From our hostel in Ha Noi we had a great view from our window. While travelling one of my favourite things is getting a room with a window with a fantastic view. A small bonus, but every day when I wake up and pull back the curtain I am greeted with cities, hillsides, mountains, the beach and rainforest. I always seem to get out of the right side of the bed if the view is interesting and gets me excited about the next adventure I will have today.

Does visiting a museum of ethnology sound interesting? At first I was a bit, how could you say it – uninterested perhaps. With my trusty travel companion Roy we head out to another part of town that in itself was an adventure. I really believe that it is never just about the destination it is the journey you take to get there.

Arriving at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, we stroll though the air-conditioned rooms looking and the weaving. I also have to point out that the Vietnamese can carry stupid amounts of things on their bikes. I totally love it, here is an old-fashioned bicycle covered in baskets. These days in the streets of Ha Noi you will see some incredible things go by on the back of a scooter. I saw a pig, slung over the back – amazing.

The craftsmanship of these baskets is just beautiful, hope that hand weaving never ends.

After looking at artifacts it was time to head outside to look at the traditional buildings. Tall A-frames on stilts with thatched roofs.

Hand carved wooden sculptures to promote fertility.

ABOVE: looking up at the ceiling in the a frame.

BELOW: Roy showing me the kitchen set up.

After we finished at the museum we headed back towards out hostel. This time instead of the adventure to get there we caught a cab back, it had air-con, the temperature was ridiculously hot and so humid to escape the heat was bliss. A few streets over from our hostel we found a place that sold ‘bun cha’ meat with noodles, soup and greens. The plate of greens were all sorts of things that had different flavours – the best way to sum it us is river weed. I am sure most of it grows in the rivers, yet others are from plantations.

We were served a bowl of warm dipping sauce which had sugar and fish sauce in it – the taste was sweet, fishy and subtle. Inside the clear sauce was our grilled meat patties with pickled diakon floating on the top. On the side was the rice noodles and greens.

The idea is to dunk your greens and rice noodles into the dipping sauce to flavour before putting it in your mouth. This had to be one of my personal favourites in Ha Noi. I still crave this, I don’t know what is in the sauce, but I wish I knew, cause I want to soak some meat init and dunk rice noodles in it here.

  Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

 Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam.

STAY: Prince 5 Hostel