ESL Blogs

I went to Vietnam for almost three weeks in July 2018. I had never before been there. My husband, another couple, and I, we planned a guided trip from the north to the south of Vietnam. After our arrival in Hanoi, after a 12 hours flight with lots of turbulence, we met our travel guide and four other people who completed our travel group.
 

( Finally, landed in Hanoi.)

We knew the July is one of the rainy months over there. We didn't care because the rainy season has, except for the rain, benefits, as there are lower temperatures (but still very hot) than in the high season, and there are also fewer tourists. I know many people avoid traveling in the rainy season. For us, it isn't a problem if we get rain sometimes. Much more is it a refreshment from time to time. We have learned and enjoyed that on other trips to Asian countries. We enjoy places when they are not too crowded.

The first day of our trip was very tiring because, after our arrival in the very early morning, the rooms of our first hotel weren't ready.

We had to wait until noon.

So we used the time for our venture into Hanoi without our travel guide. He recommended that we try Vietnam's traditional noodle soup called "Phở" when he left us. As we were hungry, we looked for a local soup kitchen. We found one near the hotel.

Here I am with two of my friends, waiting for the soup.

And that is the soup:

( Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!
You can eat the soup with beef, chicken, or seafood.
Believe me, it's delicious. )

In the afternoon after our arrival, we visited the old town of Hanoi with the big market. The next day, we visited the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, a few temples, and other places. Please, have a look, here are some impressions of Hanoi.

A bridge over the Red River

At the market.

The Ho Chi Minh mausoleum.

Some other pictures:

I am going to publish some more pictures later in my photos.

The following days of our trip were full of new impressions and experiences.

We went on a boat to see the famous Halong Bay with its rock formations in the sea. The weather was a bit bad, but it did not matter. The view was breathtaking and we enjoyed the view and the time on the boat.

Halong Bay, also known as the "Bay of the Descending Dragon", has been a UNESCO World Heritage since the mid-1990s. According to legend, the bay is said to have been created by a dragon, who in his fight against Mongol invaders smashed the landscape into hundreds of rocks with his tail.

                                               ------- to be continued -------