After Cat Ba we went straight to Hanoi. The first night we slept in Julio’s house, Leandra and Nieves. We contacted them through Couchsurfing, and it was a delight, not because of the comfort of the site, since they did not have a room for us and they put a duvet on the floor, but because of how nice they are !!

They are young people who study Spanish philology at the University of Hanoi. They spoke perfect Castilian and we shared a good time together. They explained to us some curiosities, like the sense of all the offerings they make to the gods. The offerings are made to scare away the evil spirits of the houses. These offerings remain for a time and then are consumed. Donations are always made of the things that the person offers, and they should always be even numbers, never odd. You should never do percussion with the chopsticks in the bowl of food, that drives away the good spirits and attracts the bad ones. Curious knick-knacks of culture (sometimes customs rather than religion) of Vietnamese society.

After the fantastic experience with Julio and company we went to spend the next two nights, at the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel for 190,000 Dongs ($ 8.2) both, in a very comfortable double bed, with breakfast. A correct place, although they do not provide parking.

From there we went to Sapa and Ha Giang, to return to Hanoi, where we would be 14 days more. This time we stayed at the Hanoi Center Hostel, for 190,000 Dongs ($ 8.2) both, also with breakfast, is from the same owners as the previous one. Both in this and in the previous hostel, from 18 to 19 hours there is free beer bar … it is a danger …

In this hotel we met Nicolai, a traveler from St. Petersburg who makes web pages while traveling. A guy as nice as private, we share many moments with him.

And then we moved to the Lantern Hostel for $ 3 per person with breakfast. A new hostel, just opened on a restaurant, in the heart of Hanoi, cheaper and better located …

Hanoi we loved, it is a city chaos, a horrible traffic, always shouting, but the old part has a lot of charm. The streets of each trade, the one that sells tools, the one of the stainless steel furniture, the one of the imitations, above all North Face, the street of the haberdasheries …

There is also the Bia Hoi Corner, a confluence of streets full of Bia Hoi bars, that is, beer in barrels very cheap !!!! The jug costs 5000 Dongs, about $ 0.23 … There is no excuse for not going away to sleep, ha ha ha !!!!

One night we were with Annia and her partner, a companion of Mayra of the Faculty, for more than 10 years they had not seen each other … a pleasant surprise to have a good time with close people.

The “Old Quater” is full of beautiful Chinese temples, with an old facade, all of wood, with fallen roofs and inside their buddha figures, they are nice to visit … Strolling sure that at some point you will arrive at Hoan Kiem Lake.

The surroundings of this lake are closed to traffic on weekends, and is filled with music groups, magicians doing magic, break dancers, and other artists.

There is also something that we have already seen in other places, small cars to be driven by younger children and parents with a remote control … It is a good place to walk and relax …

Inside this lake is the Ngoc Son pagoda, which is accessed by a beautiful red wooden bridge, after the payment of 20,000 Dongs of entry.

The last day we went to see the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, where his grave is located. Due to a misunderstanding we could not enter, they told us that they closed at 11:30 and at 11:05 they had closed the beach bar … bad luck … we saw it from outside … Ho Chi Minh is like a god in Vietnam, an idol, an example for the people, the leader who will always live in their hearts … or at least that is interpreted from the millions of images throughout the country … it’s even in the soup …

We have a theory: They were two brothers, some with glasses who went to the USA, opened a fried chicken chain, and the other stayed in Vietnam and turned the country into a communist … the resemblance is remarkable … look at the Photo:

In front of the mausoleum is the Central Government building, quite impressive, it’s a bit scary … From there we also went to the pagoda Chu Chau Long.

Other places we visited was the West Lake, a large lake within the city. The neighborhood that surrounds it is the residential area of ​​immigrants who call themselves Expats (expatriates). As our friend Toni discovered from the Motxilles Abismals blog, it’s funny, for Westerners, foreigners who come to their countries are “immigrants”, but when they are in another country they are “expatriates” … it’s ridiculous …

In the Old Quarter there is also a very curious street, it is the train track itself flanked by houses. People make their lives on the street, or the road, and at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. they know that they have to dismantle the beach bar because the train is coming …

As in Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi is full of motorcycles, they are everywhere, like always screaming without stopping, so driving through its streets is crazy, like a video game, very funny.

Our Vietnamese Dynamite was already used to this hostile environment, so she took the reins of the situation on the road and took us with total guarantee, we rely entirely on her. Too bad the trip to Vietnam was coming to an end … and we had to sell it … It did not take us long to deliver a lucky friend. This post is in memory of the Senior Vietnamese Dynamite, we will always take you in the heart …

To eat in Hanoi there are many good and cheap places, but you have to find them. The places that we liked were: A small restaurant on Hang Luoc street near Hang Ruoi, especially for dinner, when they know what they have left over meat, you order a roasted chicken with fried rice and the chicken ration is great , for only 45,000 Dongs ($ 2), good and the family that carries it are charming !!!

On the same street towards the night market there is a very cute mini restaurant that we liked, it’s called Tiem Chu Long Cantonese BBQ house, Hang Luoc Street 79, and the face of the logo is the man who serves you. The plates are worth 45,000 Dongs ($ 2).

Another place, in the street of our first hostel there is a simple restaurant, My Van Than – Sui Cao Tom Tuoi, corner with Bat Su and Hang Phen, that for 35.000 Dongs ($ 1.5) puts you a soup with noodle, wanton, prawn, that’s great! Although the girl is drier than the mojama …

Then, Quan Xoi Cat Lam restaurant, at 24B Duong Thanh Street, they make a rice with a very good and curious bean paste, also accompany it with the tapas you choose, sausage, fried egg, chicken, pork, pate. .. it’s very good and it costs you less than 50,000 Dongs.

And finally, to rest from Asian food, on Thursdays we have 2×1 hamburger at the Craft Beer restaurant. You have to try the Mexican … it’s very very good … So 2 hamburgers and potatoes for 120,000 Dongs ($ 5.5) …

As a peculiarity, in the North of Vietnam, and especially in Hanoi, they make coffee with egg, coffee trung, which consists of Vietnamese coffee with egg on the brink of snow, merengue type. It is very sweet and very good!

The coffee 39 of Nguyen Huu Huan street were the first to do it, although now it is reformed without any glamor and is very expensive !! A few numbers below, at 35 the site is more seedy, more authentic, and costs you 25,000 Dongs.

While we were in Hanoi we collaborated with two NGOs. By chance we both work with girls victims of human trafficking. Imagine that one day, a friend invites you to go to a place, there some guys give money to your “friend” and the next thing you know is that you’re in a brothel in China … not strong? Well, that’s real …

We did a Clown workshop and a performance of our number. To know more, read the post on the Clown Science Dreams blog, which is very interesting and beautiful.

On the last day we took the bus in front of the train station, number 85, for 30,000 Dongs ($ 1.3) each, which took us to the airport. There we took a flight to Yangun, stopping in Bangkok.

And Vietnam is over, a country of contrasts, where we have felt good, but where you have to go with an eye, or they will give you the stick … you understand me.