Awakening in the village (Shakespeare style)
Laughter pierced the serene fog of sleep that enveloped me. My eyes opened, being greeted by the verdant green foliage of the mountains contrasted by the haphazard sprawl of the Mai Chau marketplace we were lodged near. I padded across the sunlight dappled long house floor and watched as the slumbering village sprang to life. After a breakfast of deep fried pancakes, we ventured into the market one last time before we departed for Hanoi. The group strolled past bracelet brandishing salespeople and numerous shops boasting a diverse array of goods, from crossbows (which we were forcefully advised not to buy) to cupcakes and bracelets that were actually pretty cool. We then boarded the bus to Hanoi.
The bus ride of incessant boredom
The future looked bleak. Our food supplies were running out. We had no………. ENTERTAINMENT.
Just as were were bemoaning our fate we bothered to glance out the window (revolutionary idea, we know). We saw the expansive, rolling mountains, the most beautiful sights we had ever seen and suddenly the bus ride didn’t seem so grim…….for ten minutes at least. But as you will probably know, we did survive, and made it to the Hanoi Markets.
How to spend your money wisely (or not)
If there is one thing I will take away from this trip, it will be the skill of examining before you buy! We learnt this firsthand at the bustling night market of Hanoi. There are so many things in Vietnam that are not exactly the best quality (fakes), and it is extremely easy to lose yourself and buy random stuff. For example, an awesome watch that is supposedly powered by kinetic force, but in reality, is probably powered by a hidden battery (this is just an example of course………. J). Despite a few pitfalls along the way though, all in all we had a wonderful day!
BY JOSH SYNAN AND JULIAN GRIMM