Hello Hanoi, Goodbye Vietnam

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As we acquainted ourselves with Hanoi we immediately recognized its similarities with Ho Chi Minh City, and indeed any other Asian city. The honking of horns is ceaseless and the scooters weave in and about the roads like millions of crazy ants. The uneven pavements are used as scooter car parks, or eating places, and pedestrians have to walk wherever they can find space, which is normally on the road, meaning that you take your very life into your hands when you step out of your hotel. Every now and then the police patrol the streets and use loud halers to force roadside sellers to move back from the road edge and the myriad of scooters blocking the pavements to move, only for them to slide back into position as soon as the police have left. It’s bad in Asia generally but it’s terrible in Vietnam.

Hanoi has had a history of invasion, occupation and rebellion. In the seventh century the Chinese invaders chose the city as their capital, although at that time it was only a small river fort and was called Annam. After the Vietnamese ousted the Chinese the town was abandoned until 1010, until King Ly Thai To established his court here and renamed it Thang Long or “City of the Soaring Dragon”. It remained the nation’s capital for the next 800 years. It eventually declined until it became only a provincial capital in the 1830s and was simply known as Ha Noi or “City within the River’s Bend” - somewhat less auspicious. It was overtaken by the French in 1882 and eventually became their centre of government. Hanoi rebelled against the French in 1945 but had to wait until 1954 for their independence. Finally, in December 1972, although it sustained intensive bombing from the Americans and caused an estimated 1300 deaths, central Hanoi survived relatively unscathed. Much of the Hanoi of today remains similar to that of the 1950s however substantial growth and modernization, which provides a chaotic mix of antiquated, faded and battered overcrowded buildings sitting side by side with the glittering hotels and high rises, is a result of its entry into the modern world. And, of course, there are the ever-present congested streets, with those charming horns.

On our first full day we had decided we would walk around the old quarter and the French quarter taking in some of the sights. It was another extremely hot and humid day and after 10 minutes we were feeling the heat. We walked around Hoan Kiem Lake in search of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in order to buy our tickets for the evening performance as we had been told these sell out very quickly. Indeed they do sell out very quickly as the only option for the better seats was 3.30 pm that day.

Continuing walking towards the French quarter we stopped for a quick look at the building which houses the State Bank and opposite the beautifully restored residence of the Governor of Tonkin, which is now used for entertaining visiting VIPs. Unfortunately we didn’t qualify as visiting VIPs so had to make do with a photo from outside the imposing gates.

We continued walking and found ourselves in front of the Opera House, a lovely Parisian-style building, somewhat at odds with its surroundings but again a lovely photo opportunity as sweaty passers-by are not allowed in - you need to be going to a performance to pass through those beautiful doors. Opposite this is the newer version of the Hanoi Hilton - we would also be visiting the other and more infamous Hanoi Hilton, Hoa Lo Prison, just down the road. We actually managed to walk straight passed Hoa Lo Prison as its entrance is inconspicuous down a side road overlooked by the Hanoi Towers. The prison was initially built by the French after relocating the villagers that lived on the site. It was nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by the American airmen who were incarcerated here during the war because of its harsh and brutal treatment, although don’t expect to see anything remotely unbiased in the prison history on show. The displays focus on the capture, brutal treatment and murder of the Vietnamese held there by the French with clay models held in leg irons and gruesome displays of guillotined captives. The incarceration of the Americans is glossed over with photos of the airmen having a great time eating Christmas dinner, playing sports and all in all having a really jolly time - maybe they weren’t being ironic in nicknaming it the Hanoi Hilton and if the propaganda is to be believed it was actually like a hotel holiday!!!!!!!!!!

Eventually it was time to make our way back to the theatre and the really popular water puppet show. This is an art form unique to Vietnam which originated in the Red River Delta and used to take place during spring time when there was less work to do in the rice paddies. Although its origins are obscure the first recorded date of puppetry is 1121 AD, where it appears that it was already a regular feature at the royal court. The art of water-puppetry was handed down from father to son and was a closely guarded secret that women were not allowed to learn - typical. Because of this it declined and was in danger of completely dying out altogether - should have let the girls have a go! As tourism has grown it has started to make a bit of a come-back. The tickets were inexpensive enough for an hour’s entertainment and although we were supposed to pay for using the camera no-one approached us so we didn’t offer to part with our money. The troupe accompanying the puppets was really good on their traditional instruments and the two women singing had really lovely voices. Luckily there were free guide pamphlets otherwise we wouldn’t have understood what some of the sketches were about. There were a number of sketches included in the repertoire including: Dragon Dance; On a buffalo; Catching frogs; Harvest festival; Phoenix dance; and Fairy dance to name just a few. The combination of beautifully crafted, colourful puppets and the artistry of puppetry created the different illusions which were lovely to watch. It was like nothing we had seen before and we both felt it was an hour well-spent.

The great day was topped off with a brilliant pizza from Pepperonis and for Chris things just kept getting better and better as we found an Irish Bar, Finnegan’s, and he could have his beloved Guinness. Another big tick for Vietnam.

The following day should have been a trip to see Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum and the surrounding sights, but unfortunately this showpiece location only opens for a couple of hours really early on a few days a week, by the time we found out we had missed the opening, oh well, this would just have to be added to our list for our return journey. So instead on the last couple of days we decided to just spend time browsing the streets and organizing our onward travel to Malaysia.

A few final thoughts on Vietnam. Firstly the bad, quite simply the traffic, the driving & the scooters are the worst we have experienced anywhere in the world. A mixture of lazy attitudes, a lack of respect and putting a low value on life mixed with absolutely no traffic regulation means the country will continue to watch people die at the rate of over 12,000 per year, a shockingly preventable number. The growing tourist business may well be held back until the situation improves and we’re absolutely sure that there is a high economic cost to Vietnam and its people.

But that really is the only negative, we have to say we loved Vietnam. The Vietnamese are wonderful, probably the most engaging, genuine, friendly people we’ve met anywhere. You get a real sense that folks just want to chat, to get to know you, to find out about the west and to improve their knowledge (and English) without asking for anything. There is a real spirit of enterprise here, it may be to do with the lack of a social welfare program but every family has a business and works long hours to improve their situation. Considering the country was being decimated by war 35 years ago, followed by many years as a closed country, the progress is quite remarkable. Vietnam is beautiful, with stunning, palm fringed, empty beaches stretching into the distance and cool, refreshing mountain terrain where the pace of life, even in the cities, is wonderfully relaxed. In Halong Bay, the awe inspiring beauty is starting to be protected and preserved so future generations can enjoy it as well. Hanoi is quite relaxed compared to the hectic Saigon which is wonderfully, captivatingly mad.

Even though it’s been a full month we get the feeling that we have barely scratched the surface of this remarkable country. So Goodbye Vietnam, we’ll see you soon.

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Photos

Home shopping 2
anyone for loo brushes?

Pavement
Vietnamese for scooter car park

Opera House
Modelled on Paris - wonder if it's got its own Phantom?

Hanoi Hilton Mens Dorm
Bit like some of the Hostels we've used

Hanoi Hilton Single Room
Luxury, cell to herself

Star
Male lead in the puppet show, Simon Cowell will be calling soon

Heaven
Thanks and farewell Vietnam

Home Delivery
Can't believe we saw this

Look into their eyes
Bet you hav nightmares

Hanoi Hilton
Believe the propaganda and this is where the captured US troops stayed.

Governers Place
How the other half live (well the other 1%)

High Fashion
and this took pride of place in the window!!!!

Ha Noi
One of the quieter streets