Despite the data overload on most move websites describing Vietnam as everything from a the world amongst a war-laden past times to a the world amongst quaint, tranquillity towns amongst a rich civilization - yet, I didnt know what to actually expect.
On Day 1 of our rest at Hanoi, nosotros were educate at vi am (we rarely wake upward hence early holidays, but hence ‘Ha Long Bay’ was a iii hr drive-cum-ferry trip off Hanoi - hence nosotros had to start early) … as well as hence - our auto driver called inwards late! Wanting to ‘kill the xxx infinitesimal wait’, nosotros decided to stroll downwards the quaint ‘Old Quarter’ expanse of Hanoi where nosotros (and most 'tourists') stayed.. What would nosotros notice at vi am, nosotros idea – but at to the lowest degree nosotros tin guide maintain a walk inwards the fresh air!
To our surprise, the streets of Old Quarter were bustling amongst 2 wheelers (people riding to larn to operate perhaps?), immature girls amongst conical straw hats riding bicycles, middle aged drivers pushing their ‘cyclo’s (cycle rickshaws) downwards the streets as well as street vendors carrying their goods inwards twin baskets hanging across the shoulders on a bamboo pole – selling everything from fresh fruits to rice to utensils as well as identify stuff. All this activeness was through streets which were lined past times a myriad of shops- most amongst their shutters nonetheless downwards as well as a canopy of wires ‘meshed’ across electrical poles. The shuttered downwards shops had at their doorstep – piddling make-shift breakfast stalls. Each stall had 2-3 mini stools for customers to sit down on as well as guide maintain breakfast of ‘pho bo’ – the local noodle broth. The breakfast stalls would shortly closed for the twenty-four hours making means for the shutters to opened upward into mass shops, move shops as well as plush restaurants serving ‘authentic’ Vietnamese cuisine.
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| Fruit vendors inwards the Old Quarter |
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| The vi am breakfast of 'Pho Bo' |
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| A lady making Rice Paper Sheets (for Rice Paper Rolls) |
The morn marketplace set inwards the middle of Old Quarter was as exciting (and sparklingly clean) – iii aisles total of vendors selling vegetables, fish, snakes, meat as well as other raw ingredients that would hence larn cooked as sumptuous meals around the local restaurants as well as nutrient stalls. Customers amongst stuff bags educate for their purchase were haggling for their money’s worth.. (this could guide maintain good been India - I idea to myself!).
The other side of Old Quarter ended at the primary street – a band route that encircled the Hoan Keim Lake (famous for the legendary golden turtle god).. Local joggers at the lake were brushing past times the morn mist that arose inwards a higher identify the lake giving the onlooker a gentle peek at the “Turtle Tower” correct inwards the middle of the waters.
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| Hoan Keim Lake (famous for the legendary Golden Turtle God) |
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| Incense Stick Sellers |
Our walk ended amongst our cabbie’s honk – nosotros hence proceeded amongst our ‘touristy’ adventures as well as to a greater extent than over the adjacent few days inwards as well as around Hanoi...
My listing of Top v Attractions inwards as well as around Hanoi:
- Ha Long Bay
- The Perfume Pagoda
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- The One Pillar Pagoda
- The Water Puppet Theatre
Ha Long Bay (which is a UNESCO globe heritage sight) amongst thousands of limestone isles was breathtaking! We waded through the bay waters inwards a quaint junkboat – riding past times floating line-fishing villages, past times piddling boats selling vegetables as well as fruits – watching the limestone islets inwards diverse shapes, forms as well as sizes! We wished nosotros had spent to a greater extent than than simply a twenty-four hours there!
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| Fruit Vendor at Ha Long Bay |
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| Our Junk Boat cruising thru Ha Long Bay |
The ‘Perfume Pagoda’ – (about a xxx infinitesimal campaign from Hanoi city) - had an interesting legend: If you lot rub the cave walls of the Pagoda amongst currency notes, you lot volition last blessed amongst to a greater extent than wealth! (We promptly did the needful …!)
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| The 'Perfume' Pagoda |
The journeying to the Pagoda – (a boat ride followed past times a cable auto ride to the top where the Pagoda was), was maybe to a greater extent than interesting than the Pagoda itself. These boats filled amongst as many as 20 passengers at times, were all driven past times women – most of them who were widows of war-martyrs, nosotros were told. It was amazing how rigid - these otherwise fragile looking women - actually were as well as nosotros were actually humbled past times their feat!
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| A 'Sea' of boats waiting to guide maintain us to the Pagoda |
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| Boats steered past times women (many of them are widows of country of war martyrs) |
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| A co rider smoking a Bamboo Pipe |
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - is a must see (gives a peak into the life as well as times of HCM) as well as hence is the One Pillar Pagoda - which is a small-scale pagoda standing on a unmarried pillar inwards the middle of a pond. This Pagoda is said to guide maintain been built past times Emperor Ly Thai Tong as a token of gratitude to Avalokiteshvara later his boy was born. It is ane of the 2 most iconic pagoda inwards Vietnam (the other ane beingness the Perfume Pagoda).
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| The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum |
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| The One Pillar Pagoda |
The Water Puppet Theatre correct inwards the middle of Hanoi was a cultural treat! Colorful Puppets telling us a Vietnamese legend of kings as well as farmers as well as turtles et all – but amongst a divergence – all puppets were ‘dancing’ around on water!
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| The Water Puppet Show |
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| The Water Puppeteers taking a bow later the show |
On our terminal twenty-four hours at Hanoi - sitting inwards the balcony of a local Coffee Shop at a busy crossroad, watching the Sun larn downwards as well as busy 2 wheelers rushing dorsum homewards, nosotros reminisced the days spent there. Hanoi genuinely had a lot to offering … but what actually stayed inwards our hearts was the start manus sense of what the urban core actually was (at vi am!) – it reflected the city’s thriftiness, its old-meets-new street scenes, the plush-meets-humble nutrient joints as well as eventful markets! Sipping the terminal of our steaming Vietnamese coffee, nosotros stepped out onto the street – bought souvenirs for dorsum dwelling trace of piece of occupation solid (a conical hat, a mini cyclo as well as of course of written report tons of sweetness memories!)
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| Bustling Hanoi |
What kids volition dearest inwards Hanoi: - The Water Puppet Theatre
- Cable Car Ride upward to the Perfume Pagoda
- Cruise along the Ha Long Bay (but the 3-4 hours cruise as the overnight ane powerfulness larn ho-hum for kids)
- Walk (Run past) the promenade along the Hoan Kiem Lake
- Visit the colourful markets of Hanoi
(An extract of this travelogue was published inwards Hindustan Times HT Cafe on May 1, 2010). Sumber https://neverjetlagged.blogspot.com