Part 1 - Hanoi

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Vietnam and the 60's-70s war remain deeply ingrained in the American memory even now, well after the last American fled Saigon in 1975. For Americans, the enduring image of Vietnam is a sight of helicopters lifting off from the roof of the American Embassy. America's collective memory shut down at that moment. 

But for the Vietnamese that was just the beginning -- the first chapter of a long, painful journey that is carrying them toward something they have not experienced in 2000 years: a combination of peace and potential prosperity. 

This communist country--one of the world's last--is moving toward a free-market economy to meet the demands of the Post-War-Generation. Although 80% of Vietnam's population lives in the relatively unchanged countryside, the cities are moving to a new beat. Motor bikes are pushing bicycles off the road, and in the last ten years, neon lights and skyscrapers have turned Hanoi's once austere streets into a modern city. 

Over half of Vietnam's population is under 25 and has no memory of what they call "The American War."  And with its rich history and culture, Vietnam is becoming a popular tourist destination. 

 Sourced from --Pete Peterson, PBS correspondent

Hi again everyone:

Welcome to the first part of our Vietnam and Cambodia vacation adventures.  This February we were there for about two-and-a-half weeks.  There are so many things we saw, did and learned  while there, and I hope to bring you the best of what we experienced in words and pictures, when we were allowed to take them anyway.  This was another Friends-of-Dave/AMA Waterways package, and like the others we've done with them, it was amazing.

The first stop for us was part of a pre-cruise extension, starting our visit in Hanoi. We arrived two days ahead of meeting up with our fellow pre-cruise packagers, and were glad for the extra time.

As you can see, things were pretty dressed up there, and that's because we were lucky enough to arrive during the ending of the celebration of Tết, or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.  

We met up with our wonderful long-time friends David and Donine, who had just arrived from a week in Laos.  In fact we were just going from the airport to our hotel room when we met David in the hotel courtyard.  After tossing our stuff into our room and brushing our teeth, we headed out with them to discover what was around us.  

We immediately headed toward Hoan Kiem Lake in the city's Old Quarter. Much of Hanoi's past and present is tied up in this scenic body of water.  And walking through the special Tết decorations was a real plus.

Hoan Kiem Lake's name points to the 15th century legend that is said to lie beneath its depths. Hồ Hoàn Kiếm means "Lake of the Returned Sword", alluding to the legend that the to-be Vietnamese emperor Le Loi received a sword from a magic turtle at the lake's edge. Le Loi drove the Chinese out of Vietnam with the sword, which was then reclaimed by the turtle after the invaders had left.

The ghostly shrine above is the Turtle Pagoda, standing on an islet at the lake's center.  It pays homage to the aforementioned golden turtle.

After strolling among more beautiful flower displays that had been set up for the holiday, we next crossed the Huc (Morning Sunlight) Bridge, a graceful,  wooden bridge, going over to Ngoc Son Temple.  The temple is both a museum, and an active place of worship, where monks and devotees perform their religious duties.

We spent more time here two days later when the rest of our group caught up to us, but that's a travelogue tale for next time.

Another nice thing about being there for Tết was that we were there on a Saturday and Sunday, and everyone was decked out in all their finery, especially the mothers and their children.

 The children were so adorable we kept thinking how nice it would be to adopt one or two.  Really, who can resist this tiny little face?

 Even when they grow up, they're still small and cute...for a few years anyway...better we stick with cats though.

After the temple we continued around the lake and into Hanoi's Old Quarter.  

 The Old Quarter is shaped like a triangle, with streets named after the goods sold in them. We immediately encountered the narrow sidewalks, which force you to walk in the busy streets, as they have become parking places for Hanoi's main form of transportation as seen above, the motor bike.

Of course there were the persistent shopkeepers imploring you to check out their stuff, covering a wide range from delicious tropical fruit to Chinese knockoffs of name brand clothes, to fine silk shirts and bright lacquer ware.

 And of course, more Tết decorations.

As can be noted in these scenes, buildings are tall and narrow, and have a definite French influence.  In the 17th-19th centuries, in an effort to Catholicize the nation, French missionaries lobbied for a military and political presence there.  

