The day started with Fajr prayer as usual. After praying, I went back to sleep for a little while because I wanted to save my energy for what was going to be an exciting day.
After breakfast, everyone got ready for our first City Tour in Hanoi. We were supposed to leave at 7:00 a.m., but getting everyone ready took longer than expected, so we finally departed just before 9:00 a.m.
Our first destination was Ba Dinh Square, home to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh is widely recognized as the founding father of modern Vietnam and played a major role in the country's struggle for independence. We had the opportunity to enter the mausoleum and learn more about his legacy. Before leaving the area, I bought a refrigerator magnet as my first souvenir from Vietnam.
Next, we visited the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first national university. The site was filled with beautiful traditional architecture and historical significance, offering us a glimpse into Vietnam's educational and cultural heritage.
Around noon, we headed to Al Noor Mosque for Dhuhr prayer and a short break. After praying, we had lunch at Little Charm's Restaurant, a place I had visited earlier that week. This time, I ordered a bowl of beef pho, and it was much better than the first pho I had tried in Vietnam. The rich broth and tender beef made it one of my favorite meals so far.
While we were eating, heavy rain began to fall, so we stayed inside the restaurant until the weather improved.
Once the rain stopped, our group split into two. Most of the others decided to return to the mosque, but I, Ibra, and Kei wanted to continue exploring the city.
We wandered through the local market, browsing the souvenir shops and watching the lively atmosphere around us. During our walk, I bought a Goyard-style card holder. Of course, it wasn't an authentic one—I bought it mainly for the fun experience of bargaining with the seller. The initial price was 350,000 VND, but after a long negotiation, I managed to bring it down to 100,000 VND, which made the purchase even more satisfying.
Our next destination was Train Street, where we planned to watch the famous train pass through the narrow alley lined with cafés. However, when we arrived, we realized that we were the only ones there, even though our group chat had instructed everyone to gather at the same time. It was a funny moment, but we still enjoyed walking around and taking photos.
After leaving Train Street, we continued toward Uniqlo Hanoi because I wanted to buy a pair of pants. On the way, we unexpectedly passed St. Joseph's Cathedral, one of Hanoi's most famous landmarks. The cathedral was beautiful, so the three of us stopped to take some photos.
It turned out that none of the other participants had visited the cathedral. After I posted a few photos on Instagram, several of them messaged me asking where it was and requested that I tag the location. It was a fun moment because we had discovered the place on our own.
After spending some time at Uniqlo, we walked across the street to Hoàn Kiếm Lake, where everyone gathered once again. We received our meal allowance before deciding to have dinner at KFC nearby.
After dinner, our group returned to the accommodation because some of us needed to collect our laundry. Once we arrived, we cleaned up, unpacked our things, and took some time to rest after a long but unforgettable day exploring Hanoi.
Without a doubt, this was one of my favorite days of the entire week.