Vietnam - Hanoi, Hue

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11th Sept – 16th October 2011
I am in love!! – with Hanoi!! Our flight from Hong Kong arrived at about 4.00pm and we then took the public minibus ($3) to our hotel, so we have only been here a couple of hours, but our first impression is that Hanoi is absolutely charming and delightful! Motorbikes, scooters and bicycles crowd the streets – hundreds of them! ( fact – nearly 4 million in Hanoi!!) And the old town where our hotel is (Hong Ngoc 3) appears to be a maze of tiny, busy, tree lined streets! I can’t wait to explore tomorrow!
Awoke to heavy rain! Undeterred we set off, suitably attired in our ‘Maid of the Mists’ mac and an umbrella borrowed from the hotel. Decided to walk to the lake, set off in totally the wrong direction (my fault!!) and got ‘lost’ wandering around the market area of the Old Town! It’s a totally fascinating place with street sellers, bikes, people cooking in the street and families living out their daily life in these little tree lined streets, with enormous amounts of electric wires draped across the roads! Its almost impossible to walk on the pavements as all the mopeds are parked in a continuous line! A lot of the houses are very narrow because the width of the frontage used to be taxed, so they built them very long and narrow and maybe 4 storeys high but what makes them odd, is that only the front has been highly decorated and painted, with balconies and turrets, the sides of the houses remaining grey concrete, on the assumption that if/when a neighbours house is built, it wont be seen!!
Ended up back at our hotel, asked directions, and then found the lake with its temple and little island. Had a walk around the lake, before booking our tickets for the water puppet show in the afternoon. As it was still raining decided to hire a pedalcycle and enjoyed the next hour sat under cover whilst being cycled around different parts of the Old Town!
Lunch and then the Water Puppet Show! Totally different to anything I had ever seen. It originated in the 11th C and was invented by the farmers! A band sang and played music whilst wooden puppets were made to dance in the pool in front of us! All very bizarre, highly entertaining and very clever!
Back to the hotel to meet the rest of the group and our new leader, Martin. (Tucan Travel – Complete Indochina). The group is made up of 17 people at the moment but only 13 had arrived and some people were only travelling for a week whilst others were with the group for 7 weeks, so different people joining and leaving the group along the way! Went out for something to eat and a few beers with a few of the group, before packing for our trip to Halong Bay tomorrow.
Left the hotel about 8.30am for the 4 hour drive, with our guide Min, through the countryside, to Halong. The weather soon turned to rain again and it continued raining all the way to Halong Bay! Boarded a small boat that took us out to our junk boat and we then settled in our rooms before sailing out towards the karsts! Had a delicious lunch of seafood and fish before disembarking on to one of the karsts to see the largest cave in Halong Bay. Back to the boat and Chris decided he would go kayaking with the rest of the group whilst I had a lovely rest on the sunlounger on the top deck (under the tarpaulin as it was still raining!) It eventually stopped raining and we were treated to a sunset over the Bay before our delicious dinner of giant prawns decorated with flowers made of carrots and other vegetables, fish, a chicken dish and rice! Bed early (after spotting and killing the cockroach......mmm.......I reckon there could be more!) watched the lightening for a while – hoping for better weather tomorrow!
Rain again this morning, although it did stop so we were able to climb to the Pagoda on one of the karsts without getting soaked! The sun was trying to break through and there were patches of blue sky so had some good views. Chris and some of the group went swimming off the boat, although it was a brief swim as someone spotted a jellyfish! An early lunch before sailing back to Halong, for the coach journey back to Hanoi. The sun came out for a while and when we got back to Hanoi had a wander around, in rush hour – it is absolutely chaotic! To cross the road, you just wander out in front of cars, bikes and buses and they just drive around you! Can be quite daunting and scary at times!! Chris has some excellent video from the middle of a road!! Anyway, a relaxing evening just wandering around the lake and the streets, few beers and a fairly early night.
On our last day in Hanoi, we decided to visit Ho Chi Min Mausoleum and the One Pillared Pagoda. It was about half an hours walk and quite draining in the humid temperature and not really too much to see when we got there as you couldn’t go inside the mausoleum and the Pagoda took 5 minutes to visit! We wanted to find the lake and botanical gardens so when a one armed pedal cyclist came and said he would take us for 100,000 dong we were quite happy! (Well, I was, Chris wasn’t!) Got to the Gardens and our Pedalcyclist refused the money and said he would wait for us and we had a pleasant half hour wander around the gardens and lake! Saw at least 10 brides all having their photos taken – not quite sure why there are so many!! Back to our pedalcyclist who then took us to the War Museum and demanded 400,000 dong! Turned into quite an argument as we thought the price was agreed at 100,000 dong but he said that was only for the ride to the garden! Anyway, in the end we paid him 200,000 dong (£6.00) but it all left a bit of a bad taste! Went for a walk around the old citadel and took some pictures of the old Gates which still showed the Canon ball damage by the French in 1885, before going into the Museum. Climbed the old tower (54 steps!) which gave us a view of the Citadel and the old war planes and then we spotted the One Armed Pedalcyclist below giving another English couple grief over their payment. Had a chat with them when we got back down the tower and yes, they had been caught in exactly the same way we had! So – if you travel to Hanoi and spot a One Armed Pedalcyclist, don’t feel sorry for him as I did, as he will con you out of money!! He is not as ‘Armless as you think!!
We then walked back to the Old Town and got caught in a terrific thunderstorm! Sheltered for a while before making a dash to the restaurant for food! Back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the group, before getting a taxi to the station, for the overnight train to Hue at 19.00pm.
Friday 16th Sept – Hue
Train journey was fine, four to a cabin, comfortable bed and locking door! Arrived on time in the main street of Hue, a five minute taxi drive to our hotel (Phuoc An- Dmz Hotel) shower and a quick wander around the streets before a mini-bus to go to Tu Duc and Khai Dinh Tombs and then the Citadel.
The first tombs of Tu Duc were set in a few acres of ground with approx 50 buildings and the Emperor used to use it as his second home, to relax and write poetry. It was built around 1900 so not particularly that old but interesting.
The second tomb was set on a hillside with steps leading up to the temple at the top where the walls and ceilings were covered in a 3D mosaic design. Lovely views of the mountains from the top.
We then got dropped off at the citadel – (hoping for some lunch by now but no food shops in sight!) Walked across the bridge into the walled city and then on into the walled Forbidden Purple City of the Emperor. Not quite on the same scale as Beijing but more enjoyable to wander around as far less people! They are in the process of renovating it and it will be a magnificent area when finished but a lot of it at the moment is still in its original state (which I prefer!) and we were able to wander around, looking at the various palaces and temples, corridors, gates, ponds and walkways for a couple of hours!
Back then to Missy Roos as some of us were doing a Vietnamese cookery class (busy day!!) First of all, we took taxis to the busy Vietnamese market and spent half an hour running around buying all the ingredients for our meal – rice flour, peanuts, sesame seeds, herbs, pigs trotters, beef, noodles.......
Back to the restaurant where we were shown ( and helped!!) prepare and make Phur ( noodle soup!) fried spring rolls, fresh spring rolls and pancakes, which we then sat down and ate with a few beers! Not quite as good as the Chinese cookery class but I think everyone was getting tired as we didn’t finish eating until nearly 9.30pm!
Anyway, early night as off across the mountains tomorrow to Hoi An.

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Comments

[Laura]

Summer was facinated with the picture of Daisy and is walking around saying \'My favourite Daisy is on holiday!\' We\'ve persuaded her that Daisy is having a whale of a time with Granny Jackie and Grandad Chris. Sounds like a delightful place!