This morning we had a big breakfast on the balcony of our hotel. The view was amazing as we witnessed the high-rising rooftops of the city, Hanoi. We then took a short bus ride to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, to see the life he lived and where his body is now stored. We saw his first house that he lived in when becoming the leader of the coutnry, we then walked to the second house he lived in until his death(which was on stilts). As we walked through the historical grounds we learned that Ho Chi Minh was a humble man who transitioned from a huge yellow mansion to a small villa. After seeing the mausoleum, we drove to the Hoa Lo Prison or the ironically named ‘Hilton’ Prison. There we learned how the prisoners of the Vietnam War was treated, and saw statues of Vietnamese people in the horrible jail cells. We learned how political prisoners escaped through the sewers and how they were kept in braces next to one another or in cells together. We also learnt that this prison kept American POW soldiers during the Vietnam War, including the now U.S. politician John McCain.
For Lunch we split up in groups. Some groups ate at Vietnamese restaurants such as Wrap & Roll and some went to western food places, despite us going home to our parents’ cooking soon. After lunch we had some time to buy items with our leftover money – let’s just say a lot of money was spent! We then ventured back to the hotel through the bustling streets of Hanoi to pack and get ready for the long ride home. Some of us were catching up on completing their Journey Docs, some of us were sleeping, some of us were catching up on Star Wars: Rogue One. After a much needed and long rest, we went to the best Northern Vietnamese restaurant in town. The food was definitely a good dinner to end on for our last night.
After dinner, we went to explore the attraction of the night markets. The vibe of the night markets were much more exciting and there was more stuff to buy. Also during this time a section of it blacked out, which really brought down the vibe. A lot of rushed last-minute shopping was done by the girls and many boys bought ridiculous items as a joke (money wasted J ). Overall it was a fantastic way to spend our last day as it was relaxing and interesting; we learned a lot about Vietnam’s political history and enjoyed our last hours of what the Vietnamese culture brought us.
Michael J and Jade S
P.S Mum you were right I have left over money J P.P.S. yes Marcus I took your favourite pink shirt with me and I lost it (please don’t get mad, parents) -Jade S
P.P.P.S. I have lost my wallet about three times (found it though!), let’s not make it a fourth. P.P.P.P.S I’m also not very organised and may have lost a few things on the way. – Michael J