Vietnam 6: Hanoi

Fri 26 Jan
Sleeper bus from Phong Na to Hanoi. We were woken by cries of “HANOI, HANOI” at 6am, amazingly bang on schedule, and tumbled off the bus in darkness, grabbed our bags and into the predictable touted taxi to our hotel – who fleeced us in our sleepy naivety! Very impressed by LeLe Frog Hotel (yes really called that) who only charged us an extra $5 to check-in to our upgraded room at 06.15!! We slept until 10am, then the priority was to find a nearby laundry (20% of the price of hotel laundry) for the stinking jungle clothes, followed by yummy noodle, meatball and prawn soup breakfast on the street.        

Then time to wander to the Old Quarter of Hanoi, get a feel for this crazy busy city, and enjoy a few of the sites, but without feeling rushed because we would be back here next week after the Halong Bay boat trip.

The photographer’s challenge is trying to capture the buzz of the 5 million scooters in a city of 7.5 million people, the ramshackle architecture of the Old Quarter - with every square metre a retail opportunity – and all without getting run over! Here’s just a selection from our first day in this phrenetic capital of Vietnam.                                

 

Hoan Kiem Lake

Temple of Jade Mountain, on Hoan Kiem Lake   

Spot man mending roof...! 

“Egg Coffee”. - Hanoi speciality. Cathedral in background.

Dinner in the Old Quarter at “Don Duck” : duck bbq! 

 
Sat 27 – Tues 30 Jan
Off to Halong Bay boat trip and then Yen Duk village homestay: see separate report “Vietnam 5”.
We arrived back in Hanoi Tuesday evening, this time staying 2km west of the Old Quarter in the Lotte Hotel. Imagination had very kindly given Jess and I three nights of 5* accommodation as my leaving gift back in September.  At the time I hadn’t quite appreciated how much we would enjoy this oasis of luxury, which became the perfect end to a month of travelling north up this wonderful country.

Wed 31 Jan
Jess had managed to acquire an ear infection on the boat trip – so we stayed in our upgraded 100sqm suite on the 60th floor (!!) and did some trip planning. That afternoon we headed towards the Old Quarter – visiting Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and house

Ho Chi Minh’s House : 1958 - 1969

And HCM’s stilt house

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

Skating in front of Lenin! (HCM met him in Moscow in the ‘30s)

And onto Hoa Lo Prison, built by the French in 1989 and then used by the North Vietnamese to house captured American pilots in the Vietnam War, when it was known as the Hanoi Hilton.

Delicious street supper of Bun Cha and spring rolls at a famous café in the Old Quarter that’s been serving this Hanoi speciality since 1966.

Thurs 1 Feb
Making the most of our 5* hotel, I had a massage last night, and used the gym and outdoor pool (flipping freezing – even for a Brit) before the mandatory huge breakfast buffet.

More wandering in the city and shopping for sturdy walking shoes required in Myanmar.

Chinese chess: they had been playing for 2.5 hours.
“Captain” on the right was winning!

The Vietnamese Women’s Museum was fascinating, covering the diverse cultural traditions, farming and cooking in Vietnam – and culminating in a moving Women Heroes exhibition from the wars against the French and then the Vietnam War.

We concluded our last day in Vietnam with a celebratory drink in the highest bar in town – on the open air 65th floor of our hotel!

Fri 2 Feb
Last massive Lotte breakfast, then taxi to Hanoi airport for our flight to a new city in another country: Luang Prabang in Laos.


The Vietnam trip has been brilliant. We have managed to see quite a bit of this amazing country, and it was lovely to meet Thanh and his lovely family in Saigon. Kitesurfing, caves, hiking, boats, museums, and great food.  Chilly weather up North – so looking forward to Laos sunshine – but what a great month.


Footnote: Lucy S had a good suggestion: I should provide a map illustrating where we have been! Not sure I can do that on an iPad, so might have to ask a graphic designer (Tom?) to help !!