HANOI ---CITY FOR PEACE

Opera House ,Hanoi

                                    

                                     “I need a vacation not just a weekend.”

The chaotic traffic, seemingly unmanageable crowds, crowded footpaths, food, food and more food stalls everywhere …that’s what greets you the moment you step into Old Quarter Hanoi. Yet, “there is a method to this madness” and that’s what took me to Vietnam for the second time.

Where to stay: The best area to stay in Hanoi is the Old Quarters. It’s a touristy area with hotels, BnB s, hostels with prices ranging from the very expensive to $15. We stayed at “Lavender Old Quarter Hotel”. The location was superb. At the center of the old town, it is within reach of everything that matters to a tourist. Eateries abound and street food is at your doorstep. Jackie and Daisy were perfect hosts. Breakfast was adequate. The size of the rooms was just right. We made interesting friends from across the globe during our stay there.

night market,Hanoi

Why the Old Quarters: As mentioned earlier, everything that a tourist would be keen on is within walkable distance. The roads are as old as 1500 years and the houses that line them have a history to narrate.  The city is a blend of the old and new with French  and Chinese influence  reflected in the buildings. People may not speak your language but they are friendly, amiable and helpful. At first they appear to be lazy,  sitting around in pygmy chairs drinking , eating, chatting , playing cards and spitting sun-flower seeds  but there’s an innate bold energy which is evident by the progress that the nation has made after years of bombing,  bloodshed and backlash. Vibrancy is in the air, be it in the night market or beer street!! The population is young, the average Vietnam population being 31.7 years (2017)

Hoan Kiem Lake

Despite being the capital of Vietnam there is a small-city feel, relaxed, slow-paced and that’s what we were looking for. The geographical location makes the place cooler than Ho Chi Minh City, less commercial and less of a concrete jungle with sky-scrapers almost invisible. The citizens begin the day early and it continues into late night ,everybody wanting their little bit of heaven on earth. There are footpaths all around the city, less used by pedestrians and more by motor –cyclists, hawkers.

Getting around Hanoi is not cumbersome. Walking is the best bet. You can take in the fun and flavour of the region, do what the locals do and control your time and space. At first crossing the road would appear like climbing Mt.Everest. Not to fret. Follow a local .Or raise your right hand and walk boldly. The cars and scooters will weave around, so just keep going without retracting. Cabs are available but a better option are the motor-cycle taxis which lace their way fast through the roller-coaster traffic  . A ride in the unique Vietnamese rickshaw (cyclos) is a must although you may feel ripped off at the end of it. Therefore don’t forget to bargain hard. And its fun, this bargaining, using your limited Vietnamese vocabulary, gestures et al to bring your price down from 100,000 to 30,000 Dongs (their currency) for a ride.

St . Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi

 Be sure to have enough cash because most places do not accept cards. Taking money out from the ATM or exchanging your dollars is a mind-boggling millionaire experience. For every US dollar you get 23,181 Dongs (July 2019), so 50 USD will give you 1,15Million Dongs. Keeping count of the money is a task initially but like all things in life you accommodate. 

Although bargaining is the name of the game, things are not very expensive. A beer is for 30 cents, the yummilicious “pho” (noodle, meat, rice. Herbs soup) for $ 1.50, a flowery shirt for $7. So just dig and eat like a snazzily dressed pig.

 Street food is visible at every corner and bend. Head for it. Its cooked in front of you, piping hot fringed with herbs and spices according to your taste. Be careful on the water though!! Carry your own bottle. They say you will be committing a sin if you leave Vietnam without having “pho”(a noodle soup with meat) and Vietnamese egg coffee (which is like custard). Banh Mi (sandwich), grilled turmeric fish with dill, Bun Cha (non –veg broth) are other delicacies.

Street Dancing, Hanoi

 What to see: The city has much to offer and you will have to pick and choose.

a 

            a)   The Night Market is open over the weekend. Don’t lose sleep if you miss it because you will find the same things all over Hanoi. It’s just the ambience and the thrill of being at the spot. Choicest Vietnamese foods are there for the taking.

