Hanoi 7 - 11 Aug 2009

Hanoi, the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam, invited me to take a step back in time to experience what has been forgotten by most modern people
- The Simple Life

Traffic is massive in Hanoi, watching from way above looks like ants scrambling around when you mess their order. Most people own bikes and if you think they're willing to wait in queue when there's a jam, you're totally wrong. They ride right up pavements too! And if you're waiting by the roadside hoping to cross when there are no oncoming cars or bikes, you could be standing there forever! The trick is to walk confidently straight at the slightest opportunity without hesitation. You'll see the oncoming drivers avoiding you or like what they say "parting like the red sea"! Looking at the drivers on their phones, 1 large family of 5 on a bike, no signal lights, everything is so naturally wrong that nothing can go any more wrong! Truly amazing. I enjoyed crossing the road and being pillioned on the bike, just to catch all the actions on the road!

The mornings of the locals put us Singaporeans to shame. They were up early setting up market/food stalls anywhere and everywhere, children were playing badminton at the narrow lanes and parks. The parks were so well utilised, people strolling, doing Tai Chi, Yoga, cycling, jogging, even on a working day. It is also a common sight to find fruits everywhere and loads of vegetables on their serving dishes; you can see why people are so slim in Vietnam.

This is dog meat, mind you!! *Weep*


In Vietnam, there are 四大苗条 （The Four Slims)：
苗条的女人 (Slim women)
苗条的路 (Slim/Narrow roads)
苗条的房子 (Slim houses)
苗条的国家 (Slim country - Vietnam on the map)


Noodles with beef, vegs, nuts and seasoning. My fave breakfast! Delicious!

This is BBQ pork served separately with Pho.

Interestingly enough, there is hardly any night life in Hanoi as most cafes or pubs are closed by midnight. Our night ventures were Old Quarter visits, coffee at Highland Cafe, Proper massage- Forever on Lang Ha (45mins full body massage for VND120,000!) and supper at Fortuna Hotel. The Old Quarter, near Hoan Kiem lake, is a night market in the heart of the distritct that opens for business every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening. Pretty much like the 女人街 in HK and our Pasar Malam, the street layout reflects the original architecture of old Hanoi.

The Old Quarters


The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu), site of the oldest university in Vietnam 1070




Silk Village


This is a common resting roadside stall that serves Cha Da (Vietnamese Tea)


Halong Bay

Thanks to a great friend, I got the chance to board the luxurious IndoChina Sails at Halong Bay. It was like a mini hotel on water. Accommodating about 20pax, the rooms were pretty - cosy beds, large windows *got me real excited!* (unlike the puny porthole window you find in the common rooms on gigantic Star Virgo), decent toilet with shower place, and fully air conditioned. Food was great, the staff on board were friendly and helpful, and the activities planned were interesting - kayaking, mountain trekking, swimming, wine tasting (we missed this though), and squid fishing.

IndoChina Sails


The deck was one of my favourite chilling place, especially at night when the ship anchored and we found ourselves surrounded by mountains (1,960 mountains in all) and nothing across the horizon. The feeling was awesome!




Kayaking at Bats Cave

Titop Island ------------------- Sung Sot Island

The beautiful morning on Halong bay. I was sipping coffee and reading a book in my air-con room while looking outside this big glass window. Such breath-taking view left me speechless!

Interesting finds in Hanoi:

Postcard showing the traditional Vietnamese conical hats or "Non La"


The silk and embroidery on bags and clothes at Silk Village


The popular G7 coffee and Highland coffee

Souvenirs from the Old Quarters - Dragonfly!
See how they balance on the tip of my fingers!

3 words to describe Hanoi:

Simple (people), Organised-mess (traffic) and HOT hot hot!! (Our hottest day was 40degrees!)
I like.