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Published: August 27th 2009
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This morning started with a bang...we had an intruder in the night! After Martin having assured me of the safety and low crime of the north, especially in this area...a man managed to get into the apartment below his where a woman and baby were sleeping-she woke up and tried to scream, but no sound came out...luckily the man just gesticulated by putting his finger to his lips before disappearing like a ghost over the balcony...another tried to get into Martin's bedroom next to where I was sleeping, but luckily his wife saw him and shouted! So the police were here early this morning...they had neglected to tell us earlier, that in the last few weeks, most of the apartments in the area had been burgled-great policing eh! Unfortuantely, like many countries, the police are very corrupt, so not much to be done apart from locking every door and window...
One of Martin's students, Bong, arrived on her bike and took me to Hoan Kiem Lake...it is a legend strewn lake...Supposedly, Emperor Le Thai To was handed a magic sword by a tortoise living in the lake, which he used to defeat all his enemies. 8 species of tortoise live
here, although I only saw bubbles. Apparently at dawn, 0530, many aerobic and jogging sessions take place...hmmm that early doesn't sound that appealing, although that's the only time of day you could run without dying of heat exhaustion. There is an elaborate obelisk in the centre of the lake meaning 'a pen to write on the blue sky,...there are so many pagodas and temples left over from the 15th century, when people used to dedicate these buildings to brave heroes...
I have not seen many foreigners at all so far, just the occasional backpacker or suit. Due to wearing long clothes and a mask when on the bikes, no-one can really point me out...unless they see my eyes and then stare!
The ancient quarter nearby the lake summed up the culture and street life of Ha Noi. There are 36 streets, each named accordingly to the merchandise they sell. All the women are so tiny and share beautiful features. They all wear huge stilettoes as they wish to be tall like western women. Plus even in the heat of the day they wear long sleeves, masks and sometimes gloves, to protect their skin from the sun...tanning is not
a concept recognised here, bet the melanoma rates are low. This quarter is such an onslaught to the senses, hawkers carrying all kinds of things on bamboo poles, food stalls and family life spilling out onto the pavements...really want to try and encapsulate characters that epitomize Vietnamese people, the little girl in 'ao dai' chasing a turkey, a wise, wrinkled mother nature creature sitting on the shade of her shop napping, but it's hard on a motorbike, plus do not want to offend. The french colonial buildings and the narrow facades of the ancient quarter remind me strangely of Venice...in that their decay adds to their beauty and charm.
In the afternoon, after trying to have a seista but getting bored, Hang picked me up and took me to West Lake, Ha Noi's largest lake in the suburbs. Tran Quoc Pagoda lies on a little islet on the lake. It is a buddhist centre of worship, and about 15 monks and nuns live here in this piece of paradise. It was founded in the 6th century, and is so peaceful,I felt enchanted. The monks were chanting while people prayed for lost relatives and lost ones. There were many tiny
birds and bright pretty flowers mingling with offering tables and burning bricks...they burn money to symbolise the 'middle way' belief in buddhism,and by giving back, hopefully give to their next life..
Phu Tay Ho Temple sits on the shore of the lake, housing a 4-ton statue of the genie Tran Vu. Guardian of the North. In the courtyarrd were some mesmerising traditional Vietnamese marshal arts fighters with long poles and serrated knife on the end! It was graceful as ballet, but looked leathal! It's so fun riding the bikes-at first I was gripping onto various waits, but now feel like a pro and just relax with hands on thighs like everyone else. If someone needs to ask directions, forget pulling over to ask a random passerby...they just cycle closer to another bike and parallel chat! Pretty scary going round a roundabout though!
Martin's students have been so generous with their time. They are between 19-22, and none have left the country or are likely to. They keep asking about English men...;-) This is such a fantastic way to explore a new city, and the students enjoy showing me around as they practise their English and learn about our
culture. They cannot understand why we go out to dance and drink...as here everything xloses at 10pm and the streets are quiet...thinkit will be different in the south...old Saigon is a party town!
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