Travel Highlights: Hanoi

  1. Of The Origin, History & Diversity Of Its People

Clockwise from top left: (1) A welcoming Dragon dance on the grounds of Hanoi Museum of Ethnology. We arrived on the Sep 16 weekend ushering in of the Mid-Autumn Festival; (2) One of the tribal village home, complete with impressive carvings & interior decor;  (3) Ceremonial totem pole in the hallway of the main building; (4) Exterior of one of village homes.

Free water puppet show during the weekends:

      

  2. Food, Glorious Food!

Clockwise from top: (1) Tai Nam Beef Pho & oil-fried kueh (ew cha kuih). At the infamous 49 Bat Dan Street. When in Vietnam, say "fur" for pho; (2) Coconut coffee! I was absolutely nuts over this. At Cong Cafe. Not cheap thou, 45,000VND (RM8.40) ; (3) Try Banh Cuon & the roast cinnamon pork at Banh Cuon Gia Truyen. I like Banh Cuon chicken & prawn. Yummy!; (4) They have 2 outlets: One in Hang Ga Street in Hoan Kiem, & another in Le Van Huu in Hai Ba Trung area. This one is at Hoan Kiem.

3. The Sights, Sounds, & Scene

Clockwise top left: (1) Woke up close to 6am & scrambled over to Long Bien Bridge. Why is that? To sample the genius of Architect Monsieur Gustave Eiffel. Yes, he is the same man who gave us one of the seven wonders of the world. 😃
As the morning wore on, it became an extremely busy bridge (Read: Danger). One motorcyclist dropped a packet of ? food & immediately a pedestrian nonchalantly picked it up & continued his journey like nobody's business.  😮 Hub had to stand almost in the middle of the busy narrow lane to watch the bike while the owner went in hot pursuit after the thief! Luckily, the story ended happily. And us, safely. 
(2) Farmer ladies selling fruits at the center of a bigger road. Actually. 
(3) Oh, this is legendary. Traffic in the Old Quarter is about as lawless as a cow country. Narrow streets filled with a million honking motorcycles & cars. Busy intersections with no/non-functioning traffic lights. Everyone, every thing, edging within inches from each other. A Quality manager's nightmare. Hahaha.
 Forget helmets, these people are Rambos of the mini road. Four or more on a bike, ladies who sit cross-legged on a bike, even a motorbiker one hand on the handle with the other pulling a poor mongrel along the busiest road on a leash at 25km/hr! (Poor dog!) ; (4) Old lady sitting in front of an old shoplot in the Old Quarters.

Busy, busy intersection of a street leading to a pasar malam (night market) with cars, motorcycles, trishaws, & walking people.

Night scene at the Old Quarter of Hanoi. This old part of Hanoi is vibrant (lau jiet) especially in the weekends. Narrow food shops with widths of 10 feet or less lining up side by side. And always, with short tables & stools right up to the edge of the pavement. Often, amidst the crazy traffic just inches away.  Over here is no traffic zone at night, so you have to squeeze yourself with other pedestrians through the man-made stool & table congestion

4. The Hotel...

Clockwise from top left: (1) Clean cups, to the left. Used cups, to the right.; (2) Hanoi Little Diamond Hotel; (3) 2st Floor, 3st Floor! :P (4) Hm. I wonder where is the RACE in this fire safety instruction?

5. The Church

A trip to the Old Quarter will not be complete without celebrating Mass here.  Ladies & gentleman, the oldest church in Hanoi - St Joseph Cathedral, courtesy of the French in 1886. It has even got the same "Year of Mercy" emblem above the arch doorway.

Interior of the lovely cathedral.

6. Weasel! Coffee, I mean...

Apparently, civet or weasel coffee is known as one of the most expensive coffees in the world. According to Wikipedia, it sells from USD100-600 per pound in 2010.  We got our (cheaper) 3-in-1 instant brew for 125kVND. Taste is good! Recommend.

7. Parting Views

The plains. Stretches of paddy fields looking like patchwork.

Hanoi from the airspace.