       

          b) Hoan Kiem Lake is not at the center of Hanoi, yet it appears to be the heart of the city since a lot of activities revolve around this fresh water body of water. It’s a focal point for family outings, dances, charity and marketing shows, morning walkers, love-birds gazing into its placid waters, shopping opportunities and tourists milling around. Great place for people watching. Visit Legend Beer Bar while you are there. The name is self-explanatory.

at the Legend Beer  Bar

   c)   Ta Hien Street (Beer Street) is the place you should head to at the end of the day. Just 200 meters in length it hosts beer bars and serves food.... street-style. You have a range of beer to choose from. You may see youngsters dancing in a small 10 feet x 10feet space. Go early or else you may not find space.  It is an unforgettable experience.

Ta Hien ,Beer Street , Hanoi

d) The  Opera house resembles the Opera Garnier de Paris and took 10 years to build. A magnificent structure standing in the inter-section where 5 roads meet. It’s a fancy area and less traffic. They stage Vietnamese and English shows.

               e) Tay Ho (West Lake) it’s an up-scale neighbourhood where expats and arty folks live, centering around the lake. If you want to escape the din and get tired of the local street-food, head to this vicinity!!!

 f)Water Puppet Show: How can you leave Vietnam without watching this visual delight? It originated in the paddy fields during the floods when everything was awash. To delight themselves, the villagers danced the puppets on water to kill time. This art was moved to the city and is held in fancy theater halls. It’s worth a dekko, value for money for sure!!!

Hao Lo Prison

 g)    There are a number of Museums from which you have to select . We headed for the Hao Lo Prison Museum(HLP) and Vietnamese Women Museum(VWM)

     The HLP was used by the French colonists to imprison insurgents and political    offenders initially. During the latter period, it was used by the North Vietnamese to imprison American POWs. The detention center was nick-named "Hanoi Hilton"by the prisoners. John McCain was one of them. The visit left us with mixed feelings of disgust, horror and sadness at “what Man has done of Man.” Sights and stories of savagery and outrage abound in Vietnam if you are curious enough to dig a little deeper and talk to the elderly locals.
To understand the psyche of the Vietnamese you could watch the 10 episodes on the V.War on Netflix before visiting the nation 

The VWM houses the contributions of the women to the nation’s development. It’s a storehouse of the social, cultural and political evolution of women covering all the 54 ethnic tribes.

quintessential Vietnamese conical hat

 h)  The temple of Literature: A must see. Serene and picturesque, it was originally a University.     Today it is a Temple paying homage to Confucius and other sages, writers and wise men.

  

    i)Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: Revered and visited by every Vietnamese. Unfortunately we could not enter because of the heat and more importantly the wait……. A serpentine queue preceded us. Lesson learnt: don’t visit mausoleums and museums on weekends unless your tour operator has a special pass. 

 j)Hanoi Social Club (near Hoan Kiem Lake) has a relaxing atmosphere for tired bones. It was good to see western dishes (fish and chips, chocolate cake, burgers) for a change to be enjoyed in the coolness of its interior

slow-paced and relaxed

k) I will not be doing justice if I do not make a special mention of Michael of Hanoi Aria Central hotel and Spa. On our way back from Halong Bay we had to spend a night at Hanoi to catch the early morning train to Hue.

Just stay in the hotel to meet Michael, the caring host!! Located on Le Duan Street,(Le Duan was a powerful Communist leader )the property is placed very conveniently near the Railway Station. So, if you have an early train to catch this is the convenient hotel. Michael, at the reception was exceptional for the concern and care he took of our friend who had an injury. He provided immediate medical aid, left everything aside to assist and provide a much wanted drink.
The room of Aria Central was excellent with a very modern bathroom. An electric kettle, mini bar and good toiletries were provided. Although we could not enjoy the complimentary breakfast as our train left at 6am, we were provided food packets with cheese and ham sandwiches. Great hotel indeed!!

The trip was organized, booked and executed entirely by my travelling companion Bee. He has made me realise that

” You can always make money but you can’t always make memories. “

Street food : note the small stools and chairs