Day 6

For our 6th day, we woke up before the crack of dawn to participate in one of Hanoi's most beloved activities, Tai chi. Our party groggily walked the typically packed streets around our hotel. As we approached Hoàn Kiếm Lake, the notable body of water in the center of the city, we learned why the streets were barren.

People of several different age groups (Primarily older people) were partaking in several aerobic activities around the lake (biking, dancing, etc.). When we reached the statue of Lý Thái Tổ, a multitude of dance groups were actively moving to the beat of famous pop songs (i.e. Gangnam style, Timber, and We Can't Stop).

Additionally, a soccer game was intensely being played by locals of different generations. In the back, ballroom dancing took place with the old teaching the young how to dance with precision. At first we were hesitant to join the locals, however they eagerly invited us to partake in their activities. Several people learned ballroom dancing while others duked it out in a soccer exhibition.

Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel to recoup after the early wakeup. A couple of people decided to hop onto a rickshaw tour around the city, becoming one with the hectic traffic. The immersive experience of driving on the roads of Hanoi gave us memories that will never be forgotten.

Following the morning events, we gathered our belongings and had our last meal in Ha Noi. 

After lunch, we said our goodbyes. We sadly parted ways with our beloved tour guide, Quan, before running to our gate in order to catch the plane. We barely made it xD. 

After a two hour flight populated with crying children, we stumbled out into rainy Saigon. We introduced ourselves to Thanh, our Saigon tour guide. Our bus then stopped at The Palace hotel in which we dropped off our bags.

At first glance, Saigon is much more modern than the traditional architecture of Hanoi. Capitalistic influence was evident with the mass advertisements and presence of Western culture.

Thanh took us to a local food joint where we tried southern variants of the Vietnamese food we experienced in the North (ex. spring rolls). 

Finally, we sleepily made our way back to the hotel.