Learning about Vietnamese Culture Past and Present

Today we visited the Museum of Ethnology to learn about the many ethnic groups in Vietnam. The museum was huge, with many replica buildings from different regions we could go in and see. There was tons to learn about and do, so we spent about 3 to 4 hours reading, looking and asking questions. We learned a lot about Vietnam’s many ethnic groups and how they may have lived. The interactive exhibits helped us see the way they organized their houses. Houses were mostly built of bamboo and mud construction (with no nails!) and there were sometimes steep stairs, almost like a ladder to get into the house. Often the house was a central room for cooking, gathering and hosting guests or sleeping. There may also be a small sleeping room or storage room off the main room. It was a busy day at the museum as many young local people were there in their best traditional Vietnamese clothing taking pictures for the upcoming Tet celebration. Tet is the biggest and most important holiday in Vietnam, the first day of the Lunar New Year and we are excited to get to watch the preparations underway.

After the museum we went to Tay Ho Lake, also known as West Lake. We heard the 17-km shoreline was lined with cafes, ancient pagodas and pretty gardens, but the part we ended up in was filled with heavy traffic and cafes that sold coffee but no snacks so we kept walking to find food. We walked a long way hoping that each corner would have a spot for lunch, but no luck. So, we ended up settling for some roadside fried food, our most disappointing meal yet, but the smoothies and lemonades were good! :)

A highlight this evening was exploring street corners and dining with local people as we tried new things. Mom went for Pho, a traditional soup, and we tasted about 4 other dishes with noodles, rice and delicious spring rolls. We saw several guys walking around with large portable speakers (the size of a recycling bin) and we wondered, what are they doing? Then, some of the locals in our restaurant called one guy over and the karaoke began! Everyone at their table took turns singing and recording one another. We also loved the balloon sellers with their huge colourful bouquets. After dinner, we wandered the vendor stalls. The market seemed like a spot where there were as many locals as tourists, which was nice. There were a lot of stalls, they lined the streets in every direction on both sides, store after store - many of the stalls sold the exact same things, plus there were sellers walking with their goods in strollers/carts. It was quite a colourful experience!

On the way home we went to train street. Train Street is right close to our hotel, and a huge tourist spot! It is popular because of the crazy conditions, the train runs just about a meter away from the houses and shops lining either side of the railway. When the train is coming, everyone brings their tables, chairs, stands, etc. into their shops and houses so that the train can go by. For a few years, Train Street was closed because a tourist almost got hit, but it has opened again and everyone, including us, loves it!