After returning to the same hotel that I stayed at before going on my cruise, I had a chance to check in and ended up meeting a Chinese friend of mine from back in Guangzhou. This was around dinner time, and he was supposed to check in at his hotel, but they apparently made a mistake with his reservation and had no more rooms, so I decided he could stay with me. We went out for some food, and I finally suggested that we just settle for a “bánh mì,” a well-known Vietnamese street sandwich made with a French baguette type of bread and some kind of pork or meat. The next morning I set off on my city tour with my local tour guide (he was twenty-seven, but he could have easily passed for being fifteen). (You’ll’lle why later.).

His English name was Tony, and we set off for the first place, which was the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the body of Ho Chi Minh is on display at certain times of the day. I didn’t realize that until he told me about it after we arrived. Of course, you’re not allowed to take any photos or videos while inside the viewing room, nor are you allowed to talk, and you must keep moving along. All of the guards there were in white uniforms. It definitely looked like something out of a communist regime.

Next up was going out for lunch. I asked him to take me to any places that he thought were good and authentic for me. He took me down a side street where there were many people crowded into the narrow alley and enjoying their street food. He took me all the way back to the end, where there was a room for people to sit in. I liked how simple yet homey the room was. I’m glad I didn’t feel like I was sitting in a chain café or something.

Overall, I enjoyed the meal, though I wish they hadn’t put sugar in the soup. I’m not a fan of sweet foods that I think should really be savory. Before our next stop, I took some photos of the nearby sights.

Our next stop was the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hanoi. This place was the seat of power going back some 1,300 years, back when China still directly ruled here during the 7th–9th centuries. Apparently there was a scheduled school trip where the kids would get to watch some kind of dragon dance performance and then partake in some traditional activities (I assume relating to the upcoming “Tết” holiday, which is basically the Vietnamese version of Chinese New Year). After having spent time in Ho Chi Minh City and here, I realize just how much Vietnamese culture was influenced by the Chinese.

I recorded video of the dance, but it wasn’t long before I realized how silly the very elderly men looked trying to move around and pretend to be animals and waving around “weapons.” Anyway, we got a chance to see the kids putting together some kind of traditional food made of pork and rice and trying to wrap it in banana leaves. It turned out to be a pleasantly unexpected peek into their culture.

While walking through one of the smaller rooms of artifacts, we noticed that there was a laptop connected to a projector playing a video on the wall. I immediately noticed the same pop-up notification that I always get on my work computer at school.

We came upon a room that talked about the heroic acts of the Vietnamese soldiers of the north who bravely defended their country against foreign invaders and hailed the victory of Ho Chi Minh and the communist forces. As with every war story, there is always more than one side; one side is always the vicious, soulless enemy, and the other side is the heroic saints, while atrocities are committed on all sides. It’s just interesting to see the differences between the War Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, which depicts very graphic and disturbing photos and stories, and the way this place talks about the patriotic defenders.

The last part was seeing the Thanh Dat Courtyard in the back. This was more of a temple area, and there they were displaying some artwork from around the world.

My guide, Tony, also pointed out to me that the fruit that we saw growing on some trees here. They were also seen in the Buddhist temple offerings; they are called “Buddha’s Hand.”

The last part of the day was going to be getting some coffee. Coffee, particularly Vietnamese-style coffee (which is quite strong and often served with condensed milk but not always), is popular with locals and tourists. On the way, I decided to snap some shots while in the street.

I also asked Tony to help me find a place where I could buy some gifts for my family. After I bought my items, we headed to a little café up on the second floor of a place. On the way there, we noticed there were more and more people who were stopping to watch the football (soccer) match between Vietnam and Qatar. People had been watching earlier in the day, but now more and more people were crowding around local shops and restaurants, going well into the street to watch.

By the time we got to the coffee shop, the Vietnamese team had won the match, and the entire city went absolutely apesh*t. I’ve seen plenty of happy sports fans back home and elsewhere, but I’ve never seen the kind of all-out, wide-spread euphoria that I saw in Hanoi that night. People were out in the streets cheering, shouting, honking their horns, and waving flags like they were trying to land a plane. I’ve never seen so many flags.

It wasn’t long before traffic came to a standstill (and you know it’s intense when motorcycle traffic is stop-and-go). The energy was palpable, for sure. This was the view from above.

Tony told me that he would have to get a hostel that night because he would never be able to make it back home in this traffic. I asked how long the celebration would likely go on for, and he said all night! I guess when Vietnam wins, they win big.

When we did decide to leave, the energy on the street was just as strong as before. When we were close to my hotel, it was still going on.

All of this palpable energy was fun and invigorating—for the first hour or two. However, this celebratory spirit truly did go on all night long, to a lesser degree, but the noise did go on until about 3 a.m. Luckily, my Chinese friend and I had already been up for hours talking intensely about China. I won’t go into detail about it here because this is about Vietnam.

Stay tuned for part 3.