Hanoi

It's the rebirth of my blogging days.....
Don't even know why I stopped the last time and again, don't know why I'm re-starting again.

Anyway, recently got back from Hanoi, Vietnam. Quite a reunion of a trip where by 4 of us from the UNIMAS days managed to somehow coordinate and plan a 5 day getaway. I must say that the trip really surpassed my expectation. (in a good way of course)

Being the traveler that I am, it was quite unlike of me to not read up about a place before visiting it but I guess in its own way it made the trip much more serendipitous. Since I don't know much, so I can't expect much. So anything that comes up should be better than expecting nothing.

So AirAsia wasn't too bad. The best part of the 3 hour flight is probably the in flight breakfast. Pak Nasser Nasi Lemak......ooo yeah..... Believe me, it sounds weird but this small tray of food tastes better on the return trip after not getting any Malaysian food. I think also the fact that the coconut rice being left for an extra 3 hours to infuse the other flavours together makes the return journey's meal so much better too...... Digressing.

So touch down.....smooth journey. Kudos to AA and we actually were early. A rare treat in my experience flying with AA. Hanoi airport (NoiBak) is nothing bigger than terminal 3 of Subang. Functionally adequate I would say. Duty Free Shop had nothing much, but at least I got my first glimpse of how a Dom Perignon bottle looks like....yes yes........don't say anything...

I've always wondered how it felt like to exit the arrival hall and see your name on one of those placards. Got the experience in Hanoi....not one.....not two......but three placards with my name on it. Apparently when I made bookings, I had to make two separate bookings via AirAsia because......as smart as its tagline that everybody can fly.....the group bookings are limited to 4 per transaction. So 6 of us means double transaction. Not to mention that the ground tour was booked separately. So hence 3 different parties were there to greet me and my troupe. All short of kompangs and that would have just topped the cake.

Two things struck me immediately as I was waiting for the transit to pick us up.
1. Hanoi is very very foggy.
2. I can't find more than 10 fat vietnamese during the entire 20 minute wait.

Our guide was a pleasant lady by the name of "T-H-A-M......but you can call me TAM". The way its pronounced bore such similarity to the word 'phlegm' when spoken in Mandarin. Over the course of the next few days she reduced herself to being called Tammy instead and she seemed to prefer it too. Anyway like I said, pleasant lady with a decent command of English and a decent command of the history and cultures of Hanoi.

First stop, city tour.......

Ho Chi Minh mausoleum.
The line to go into the mausoleum was like almost a kilometer long with more than half the people unprotected from the sun. So being the good educated citizens of Malaysia, we proceeded to the end of the line, but only to be shouted at by a lady who told us to follow her and we cut into the line with only 100 meters left to the entrance. Guess it pays to use a ground tour service and not walk in by yourself....hehe...... (travelers take note)

Within the mausoleum is a thick prison made of the finest marble money could buy back then. Minimal lightings and the air smelled of formalin. We were ushered almost forcefully at gunpoint (the guards were carrying loaded rifles) and after all the long wait, especially for those who queued for 1km under the sun, we had a glimpse of a fish tank for less than 25 seconds..... President Ho Chi Minh....embalmed......and still looking quite handsome for a man who hasn't aged a day since he turned 70.

Back out into the sun with fresh air....I couldn't help but wonder what is it with these communist countries. They seem to like to embalm their leaders. We have Stalin of the former USSR. Mao Ze Dong of China. Probably next up would be Fidel Castro if my theory holds..... we'll see.

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Suddenly I realised that if I'm gonna blog everything I experience, this will be a very very very very long entry.....so let's just cut to the chase and do a picture blog instead...... stories will be told according to the picture. If you wanna know much more about Hanoi, don't mail me. Go there for yourself. With AirAsia, everyone can go on a holiday. (I'm not paid for this advertisement)

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Hoan Kiem Lake.

Legend has it that a giant mythical tortoise, sent from heaven supposedly emerged as the king was on his evening boat ride and grabbed his trusted sword. Good thing the king didn't have a second sword otherwise it would have been tortoise soup night. Instead he took it as an omen and has enshrined the lake ever since.
Not too long ago, a 200kg tortoise surfaced after its death. It fueled the legendary tale and since then everyone has been trying to look for the sword to complete the story. Got a picture of the tortoise which has also been embalmed (what's with these people and wax). Freaking HUGE!!! I would have thought it was Nessie herself!! Anyway, seems like a near Excalibur tale, reference to King Arthur for those who don't know.

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Streets of Hanoi
Don't be fooled. This is at 6.30am. Before the cars, buses and motorbikes wake up to do their job. But for a moment, time seems to stand still and I compared this scene with pictures of Penang probably 25 or 30 years ago. Roadside peddlers are a common sight and most of them sell local produce, savories, fruits and flowers. Water lilies are like chrysanthemum to us. The Buddhist use it for prayer. We use it water lilies for weddings and for romantic gesture. Chrysanthemum there has no value there.

