Ha Noi

Hot, humid, crazy.....that's how I will describe Hanoi! Maybe we were there at the wrong time of the year for the weather, but crazy it certainly is...at least the traffic is! Everywhere we go, there are scooters! Scooters from every direction! There are road rules but no one obeys them anyway, so as foreigners in Ha Noi, we have to abandon our structured rule-abiding life-style, or risk getting run over by a scooter....and I nearly did!

Left: Crazy traffic in Ha Noi!
Right: Scooters! The main mode of transport in Ha Noi city....got hit TWICE by one of them things! Our advice: ditch the traffic rules!

Despite the chaos, it's a fascinating place, and every corner we turned, we were reminded of the long histories Vietnam has with wars, which are most evident in the unique architechture, food and culture. We started by exploring the Old Quaters, the most touristy spot in Hanoi, packed with...you guessed it, tourists!!! The Old Quarter is an interesting place to explore. It has a long history spanning 2,000 years old, it's colourful and vibrant, and is frequented mostly by tourists for the arts and crafts and anything touristy. Every street peddles their unique merchandise which range from trendy imitation goods to traditional silk lanterns and colourful wooden clogs. Its also where you can experience the tight living conditions of the vietnamese in traditional "tube houses", so named because of their 3m x 60m dimensions. Much of the colonial architechtural buildings are a reminder of the French colonization during the late 19th century.

Left: Colourful straw mask displays in one of the shops of the Old Quarter.

There are also no lack of pubs and restaurants, but street hawker food still appealed to us more. Just pull up stools by the stench-filled drains, and savour a bowl of Pho soaked in flavourful broth. And it is not uncommon to see Hanoi ladies in mini skirts (when i said mini, they are really mini) balanced on 2 inch high heels, trotting down the lanes, sit daintly in cross-legged fashion on one of the tiny stools....and they still manage to look pretty!!! Arrgghhh....when you have it, flaunt it (!!), even when you are eating Pho! (Needless to say, Fank enjoyed his bowl of Pho thoroughly!) Maybe that is why street hawker food always taste so good! There is something about roadside hawker food, the lure of the stinky drains mingling with the aroma of the food, just adds to the appeal! It's for everyone, and once you've tried it, it stays hinged in your hippocampus and from time to time you will crave for the mix of stench, sweat and aroma! Or....it could all be about the dainty Ha Noi ladies in mini skirts! ;p

A bowl of Bun Bo (Beef with Round Noodles) complete with cubes of ox blood! Yummy!

To get away from all the chaos, you can spend time soaking in the serenity around one of the many lakes around Ha Noi city.

The Turtle Pagoda in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as the Lake of the Restored Sword. One of the most popular lakes, its regarded as the heart and soul of Ha Noi city. It is also said to be a good omen if you happen to witness the "rua", a rare Asian soft-shelled giant turtle, which still inhabits the lake.

Above left: A 200 year-old preserved Rua on display in the Ngoc Son temple.
Above right: Saw this old guy playing the flute by Hoan Kiem Lake. For a moment, we felt like we have time-travelled.

A very hot and bothered looking Frank on the bridge leading across Hoan Kiem Lake to Ngoc Soc temple.

We also visited the Temple of Literature, the first university in Hanoi. It was founded in 1070 as a Confucian temple.

Worshipping Confucianism is a common practise, especially for scholars.

Right: Phoenix riding on a Turtle - a common symbol of peace in temples around Ha Noi; the Phoenix represents the Sky and the Turtle the Earth. As explained by our passionate tour guide: in times of disasters e.g. a flood, the Turtle will save the Phoenix by letting it ride on the back, and if there is drought, the Phoenix will save it by flying the Turtle into the sky. They are considered as protectors of the Kingdom.

Left: Turtles again! They are a symbol of longevity and wisdom.

There are lots of temples and pagodas in Ha Noi, most probably influenced by the Chinese culture during their invasion from 111 to 938 BC. Ho Chi Minh, a well respected and admired figure who led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941, is still remembered fondly by the Vietnamese. His preserved body is still on display at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Ha Noi. Alas, while we were there, dear Uncle Ho was away! His body was actually under restoration and preservation works in Russia! What a pity....nevertheless, with it's own unqiue and rich culture, there is always plenty to see and do in Ha Noi. The water puppet show is one not to be missed! Though we could hardly understand the narration at all, it was still a joy to watch the colourful and cute performances!

Left: Colourful water puppets on display

Right: A typical water puppet show where pupetteers worked the puppets behind a screen in a pool of water.

Ha Long Bay, listed as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites, was our next stop. It's a good getaway from all the hustle and bustle of Ha Noi city.

Above left: On the junk boat to the UNESCO world heritage site, Ha Long Bay.

Above right: One of the many views of Ha Long Bay.

Ha Long (literally means Descending Dragon) Bay is dotted with limestone isles of various shapes and sizes. The legend (Vietnamese have legends for almost anything!) says that these isles are actually jewels spat out by dragons to protect Vietnam from invaders, and in fact the dragons reside in the bay itself. There are also magnificent limestone caves with amazing stalactite formations and of course fairytales and legends!

Above from left: Getting a closer look at the Ha Long monuments in a dinghy ride around the coves and isles and taking a walk in one of the many magnificent limestone caves around the bay.

Above left: Visit to a fish farm, they even have a school in the midst of Ha Long Bay!
Above right: Captive black kingfish at the floating fish farm ready for market.

Left: "Fruit sellers of the sea"! They swarmed around the anchored junk boat with lightning speed....amazing! Too bad the fruits don't look as impressive due to the long hours they've been baking in the sun. Tough job.

Sadly, our little romantic boat trip at Ha Long Bay was cut short by the arrival of the typhoon, which has already hit Taiwan. With all boating activities banned, we left the serenity of the bay and reluctantly head back to crazy Ha Noi.

Above: Our comfy room on the junk boat, thank goodness for the air conditioning and it comes with ensuite too! Frank is busy oacking up due to an emergency typhoon warning, predicted to hit Ha Long Bay in another few hours and all boating activities were cancelled. The typhoons only happen an average of 3 times a year Ha Long Bay.....as usual in the wrong place at the wrong time....we feel so "blessed"!! At least there is the beautiful calm before the storm at Ha Long Bay, our last chance to soak in its beauty before we head back to land.

On the way back, we came across this concocction of a super tonic wine!!! Mmm...looks very appealing indeed!

Back in Ha Noi city, we are swamped again by...touters! Despite our big hand signs saying "NO", we were still pressed into posing for photos with them.....then off came their masks and they demanded US$10 for the photo!!! Hold on tight to your wallets too because they actually reached into Frank's wallet and helped themselves to the cash! We have mixed feelings on this incident, we both felt disgusted with their behaviours but sorry for their hard life which had driven them to this desperation.

For our last leg of the trip, we visited the ancient pottery village Bat Trang, which of course is another tourist trap, but enjoyed oursleves nevertheless by the hand-made cups and pots with delicate and intricate designs. Then along came Mr. Water Buffalo, much to our delight! Here's a picture of him ambling along slowly with nether a care in the world! Till our next exciting trip.....xin chào!