North-Vietnam

Hanoi, the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is an elegant city located on the banks of the Red River with tranquil Hoan Kiem Lake at its heart. North of the lake are the bustling streets of the Old Quarter (where we stayed), each street named after the trade that used to take place there.
Oli and I flew over for a weeks holiday at the beginning of October.

Phnom Penh- Vietienne-Hanoi

Much of the city was transformed by the French when it became a French protectorate in the 1880s and there are wide boulevards and large colonial buildings which are now home to government departments and foreign embassies.
Following years of rampant inflation, poverty and repression, the government introduced economic reform or doi moi in 1986, allowing people to own their own businesses. Now Hanoi has been totally transformed and visitors are entranced by the city and its residents. Recent years have seen an enormous increase in visitors and at peak times every hotel room in Hanoi is booked up, so prices have risen accordingly.
Teeming with culture, history, great restaurants and nightlife, Hanoi offers a fantastic introduction to Vietnam. And that's what we wanted and got.

We arrived late in the dark at our Hotel and were only able to have a little stroll along the busy streets and have some first impressions. Everything was decorated with beautiful fairy lights to start the big celebration of 1000 years Hanoi! The next day, we started exploring. First of all we went to the lake.

The lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as a focal point for its public life.

this girl came to Oli and wanted a picture with him

I also wanted to be in the picture!

to celebrate in style, we got some banners and stickers

Have you ever had "Wiesel-Coffe"?

According to legend, the Emperor Le Loi presented a magic sword, he had used in victorious revolt against the Chinese, to the Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) of the lake - hence it's name.

The Tortoise Tower (Thap Rua) standing on a small island near the center of lake is linked to the legend.

the giant magic turtle

Since then, the lake previously called Ho Luc Thuy or Green Water Lake, became known as Ho Hoan Kiem, or The Lake of the Returned Sword.
Seven years ago, Duc named the reptile, estimated to weigh about 200 kg (440 lb), Rafetus Leloi in honor of the emperor.
So far this year, the turtle has appeared 78 times compared with 58 times for all of last year, the professor said. It emerges more frequently between October and March.

Near the northern shore of the lake lies Jade Island on which the Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple) stands. The temple was erected in the 18th century. It honors the 13-century military leader Tran Hung Dao who distinguished himself in the fight against the Yuan Dynasty, Jade Island is connected to the shore by the wooden red-painted Huc Bridge (Morning Sunlight Bridge).

lucky games around the lake

this woman got styled probably for a photo shoot

Oli infront of thousends of plastic flowers, looks good though

along the lake

our lunch, typical vietnamese PHO noodles

and for desert a luxurieous yogourth ice cream

giant film screens everywhere

Oly on stage singing his favourite song: Should old aquaintance be forgot...

In the afternoon, we visited the Water puppet theatre.
Mua Roi Nuoc or Water Puppet is a unique art which has it origin in the delta of the Red river in the tenth century. The farmers in this region devised a form of entertainment using what natural medium they can find in their environment. In ancient times, the ponds and the rice paddies after harvest were the stage for these impromptu shows. This art form is unique to North Vietnam and only finds its way to the world stage in recent years as a result of the normalized relation with the West. Today the Thang Long puppet troupe is the most well known in Ha Noi.

Modern, water puppetry is performed in a pool of water with the water surface being the stage. The puppeteers stand behind a screen and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The puppets are carved out of wood and often weigh up to 15 kg. A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides background music accompaniment. Singers of Cheo (a form of opera) with origin in north Vietnam sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets.

The theme of the skits is rural and has a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. It tells of day-to-day living in rural Vietnam and Vietnamese folk tales that are told by grandparents to their grandchildren. Stories of the harvest, of fishing and of festivals are highlighted. Legends and national history are also told through short skits. Many of the skits, especially those involving the tales of day-to-day living, often have a humorous twist.

lovely to go shopping in hanoi!

