Visiting the North: Hanoi

November 24, 2008
Jonathan and I just returned from a trip to Hanoi. A Primate Conservation Symposium was held in Cuc Phuong National Park. It was excellent to be in Hanoi! The weather was much cooler than the south. It felt so refreshing to be able to walk around town with my hair down and NOT sweating!

I love Hanoi and the Old Quarter. The streets are narrow and lined with tiny little shops. It is easy to wander the streets for hours...even days, and just get lost. Hanoi has many lakes. In the Old Quarter the main lake is called Hoan Kiem. In the middle is a lovely temple that you can visit, and a small pagoda that is on an island that can't be reached. In the mornings there are crowds of people doing their morning exercises: running, walking, dancing, practicing tai chi, or playing badmitton. Each morning we saw the same people doing the same activities. One of our favorites is a middle-aged man who runs sideways, does some bone-strengthening exercises, and then walks with his little dog. We began to recognize each other and say "Hi" as we passed one another. I am looking forward to returning in January to see if he will recognize me!

We met up with 2 of our friends and our teachers from our summer Vietnamese class. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone, and get laughed at for our "southern" accent! We also got to visit with our friends Ha, Hiep, and his wife Van. It is wonderful traveling to the north- so different from the south, so much slower.