The city is filled with shophouses, none taller than 5 levels. It is very narrow (about 15 feet across) but very deep (up to 70 or 80 feet). Shops are organised based on what they sell. For example, if you're looking for medicine shop, then it is a whole row of medicine shops. Similarly for iron smiths, prayer altars, clothes. In a way it is convenient as you can bargain and find different deals along the same road without having to do a cross city journey to another shop of similar interest.

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Halong Bay
Bidding to be included as one of the 7 world wonders, this UNESCO gazetted site is truly a remarkable sight to take in. Comprised of more than 2000 limestone formation sitting in a tranquil bay, one can't help but compare to an Indiana Jones movie set or perhaps it looked more like something from The Lost World. Ohhh and the Junks. Restored junks that have a new lease of life ferrying tourists to the bay and also providing boarding services for those who want to experience a night on the sea. At a glance at the pier, more than 1o0 boats are berthed and according to the guide there are about 500 operating boats and junks in that bay.

So when we cruise along and finally anchor at a tourist spot, the scene from Pirates of The Caribbean comes to mind.......

Sunset / Nightfall / Sunrise

Nocturnal activity in halong bay....
Squid fishing. It's actually quite fun and yours truly caught 7 just over the hour. The crew happily chomped it down after boiling it and dipping it in seasalt. Seems like most of their food there's a dish of seasalt as an enhancer.

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2 fighter cock formation. You must always commend the Vietnamese imagination. As for as I can see the one on the right may resemble a little of a cock but that because of a preconceived idea..... Maybe it's just me.

One of the more beautiful restored junks. Apparently the have a star grading system. The junk we sailed on "The Imperial Junk" was considered 3 star. I can only imagine the one in the picture should garner 4 or maybe 5 star status. Then again, from far one can pass it off as a refugee boat too......

And for the ultimate test.........can you spot the chicken / rooster hidden in the cave....

See it?
Yes?
No?

Here's the secret.....

Take a dose of super duper thick Vietname drip coffee........

And all will be clearer...... trust me.....

Works like a charm.....

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Tapestry making
Now this is an amazing piece of artwork. The artist starts out with the end in mind. A photo at hand and alot of patience. Each stitch is like a stroke of a painter's brush. For people like me who have trouble even to thread a needle, these artists of the industry have quite a keen eye for colours and detail and match each shade accordingly with a different thread colour. Of course there is a vast difference between the novice and the expert artist.

A simple one as illustrated below, which sells for about USD 50/= or less if you're good in bargaining in Vietnamese, has better colour coordination and 'paints' better with the thread than I ever will with colour pencils or water colour. Shame on me........

Notice the details put into replicating the shadow and water reflection effect and each tapestry.


















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The many other faces of Vietnam
















What's Vietnam without some local photos.......

From hardworking female boat peddlers, to entrepreneurial photographers on the move, and yes of course....who can ever miss the all important butcher....

Did I mention Vietnam is a meat eating country. And dog meat happens to be one of the delicacies there. Mind you it is not just any stray or pet dog that they eat, but from the general observation, it seems to be just a certain breed of dog. This one here actually looked more like a skinned muscat than a dog. But on closer inspection....yup....it is a canine.

Another interesting observation is that all the dogs that were prepped for meals, the genitals seem to be missing. I think if their cultures are closely related to the Chinese, then perhaps the genitals serve a higher and more important purpose than just a palate tease. Genitals for some reason serve more as a libido booster. Hence the illegal trade of genital harvest from many exotic animals throughout the world occurs. Maybe someday some activist cum pharmacist would come up with a new tagline.... "Save the animals.....use viagra"


The interiors of Vietnam.....away from the big city where folks lead a much simpler life. No need to worry about traffic or trying to keep up with fashion trends. Their main objective, keep the paddy fields alive and try to make a quick buck out of the unsuspecting tourist.

Here's a lady trying to trade your real money for her fake money....

But seriously, it's 'hell money'. Money representation that is used for worshipers and those who pray for their ancestor. Much like how the Chinese practice too in burning paper mache buildings and figurines as a kind of homage to their dead ancestors.

Guess the biggest suffering in hell is that there are no shopping complexes. You'll just ave to rely on whatever your relatives by for you and burn it into hell for you....

Anyway just to wrap things off with the photo blog... Finally....... Here's what I thought is probably one of my most interesting non-Vietnam shot. The vaguest sense of vietnam connection is that he is part French, although residing in New Zealand. Jovial chap with alot to say be it in French or in English. I'm sure Adrian will dearly miss him. Hehe......

Till the next trip.

Signing off.