Hanoi and Farewell to Vietnam

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We arrived in Hanoi on New Years Day of the 'Tet' festival, which meant that Hanoi was like a ghost-town. We didn’t mind this because it gave us a chance to get ourselves acquainted geographically without too much hassle.

Our first impressions of Vietnam's capital city were good. Our hotel was in the heart of the Old Quarter, and we spent our first day strolling through the maze of streets, taking in the sights. We felt that there was a strong European feel with the architecture, and some streets of the Old Quarter had an air of the Parisian about them. Since all the locals were resting at home that day, the majority of the shops were closed, and the streets were clear of traffic and obstacles. In the days that followed, we quickly learned that peace and tranquility are not two words normally associated with Hanoi!
We knew we were going to stay for at least 7 days in the north, since our Chinese visa documents were being delivered to our hotel in Hanoi, and we guessed there’d probably be a delay because of the new year celebrations. So we decided to busy ourselves with trips to most of the major Hanoi sights, and a visit to Halong Bay.

Ho Chi Minh and the Mausoleum Complex

Ho Chi Minh was a famous statesman, general and political figure in Vietnam from the early 1900's through to his death in 1969, just prior to the end of the Vietnam war. In the present day Ho Chi Minh has hero status and is still nearly worshipped by the Vietnamese people: his face is printed on their banknotes; there are busts and sculptures of Ho Chi Minh everywhere; and of course, his dead body is still on display, 40 years after his death.
Ho Chi Minh, or as the Vietnamese call him 'Uncle Ho', is part of the communist tradition which includes leaders such as Lenin, Stalin and Mao Zedong. His body has been embalmed and is on display so that the public can continue to pay their respects. This is in spite of his wishes for a simple funeral and to be cremated, as shown in the following quote...

Not only is cremation good from the point of view of hygiene, but it also saves farmland.

There is a Russian-style Mausoleum set up to house his body for display, which is really very impressive: massive black granite blocks and columns, with HO CHI MINH in bold bronze lettering at the front. There are a series of guards along the carpeted corridors leading to the viewing chamber in full military uniform which are there to enforce the rules of the Mausoleum. No immodest clothing; no camera's; no talking, laughing or smiling; and no hands in pockets.
After walking up a red carpet into the Mausoleum, the lights dim into a brown twilight. You enter the viewing chamber and Ho Chi Minh is laying in a massive glass and red lacquer work coffin, hands laid out on his thighs, white hair, beard and hands the same as when he died. There's almost a plastic or waxy quality to his skin - one of the scars on his forehead glints in the light as you approach it. It was quite an eerie, reverent experience. Far more powerful than viewing all the other statues and sculptures you see. It's also an experience that highlights just how different two cultures can be: can you imagine a Mausoleum for Malcolm Fraser or Gough Whitlam?

For those that are interested, Uncle Ho led the Viet Minh in their war of resistance against the French in the Indochina war, and also led the Viet Cong against the South Vietnamese and American forces. One of the more ironic footnotes in history occurred when Ho Chi Minh read the Vietnamese declaration of independence in 1945, after the end of the second World War. In the opening of his speech he quoted from the American declaration of independence "All men are created equal; they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights; among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.". At that time Ho Chi Minh held the American Government in high esteem, considering them a great nation that threw off the shackles of their colonial masters.

Halong Bay

We took a day trip to Halong Bay, which might not have been long enough to appreciate all that the area has to offer, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.
We opted for an organized tour of the bay, and joined a dozen other tourists on a traditional 'Junk' boat. We were looked-after by a chain-smoking, beer-drinking Vietnamese guide, who spoke some kind of English with what could have been a French accent - hard to say. Every now and again, he would address the group in an animated fashion, but most of us had no idea what he was saying.

Halong Bay is a World Heritage Site, and we were told that its name translates as: ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’. Vietnamese mythology says that the islands rising so steeply and suddenly out of the water were created by a dragon’s tail as it flew towards the coast. Mythology aside, Halong Bay does make for some striking scenery and we spent a couple of hours cruising on around.
We stopped for lunch at a floating fishing village in the heart of a group of islands, and watched the locals go about their business. We also visited two caves on a nearby island, one of which, Hang Sung Sot, was divided into beautiful chambers of stalactites and stalagmites. It was also home to ‘Penis Rock’ - a symbol of fertility - which glowed in blue and pink tones thanks to strategically-placed lights.

