Wednesday July 29, 2026

The fourth day was one of the days I’d been looking forward to the most during the backpacking program. After finishing our morning classes, right after the Dhuhr prayer, the accompanying teacher gathered all the participants and explained the assignment we had to complete.
Each group was asked to create a vlog. The teacher gave each group the freedom to decide on their own video concept.
After a brief discussion and deciding on the concept we’d use for the vlog, my group agreed to return to the Tay Ho Lake area as our main filming location. We chose that spot because the scenery was absolutely beautiful and offered many interesting angles.
Once we arrived at Tay Ho Lake, we decided to walk around it and look for a restaurant where we could enjoy a meal while working on the vlog.
The vlog-making process turned out to be not as easy as we’d imagined. Several times we had to reshoot the video because a friend laughed, someone mispronounced a line, or we were still looking for a restaurant where we could enjoy ourselves while filming the vlog. Even though we had to reshoot multiple times, the atmosphere remained fun. We actually laughed a lot when we saw the funny footage.
I still remember when I tried to start the vlog with an introductory line. Just a few seconds into speaking, one of my friends suddenly waved at the camera, causing the whole group to burst out laughing, and we had to Starting over from the beginning. Little moments like that made the vlog-making process a truly memorable experience.
I was happy to see so many Vietnamese people using the lake area as a place to exercise. Some were jogging, biking, taking a leisurely walk with their families, or simply sitting and enjoying the evening view. That atmosphere made the Tay Ho area feel alive and became one of my favorite spots during my time in Hanoi.
Since the weather was starting to get quite hot, we decided to take a break at a restaurant not far from the lake. Our teacher had previously suggested that we try traditional Vietnamese food if we had the chance. Finally, we ordered Pho Tai, one of Vietnam’s most famous dishes.
A few minutes later, a bowl of Pho Tai was served in front of me. The aroma of the broth hit me immediately, making me even more curious. Inside the bowl were rice noodles, slices of beef, scallions, and several fresh vegetables that complemented the dish.
Before we started eating, we took out our DJI camera to record the meal and work on our vlog assignment, since we’d chosen a food review concept. After that, I took my first bite. The taste was quite different from the food I usually eat in Indonesia. The broth was savory yet light, while the beef was incredibly tender. At first, it took me a little while to adjust my palate, but the longer I ate, the more I actually We enjoyed the taste more and more.
While eating, we exchanged opinions about the food. Some of our friends liked it right away, while others still preferred Indonesian cuisine. Even so, we agreed that trying traditional Vietnamese food is a must-do experience when visiting the country.
After finishing our meal, we continued with the final stages of wrapping up the vlog. I found the task of creating this vlog to be a lot of fun because it not only honed our teamwork skills but also fostered our creativity in crafting a travel narrative.
As the afternoon approached, the entire group gathered again at the meeting point designated by our supervising teacher. Each group appeared to be carrying a lot of recorded footage. We then headed back to our lodging while sharing the experiences we’d had during the vlog-making process.
Upon arriving at the lodging, we immediately transferred all the video footage to a laptop to ensure no files were missing. We also began organizing the video clips that would later be edited into a travel vlog. Although my body felt quite tired from all the walking, I felt very satisfied with the results we achieved that day.
Before going to sleep, I wrote down my experiences from the fourth day in my travel journal. I realized that every day in Vietnam always brought new experiences that were never boring. From learning activities to making vlogs, everything taught me the importance of teamwork, communication, creativity, and the courage to try things I’d never done before.
The fourth day ended with a sense of gratitude and happiness. I’m getting more and more excited for the next activity: meeting the older students from the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) in Vietnam and visiting the An Noor Mosque, which my teacher says will be one of the most memorable experiences of this backpacking trip.