This past week was the Chinese New Year! And, given its huge significance in Hong Kong, I had an entire week off from classes. Yay! Last Friday I went with a few friends to Lamma Island, the third largest island in Hong Kong. Even though it is the third largest, it is still small enough to walk across the entire island in a few hours. We walked from one end to the other, stopping at the beach and the local towns. In the midst of our trek, we ran into a path that lead to a little private beach!
While the Chinese New Year celebration lasts for 15 days, the actual Lunar New Year day was on Saturday. To ring in the new year, Hong Kong hosted a massive parade in the center of town. People were packed in like sardines on the sidewalks, trying to get the best view of the over 30 floats and performing troupes. It was incredible to be there during a festival that is so special to the locals.
The next afternoon, I threw some clothes in my backpack and headed off to the airport for a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. After meeting up with a few other exchange students at the hostel, we started our trip with a city tour on Monday morning. The guide took us through the Old Quarter, known for its busy streets full of restaurants, street vendors, and history. The difference in the lifestyle hit me as soon as I walked out the front door of my hostel as I saw a women sitting in the street, pulling out live fish from a metal wash bin and filleting them without hesitation. Although most places were closed due to the fact that they were also celebrating the new year in Vietnam, the streets were still full of vibrance.
Pro-tip: When you go to Vietnam, crosswalks and traffic signals mean absolutely nothing. Walk across the street as if there aren’t 20 mopeds zipping towards you and you will be just fine… hopefully…
Fun fact: There are around 8 million people living in Hanoi and around 5 million mopeds. Craziness!
Tuesday morning we got up at the crack of dawn to take a tour to Tam Coc. Along the way, we stopped at the temples of King Dinh and King Le, the places for worshiping their respective dynasties. After a delicious Vietnamese buffet, we made it to our final destination: Tam Coc River. Here, we took a sampan boat trip down the river and through a few caves. The view was breathtaking. The river was surrounded by rice paddies and rocky mountains. We ended our day with an hour long bicycle ride through the local rice paddy farms. As we rode by the farms, the children would wave and say hello and the people in the fields would stop and smile. I was humbled by the small gestures and their willingness to let us into their lives for a short moment.
The next day was another early one! We hopped on the bus again, this time headed to Ha Long Bay. After a quick nap on the bus, I was ready to go as we climbed aboard the junk boat to sail around the bay. Ha Long Bay is known for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands that jut out of the ocean. We anchored in one of the alcoves and were given some time to do some exploring. My roommate and I jumped on a kayak and took to the ocean, paddling through caves and taking in the views around us.
Thursday we decided to take it easy and stay in the city in order to do some shopping and see a few of the sites that weren’t open when we first arrived. Since Tet (Vietnamese New Year) was practically over, there were much more little shops open and people out on the streets. I couldn’t believe the hustle and bustle. One of my favorite parts was just wandering around, getting lost in the many alleyways and side streets. Even though I am back today to start classes again, I know that there are many more adventures to come 🙂