Move out Rover, here comes Piggly Wiggly

---

Happy New Year of the Pig; farewell to the Year of the Dog. Or as the Vietnamese say - Chuc Mung Nam Moi. Wishing everyone lots of love, happiness, success, good health & good fortune especially to my family and friends in Australia and around the world.

Flew into Hanoi on the 11th Feb and was involved in a taxi scam. Hanoi is apparently famous for them. As a precaution, I had arranged beforehand for the hostel to meet me and arrange the taxi-ride. Unbeknownst to me, someone else had espied my name and put it on another random sheet of paper. Realised something wasn't right when the cabbies and their so-called mate (who was not a mate after all, but a scam artist) suddenly stopped by the roadside and demanded that I pay up or get out. Arguments ensued between the trio, but there was no way I was paying up or getting out as the chances of getting another ride at 9.15pm were pretty slim. Eventually they kicked the scam-monger, and agreed to head into Hanoi for extra money. Once we got there I pretended I didn't have any change and asked them to follow me to the hotel for their fare. Luckily I ran into the hotel manager on the street who sorted out the cabbies. A bit of a hairy return to Vietnam. But I was too pissed off to be scared. Cheeky bastards - the sheer audacity. All I can say is - everyone watch out when you get to Hanoi!

Next stop was Hue, which used to be the ancient capital of the Nguyen emperors. Visited the Citadel, Imperial City, and various pagodas and emperors' tombs along the Perfume River.

Then it was onto Hoi An to celebrate the Tet Festival (Vietnamese New Year). The city put on a New Years' Eve concert with folk performances, singers, dancers & games. At midnight we all stood up to pay respects to the national flag & anthem of Vietnam, which was followed by fireworks & street dancing. A fun night enjoyed by the locals and tourists.

Quite a few of the businesses were closed, but still managed to walk around and visit the numerous temples, chinese assembly halls, museums & merchants houses. Also did a cooking class (yummy) and visited the Champa ruins of My Son, which are similar to Cambodia's Angkor & Myanmar's Bagan but on a much smaller scale and less impressive.

---

Photos

Water lanterns
Released down the Thu Bon river

Local theatre
Piggy versus Doggy. What's with the mobile phone?

Folk performers
Tet Festival concert in Hoi An

More dancers
Plus the 3 wise dudes

Cao Lau
Hoi An specialty dish with thick rice-flour noodles, bean sprouts, pork, salad greens & pork-rind croutons in a light mint & star anise soup.

Banh Bao
Translates as "white rose" - another Hoi An specialty dish comprising delicious steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with shrimp & vegetables.

Bringing in the New Year
On the stroke of midnight after paying respects to the National Flag of Vietnam, drums and gongs were banged followed by fireworks.

Wow!
Locals and tourists alike enjoying the fireworks display

Dancing in the streets
Party's only just begun

Funky kid
This little cutie was boogying in the streets

New Year blooms
Homes are decorated by spring blooms to celebrate the New Year.

Tet offerings
On their altar all Vietnamese families have a tray of 5 fruits plus Banh Chung (glutinous rice cakes), and perhaps wine & sweets.

Tan Ky house
Late 18th century merchants house. Jackfruit wooden column with poem-boards made of inlaid mother-of-pearl

Trieu Chau assembly hall
Late 18th century chinese assembly hall with amazingly detailed wood panels.

Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall
All families pay respects during New Year at the altars in the various chinese assembly halls. They can purchase above incense tents on behalf of the family which burn for a month.

Comments

[Siah]

Magnet
Hey Ges wish I was there with you eating yummy food! Did have Vietnamese spring rolls with Christina and Alvin today, and they tell me you're back next week! I've given them your stuff, so hopefully it will find its way back to you. Alas, the bolivian fridge magnet from Dan is still in Hobart, but it will find its way to you I promise! See you soon!

[Tina]

Slight Error.
I might be mistaken but the dish you labeled as "Banh Bao" is actually "Banh Bot Loc".