Hanoi, Vietnam

I slept in!  Can’t believe it!  Was it the bed?  Or was it that I was just so tired? Don’t know but it is a rare occurrence!  

I took my time getting going and my first stop was Café Giang, the birthplace of egg coffee.  Nguyen Van Giang was a bartender at a Sofitel Hotel in 1946 when milk was scarce so he used egg yolks in its and voilà, today we have the best coffee ever-

The place was packed-

the coffee was expensive and the portion was small.  Nothing like my Bill Coffee in Hoi An!

My next stop was at the bus depot for my trip to Sapa tomorrow.  Unfortunately it didn’t exist! I asked a few people and they led me on a wild goose chase. Finally I stopped at a travel agency to ask because most book bus trips and she had the brains to call the business and explained to me that the location has been moved across the street. I went to check it out just to make sure I knew where it was and told them that they needed to change that on the website. They said they were in the process of doing that and there would be someone waiting at the old address to direct people where to go in the morning. I’m just glad I found it so I don’t have to panic.

Typical Hanoi housing-

Lots of people have birds for pets-

Remnants of French architecture-

I kept wandering and came to Sword Lake-

in the middle of Hanoi.  There’s a temple-

in the middle of it that you can visit, but I opted out – the bridge towards it is very nice-

The streets are car free and what a nice change that is.  It’s like a carnival atmosphere.  This man is making candy – 

Nearby is Ba Kieu Temple or Heavenly Fairy Temple where they worship Mother Goddess- 

Lots of offerings inside-

These kids were playing with silkworms –

Here are their cocoons –

and the finished product-

More views of the lake –

In the middle of it is Turtle Tower built in 1886 by a musician who was secretly working for the French.  The tower was in honour of Lê Lói, one of the most famous figures of Vietnamese history and one of its greatest heroes.  The musician also planned to secretly bury his father in the tower but when he was found out, his dad’s body was removed. In 1890, the French built a miniature Statue of Liberty on top of the tower but in 1945, after the French were kicked out of Vietnam by the Japanese, the Vietnamese government removed it-

Nearby is a statue honoring Lý Thái Tô  who lived from 8 March 974 – 31 March 1028.  He was a founding emperor of the Lý dynasty and the 6th ruler of Ðai Viêt which was a Vietnamese monarchy around Hanoi from the 10th century to the early 19th.  He reigned from 1009 to 1028-

Huge grapefruit-

I carried on wandering.  This electrical box is painted nicer than a lot of professional paintings-

The busy streets-

Train Street in Hanoi is a must see.  People live in this area above the track-

A few times daily, and fewer on the weekends, a train goes by-

The track runs this close to buildings only for about 300 meters but it was very close-

The restaurants all have lights and beautiful colors or paintings-

I decided I wanted a waving cat made of glass to replace my gold plastic and broken one at my entrance.  Eventually I found someone who suggested a local market so away I went.

Along the way is a temple where they sell big fresh flower wreaths-

They make them right there-

Even cars have large statues on their roofs-

Transportation and commerce are so different-

So is the food!

Roasted dog-

and grilled dog intestines-

Delicious!

No, I didn’t try it!  

I haven’t seen a Christian church for a long time.  Saint Joseph’s Cathedral was built of baked clay in 1884 during the French colonial period.  In 1954 when the French left Vietnam, the church was closed until Christmas 1990-

I finished the day by going to a water marionette show-

During the 50 minutes, many Vietnamese folk tales were told.  Lots were about farmers in rural areas working in the fields-

Boat races among villagers-

Tribute to the Phoenix-

who then laid an egg and a baby hatched-

Ducks-

Fish-

and fishing-

The performers-

It was dusk when the show ended.  It’s right by Sword Lake so the bridge to the temple was lit up-

As I was walking home, it started to spit.  You’d have thought there was an earthquake the way people started running!  

I stopped near my hotel for a beer that is almost my Grandma’s name - Alida-

and had some dumplings for double what it would have cost me a block away where the locals eat.  Not sure why I chose this place-

Busy busy-

Nearby there was a lot of seafood to be grilled-

Restaurants ready for the crowds-

When living in such a populated spot, homes sit at the end of very small alleys, surrounded by hotels, shops and restaurants.  Just around the corner from where I’m staying, people live at the end of the alley: you can see their tv.  Everyone has a scooter, luckily they aren’t trying to park cars which would be impossible, and they litter the streets.  There are 3 hotels in this small area-

I was craving something sweet and was looking for a stall that sells donuts, kind of like Timbits.  When I got to my hotel, I asked the guy sitting outside if he knew a nearby place.  He hopped on his scooter and was back in 5 minutes with some.  Now that’s service!

I had a great day!  I saw a lot and the temperature was perfect.  Tomorrow morning I catch a 7 am bus to Sa pa which is in northwest Vietnam.  The weather is supposed to be cold so I might wish I stayed here!