Traffic in Hanoi is very chaotic, even more then in Cambodia I had the feeling. Crossing a street is an experience in its own. There is a basic rule to cross a street you always have to follow: do not hesitate.
Do not wait for the traffic to stop, it never does. You have to start walking and continue on a steady pace. Motorbikes will avoid you. It takes some practice, but at the end of your stay you will be able to cross the streets without problems. You do have to be careful, because accidents do happen and the motorbikes are very fast...

busy streets

in the streets of Hanoi

cutting spring onions

wall grafitti

yes we had a lovely day!

Another good thing about Hanoi is, that is has nice beer.

Beer Hoi, fresh beer - delicious and cheep

Jo! means Cheers in Vietnamese.

unfortunately we had a lot of rain

on the way to Uncle Ho

The Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi is a dedicated museum. It was built in memory of a great man whose name is written in golden alphabets in the history of Vietnam. The special person was a great revolutionary and statesman and went on to become first the Prime Minister and then the President of North Vietnam. The great man was none other than Ho Chi Minh. The common people of Vietnam are indebted to him for what he has done for his country and as a mark of their gratitude the museum was dedicated to him apart from a city and a mausoleum which also shares his name.
The Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi is the preserver of everything memorable related to the great revolutionist, Ho Chi Minh. The Museum consists of five extensive floors and was inaugurated on 2nd September, 1990, celebrating the 100th birthday occasion of the beloved President. (This is what you get when you google Ho-Chi-Minh-Museum!)

everybody wants to see Uncle Ho

usually he's in there (the mausoleum), but was then travelling to Russia for repair work

Uncle Ho postcard

the entrance of the Ho-Chi-minh museum

pulling the beard?

Please read carefully...

a rather interesting exhibition about what happend in the time of Ho Chi Minh

at the temple on one stilt

Xian-Chau (means "hello"in Vietnamese)

a vietnamese family on holiday wanted to take a picture with us, why not?

everywhere was decorated in order to celebrate 1000 years hanoi

we found a tofu lady and had lunch on the street

Although communism is long gone, and the spirits of free enterprise flood the streets of Vietnam, there are still some symbols of the old regime. One of them is this statue of Lenin.

Goodbye Lenin!

the vietnamese girls really liked Oli, no surprise there...

Yo Lenin, Yo!

Nowadays Vietnam is one of the most corrupted countries in the world. There seems to be no limit to what money can buy here. Students have to pay if they want a good post. Even policemen have to pay in order to have a good destination. Democracy is still a forbidden word.

so that's where the V-sighn comes from...

Seen everywhere in Hanoi, Tube- Houses

The Temple of Literature (or Van Mieu) is one of Hanoi's highlights. The temple, an example of ancient Vietnamese architecture, was originally built in 1070 to honor scholars and literacy men. Soon after it became the country's first University. The names of its graduates were engraved on stone steles. Some of the tablets were lost. Those remaining are mounted on the back of stone turtles and enclosed on one side of the complex.

We were very lucky to find a photo-exhibiton there which was absolutely amazing.

at the temple of literature

Here are some of my favourite shots:

The next day we checked out of our nice hotel to get onto the bus to drive for 4 hours towards the North-West to get to the coast line of Ha Long Bay.
"Ha Long" is literally translated as "Bay of Descending Dragons." Ha Long Bay is a beautiful area with 1969 limestone islands jutting imposingly upon the skyline. Unfortunately the place is a tourist trap and the unique panorama is spoilt by a tremendous amount of "junks" which are in fact slimly disguised tourist boats that bear no resemblance to the authentic Chinese sailing vessels of the same name. These diesel-powered floating money-makers careen about the bay with casual indifference to safety as they bump and crunch against each other in a frenzy to drop their fares onto the obligatory island or floating shop before depositing the harried passengers back at Halong Bay dock feeling like they've been cheated out of their Dong, even if that isn't particularly true. The romantic setting is forever spoilt by the cattle-market mentality. Still... nice scenery.
And it was! For me it was an amazing trip because I've never experienced anything like it, I've never stayed over night on a boat before!