The country was then colonized in the 18th century, the land was exploited over the next century, with the local residents forced into indentured servitude.

 The French influence is still very present in the form of architecture and exquisite culinary delights.  

We were warned not to eat any street fruit we didn't peel ourselves, which limited us to their wonderful and tiny bananas, although we were later told we could also have eaten any of the hot food served from their sizzling frying pans and steaming pots.  

Common sense however said that no matter how good that food might look or taste, why risk getting sick over it, so we held off for the very good restaurant fare.

I, being of an electrical bent, was fascinated by the jumbles of wires that were strung everywhere in town, like those above.  We were later told they were for internet and phone service, and that Vietnam has really done well with its high-speed internet service.  

And if you have a problem with it, the repairmen can magically figure out the problem in the maze and jumble, and restore service within the hour.

 Traffic in Hanoi is a real free-for-all, with the motor bikes ignoring the stoplights and skillfully passing right on through intersections and pedestrians with great dance-like precision...as long as they're not drinking, which they mostly reserve for Tết.  

We learned on our own the secret of crossing Hanoi streets was to wait for an small opening and start walking slowly across, making eye contact and keeping a steady pace so they know where you'll be, and can drive by accordingly.  It got to be quite a fun game for us...eventually.

One delightful scene for us to watch was a group of about a dozen older ladies dressed in their Sunday best, locking arms in a long line, and then slowly walking side-by-side into a very fast-moving and busy street, one we wouldn't have even tried to cross ourselves.  They moved slowly and cautiously across, successfully and safely arriving intact on the other side.  A sight to remember.

 The food the Vietnamese eat is always very fresh, with vegetables, fish and meat delivered to the street merchants daily at least.  For the city folk, much is cooked and eaten right out on the sidewalk, where the pots, pans and dishes are also washed.
 
It's a bit disturbing at first, but when you realize that each small, deep apartment houses five, six, or more families, the sidewalk is the only place for the kitchen.  And many make their living selling their street food to the locals.  It does look very delicious in most cases.  We however safely opted for a nice restaurant for our afternoon repast.

 

 Afterward, we continued our trek around the lake, enjoying the many scenes and Tết decorations along the way.

 

Above is the Ngoc Son Temple from the other side of the lake.

The next day we went the opposite direction and toward the old French Quarter, seeing the sights and visiting a couple of interesting temples.  

In the slideshow at the end of this travelogue, I have included some of the informational signs about some of the temples, etc.  If you want to learn more, just pause the show and read them.  

Some are quite interesting, as Vietnam has been through many wars, rulers and regimes over the centuries, and the temples have had many various and sundry uses depending on who was in charge, or which war was underway.

Below is the National Library of Vietnam, the outside of it anyway. 

Being Sunday, it was closed, but who needed books anyway with so much else to see and do there.  Donine had been a librarian for the State of California, so it was appropriate for her to pose there.

We had a great lunch in the quarter, and saw many more historic buildings in the French style, like the Hanoi Opera House.

In the slideshow are many of the other gorgeous and fascinating sights we saw before returning to our fabulous Sofitel Hotel Metropole. 

A lot of the buildings we saw (and photographed) had only Vietnamese lettering on them, so I don't know what they are, but they were attractive enough to photograph.

 The third day we meet up with our other extended-tour friends-of-Dave and set off for some new adventures, like a wild cyclo (rickshaw) ride through the crazy traffic in the old quarter.  Also, a visit to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton".  So I hope to have the next chapter ready very soon.

We'll also see some of the truly amazing things that can be carried on the back of a motor bike.

I have put the best of my pictures into a slideshow that I hope you'll take the time to watch.  I recommend, depending on where you are at the moment, that you'll grab a beer, a glass of wine, a cup of coffee, tea, the boss's secretary, whatever, then sit back and enjoy the slideshow by going to full screen mode (F11) if you haven't yet, and then clicking 

HERE.  

It will comfortably glide you through our first two days and hopefully give you a good feel for this wonderful place.

Next time, more adventures in Hanoi.

Until then be well, be safe, and be happy!

 Carl (& Steve)

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Before you marry a person,

you should first make them use a computer with slow internet 

to see who they really are.

 --Will Ferrell

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