Hanoi

 Things have gotten little less adventurous the last few days since our bike adventure.  We spent the last couple of days seeing the sites, and taking in the smells and sounds of Hanoi. This city of almost 9 million people never sleeps, retail stores and the number of places to eat is off the charts. As soon as you walk out of the silence of the hotel the noise and smells hit you and your senses get sent into overdrive. Behind and above the area that we are staying called the Old District are thousands of people trying to eek out a living by working and hustling all things possible to stay alive and make a living. Behind the walls of this ancient city are families that are jammed in tiny little little apartments most likely 2-3 generations living together. Still with all of  dirt, grime and constant noise it’s a fascinating piece of humanity to be a part of. The past few mornings was spent visiting some local museums to get a sense of what this country is all about. A trip to the Vietnamese Ethnology museum of history as if recreates some of the 54 different  cultural backgrounds that has made up Vietnam it’s like their version of the Ukrainian village near Edmonton. Women are in many cultures here are regarded as head of the family and are highly respected, a trip to the Vietnamese Women’s  museum was a insight in the role they played in many wars and local governments. 

Not all we have  done is museums and history but walking through the different markets and streets is eye opening. The things you see here is like a walk back in time. 

Retail Pork Sales

This hog tried to get away on a Honda but didn’t make it

Spice sales

Fresh produce stalls are everywhere

On Saturday afternoon we spent four hours at a cooking class that included a guided tour through the markets where we learned about the different produce and purchased them for our cooking class later that day. Our guide a young lady named Mango was our instructor we learned cutting and prepping all the vegetables and the different leafy greens that give this food so much flavour. Our cooking class of six people two guys from Denmark a girl from Wales and a lady from Montana were slicing and dicing mixing and frying up appetizers spring rolls, pho broth, BBQ pork and finished off with Egg Coffee for desert. Lots of fun and laughs with our new friends for the day.

Rosies Kitchen Cooking Class

We did have a bit of down time  spending time being able to sit atop a rooftop bar and watch the world go by.