there she comes, our beauty

'Halongwonder"

our lunch on board

Then we visited Thien Cung Grotto and Dau Go Cave.

at the giant grotto

inside the grotto

the scenery was stunning...

fruit sellers at Halong Bay

Pineapple?

we are on a boat and in love...

could there be anything better?

kayaking at Halong Bay

it was raining, it was cold but it was great fun!

in the evening we sang karaoke before we went to sleep in our own cabin

Our sleep on board was actually interrupted by lots of rat action and noise. Apparently that is a good sighn the captain said the next morning. It means, that the boat is floating. Ah ja.
Our 2 day trip along Ha Long Bay ended by climbing up a rock and having a swim. It was absolutely amazing...

made it!

we had a great view from one of the tops of the rocks

after that climb, we need a swim!

our slightly crazy travel companions

From Ha Long Bay, we got back to Hanoi and got the Night-train to the very North of Vietnam, destination: Sapa.

the official Sapa-picture!

Located in Vietnam's remote northwest mountains, Sapa is famous for both its fine, rugged scenery and also its rich cultural diversity. Sapa is an incredibly picturesque village that lies in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in northwestern Vietnam, known as "the Tonkinese Alps". Sapa and its surrounding region is host to many hill tribes, as well as rice terraces, lush vegetation, and Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam.

big pigs!

somehow the rice plants looked bigger there then in Cambodia

Many ethnic minorities, such as the Hmong and the Dao, live in and around Sapa. Many older women in particular make items such as beautiful ethnic-style clothes and blankets, to sell to tourists.

curious locals

more curious locals

After visiting Vietnam, I am sure I am a giant.

general condition good, only one tooth is missing...

This elderly lady sold me this beautiful skirt.

very persistent though...

traditional clothes from Sapa and the different Ethnic groups

Children from these ethnic minorities begin to earn a living as soon as they are five years old. They often peddle small metal or silver trinkets, embroidered pillow cases and friendship bands in the main town, and they walk for about 3 hours from their villages to reach. Some of the "richer" ethnic women sometimes take a one-hour motorbike ride back to their villages at the end of the day.

so many nice things to buy...

but fortunately there is christmas soon, a good reason to buy...

and some earrings for me...

just need a little adjustment...

my top model!

don't worry, nobody will get this hat as a present.

What shall I buy I haven't got yet?

The thing we were warned about but of course not really taken into account was the weather issue. At this time of the year it is cold there. We have rolled into town on a glorious clear day but as soon as we drove higher up the mountains into Sapa town, we were nearly both days trapped in impenetrable fog. We didn't bring along warm clothes of course and fortunately the first day we had nice weather, but the second day for the main hike it was really cold and miserable. Our hotel didn't have efficient heating so I was really greatful to have a warm duvet and a hot shower, because I was nearly freezing to death at that point.

the next day it was very cold, misty and wet...

typical indigo coloured material hangs out to dry

Oli needed his chocolate fix...

the local hospital, looked closed and scary

ah a spider!

in one of the villages we passed on our hiking trip

the locals waiting to do more buisness with the tourists

this little one sells bracelts and walking sticks made of bamboo

we had a beautiful hiking trip through the mountains of Sapa

After we returned back to Hanoi again by night-train, we flew in the early morning hours back home. To Cambodia. When we arrived, it was lovely and warm. I could communicate again and everything felt familiar and good. I was glad to back. It was an amazing time in Vietnam and it was really exiting to discover a new country, but I must say, that nothing can beat my beloved Cambodia.

written by

katja-horsch on November 4, 2010 from Hanoi, Vietnam

from the travel blog: North-Vietnam

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a travel blog by katja-horsch

North-Vietnam

Hanoi, Vietnam