Boxing Day in Hanoi, what else to do but go to the zoo? Well okay, it wasn't exactly Whipsnade but it wasn't a total horror story either. I was invited by some Vietnamese friends and thought I'd better swallow my ethical views for one day in the interests of making friends and contacts. And I did actually have fun. The zoo is set in a fantastically peaceful park and seems to have been melded somewhat with a theme park, so lots of stuff to do.
Interesting point: My Vietnamese friend was not given a ticket when he parked his motorbike. On the way out, he was 'fined' for 'losing' his ticket, and right there and then lost a days wages to the unscrupulous parking attendant. Just goes to show that even the Vietnamese can get ripped off.
the photos you cannot take
Inside the park, I had my second ride on a swan pedalo in two days, and we tried our hand at dodgems and 'the magical house of mirrors'.
the photos you can take
The Vietnamese take on a theme park is a fascination to behold. A strange mix of flourescence and kitsch with appearances of disney characters and some very strange carousel music. All in all it was a very fun afternoon.
Later on in the evening, I was invited back to my friends' house for dinner, which turned out to be right out in the 'burbs of Hanoi, and extremely tiny. It was both fascinating, and shocking, to see how people really live in Hanoi. A room the same size as where I am currently sitting housing four people. We ate dinner on mats sat on the floor. Across the way I could just make out another family sitting down to their dinner. They seemed to be a little wealthier in this neighbourhood as they had the luxury of a TV....and a front door. I was both shocked by the poverty and humbled by the generosity of my new friends in inviting me to share a meal with them.
the photos you cannot take
SarahHeadsEast xxx
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