a couple of hours here learning about women’s significant contributions to Vietnam’s development, culture and society. We got the audio guide and there is TONNES of information on it (verging on too much maybe?) but we learnt loads. Along with the exhibits, it covers marriage, birth, fashion, jobs and revolutionary women.

Hoan Kiem Lake

The lake here adds a little calm to the city and surrounds Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda sitting in the centre on a small island. It’s great for a stroll and looks pretty cool at night too.

Eat:

Sen Trang An- this little spot is hidden down an alleyway and has a lovely story behind it. William, now the owner, was once a street child polishing shoes. But he turned his life around going to school and working his way up to owning his own little restaurant. He’s a super friendly guy, and pops up in between cooking to tell you his story. He serves a meal as Vietnamese families would with extra rice, soup and veg on the side that he doesn’t charge for. A lovely little find.

Madam Trân- a whole separate menu for vegetarians, super tasty rice and spring rolls, you do have to pay a little more for the pleasure though.

Au Lac Family Restaurant- good veggie spring rolls and rice, but not the biggest portions.

The Note Cafe- a cool little spot for lunch, this place is covered floor to ceiling in post-it notes. Spend a little time there reading the good advice and funny quips left by others and add your own too.

Drink:

Binh Minh jazz club- the live jazz here is brilliant. There’s no cover charge for watching these talented guys strut their stuff, so expect to pay a little more for a beer instead. We arrived at the beginning of their set and didn’t leave until the end because they were that good.

Polite &co- a cosy little hide away when the evenings get chilly in Hanoi. Happy hour from 4-8pm gets you half price cocktails and buy one get one free beers.

Circle coffee- this spot is a real little gem in the city. Hidden away down an alleyway this place has a cool vintage theme and live music on selected evenings.

Always- for the Harry Potter nerd in you. We spent a couple of hours here playing Harry Potter board games and drinking butter beer like the true wizards we are.

And just like that, our time in Vietnam has come to an end. So here’s what it has taught me...

- that one country can be home to a million different landscapes

- waves are strong

- to always avoid the bottom shelf at the back of a sleeper bus, also known as ‘The Freezing Shelf From Hell’

- that any temperature below 30 degrees is FREEZING

- engagements are exciting the world round, even when you don’t know the people getting engaged

- to cross the road in big SEA cities you need to be a ninja

-SE Asian people prioritise family and friends over ambition and struggling up the career ladder and they seem a lot happier for it. They’ve 100% got it right.

Next stop: Philippines!