During our visit to the caves, we discovered that the Vietnamese drive boats in the same manner that they drive cars and buses; and that the Dragon’s Head adorning the front of most junks is not merely decorative. When we arrived at the island to disembark, the small harbour was full of other boats, dropping off their tour parties. We could have simply waited for one of the other boats to move out of the way - but this (apparently) is not the Vietnamese way. Instead, the skipper of our boat proceeded to ram the other vessels blocking his path, until they had no choice but to hastily maneuver out of his way. The metal strips on the side of our junk weren’t decorative either it turns out.

Boat-ramming, and unintelligible guides aside, we had a lovely day at Halong Bay. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t the greatest when we visited - slightly misty and overcast the whole day - and I don’t feel we were able to appreciate the true beauty of the area. I have seen photographs of it previously, and it does look different under a blue sky.

Cheap Beer, Ex-Pats and Animals in Clothes

We spent longer in Hanoi than in any other city we've visited so far, and as such, we were able to relax and take our time around the sites. We visited the Temple of Literature and the Military museum, and taste-tested the food in an array of restaurants and cafes. We also spent an enjoyable evening swigging Bia Hoi by the roadside, and made friends with some lively ex-pats along the way. Bia Hoi is the locally produced draught beer that they sell for about....17 cents a glass. We're unsure of the alcohol content or the hygiene level of the drink, but when in Hanoi.......
This beer, it seems, is best appreciated whilst sitting on a plastic chair made for miniature people (think mini-me from Austin Powers), on the pavement outside the Bia Hoi shop, in freezing cold weather. It is fantastic for 'people-watching' (a favourite past-time of ours), and a great way to meet other people. In no time at all, we were merrily chatting away to a couple of American ex-pats, one of whom was an actor on Vietnamese TV. He had a goatee with sideburns, and looked like an evil genius, but laughed like a jolly fatman, which is what he was. He was also regularly approached by surprised passers-by who would tell him that they had seen him on TV. Most of them were touts, so he told them that they must have seen someone else. His impressions of Vietnam were interesting to hear, and it was nice to have the familiarity of some native speakers at this stage in our trip.

We also found that a Bia Hoi stall is a good place to observe the fashionably-dressed local animals. The dogs and cats in Hanoi (and elsewhere in Vietnam) are allowed to wander the streets, and some spend their days lazing on the doorsteps of their owners houses. What fascinated us most, was the effort that was made to make these 'pets' look good. Some dogs had quite a collection of different outfits that they would wear everyday, and almost all of the animals we saw were wearing jumpers of some kind.....and really, it wasn't that cold. Considering this is a country that has 'dog' as a dish in some restaurants, and considering that many of the owners didn't appear to have enough money to feed themselves regularly......their pets always looked good. We saw one dog with a little suit on, chained up in a restaurant near our table. When it piddled on its little suit (and the restaurant floor) the restaurant owner coo'ed away at it like it was a little baby and changed its clothes. Curious.

Farewell Vietnam

And so, after almost 3 weeks, we said our goodbyes to Vietnam. We found the country to be both fascinating, and frustrating; beautiful, and often scarily unappealing...... But all in all, it was an enjoyable visit and a learning experience for us. We are glad that we were able to spend a decent amount of time in the country.

As we write this, we're in China....after a marathon (and at times stressful), journey which saw us cross the Vietnam-Chinese border on foot, and spend 25 hours on the same train.....but that, is a story for the next blog.

One last thing: A big thank-you to everyone who has been leaving us comments on this site. We love to read your thoughts and best wishes. It definitely makes us smile! Keep them coming.
Cheers to you all
E&T

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Photos

Hoam Kiem Lake
There are several lakes in Hanoi - this one was next to where we stayed

Chickens for sale in the market
A bit hard to look at really....

Who has the cheesiest grin?
Emma in the Art Museum

Comments

[Andrea Brad n Chlo]

Itchy feet
Hi you guys! I love and hate reading your blogs!! It sounds fab. But I'm getting really depressed here inside these four walls. No I'm not in prison, I mean stuck at home!! I'm getting really itchy feet. I've been racking my brains of ways to get out there and do some travelling again. I think I'll need to borrow toby, he really should be a travel advisor/tour rep. How do you get all this info? I went round the world and can't even remember what places I went to let alone any history! Must stay off the wine next time!! Well after much thought I'm left with only one option and thats divorce, I can't think of any other way of raising the funds... legally. Poor Brad! Right I'm off to get a marriage licence, hope to see you soon! Take care! x

[Brett]

Hello there!
SOunds fantastic guys, can't wait to hear about the trip accross the border