Farewell Vietnam - Highlights

On Saturday afternoon we said goodbye to Hanoi and Vietnam and took a flight to our next adventure in Laos. It has been a fantastic three weeks meeting many new friends, exploring history, architecture and seeing the country through the eyes of our kids and the wonderful people who live here. So, let’s here everyone’s highlights…

Joshua
Top Places?
- Light Candle restaurant in Hoi An – the food was really nice
- Halong Bay – beautiful and you got to jump off the top of the boat
- Cu Chi Tunnels – interesting to see where the Vietnamese hid during the war
Favourite Dish?
- Grilled Prawns (Hoi An)
What are you bringing back?
- I bought a Buddha because I wanted to bring something back from the culture
- I also bought a t-shirt with the Vietnam flag on it
Any other highlights?
- Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

Erica
Top Places?
- Halong Bay – I liked kayaking and jumping off the boat
- Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum because you could see his real body
- Cu Chi Tunnels because it is very interesting and learn lots about booby traps
Favourite Dish?
- Grilled Chicken with Cashew Nuts
- The best restaurant was Light Candle in Hoi An
What are you bringing back?
- I am bringing back shoes and two dresses and a skirt that I had made in Hoi An
- I bought a bracelet in Ho Chi Minh City from the markets and a Chinese necklace from Hoi An
Any other highlights?
- I made friends with April and Shana from California. We met them in Mekong Delta and then bumped into them again last night in Hanoi

Madeline
Top Places?
- Going on the red lacquer bridge at Turtle Pagoda in Hanoi because there were giant turtles
- I liked the lake in Hanoi because it was close to the hotel
- I liked the tunnels because it was fun and there were bats in the tunnels and we had completely no air in the tunnels
Favourite Dish?
- I had chicken nuggets in Hue and they were good
- I liked the fresh orange juice and I got to taste Coke
What are you bringing back?
- My new dresses and my shoes that were made in Hoi An
Any other highlights?
- The beautiful hotel that had gold walls (editor’s note: we cannot seem to remember which hotel she is referring to)

And the parents….

Kristen
Top Places?
- I liked the Mekong Delta – it was interesting to see the contrast between the new prosperity and the old ways of living
- The temples and Pagodas in Hue – they were beautiful, great art work and mosaics. The gardens were also beautiful
Favourite Dish?
- Clay pot fish (tuna) in Hoi An
What are you bringing back?
- I had a suit jacket and shoes made in Hoi An
Any other highlights?
- Not so keen on the motorcycle ride
- Met some interesting people on the tours that we did and ran into some of them again in other parts of the country

Scott
Top Places?
- The home stay in Mekong Delta and the fantastic meal of spring rolls with sweet potato and long beans and steamed Elephant Ear fish with onions
- Halong Bay for its beautiful limestone cliffs and emerald sea
- The Imperial City of Hue for the grand architecture, ornate tombs and history
Favourite Dish?
- Hoi An spring rolls – fresh prawns and carrots with garlic and chili sauce – you just can’t have enough of those
- Anything and everything cooked in chili and lemongrass
What are you bringing back?
- War Propaganda art from Hanoi
- Tailor made clothes and shoes from Hoi An – it was a fun process
Any other highlights?
- The happiness and generosity of the Vietnamese people and their love of children
- Surviving food poisoning in Ho Chi Minh
- Bumping into Ottawa neighbours in the middle of a city of 8.5 million people
- A different understanding of the “American War” and learning a new perspective of war and nation building

We will leave the final word to Madeline. As we flew from Hanoi on Saturday evening, she looked outside of the window and waved, “Goodbye Vietnam. I will miss you…although it was a little far to walk back to the hotel each day.”

On to Laos!!