Hanoi

Before we got to Hanoi, I had been told about it by many of my friends. They mentioned how busy it was, how loud and how different to - well anywhere I’ve been.

The lawless traffic, the cramped broken pavements, the street food, that whole Old Quarter vibe will give anyone, who is not used to it, a bit of a culture shock.

But once you’ve taken a step back, and a good look around you, you begin to filter the overwhelming income of information and its the charm of the Old Quarter that captures you and lures you in.

Strolling through Old Quarter is a good way to get a good impression of your surroundings, before deciding what to do in Hanoi.

We went to Don Xuan Market, a three story building filled with trinkets, clothes and materials. Vendors in Hanoi are rather unconcerned about you purchasing anything, which on the one hand lets you browse in peace, and on the other doesn’t let you purchase anything at all because the vendor might just leave when you strike up a conversation. We didn’t quite figure out if the prices in that Market hall are negotiable, the salespeople name a price, and shrug if you offer a lower one, shaking their head and turning away.

Enthusiastic vendor at Dong Xuan Market

The Long Biên Bridge apparently designed by Eiffel, looks rather shabby. We crossed it on foot next to the motorbike walkway, but that Hanoi sight was a bit disappointing.

Just like the interior of the small, slightly unspectacular temple on Hoan Kiem Lake (The Ngoc Son Temple). Its a lovely little building but its more spectacular on the outside, and the real beauty is the lit up bridge leading to it.

The lake is a nice place to take a walk without being almost run over by a motorcycle. (Seriously, if one is too conscious about being run over one will not manage to cross any roads or walk anywhere in Old Quarter.)

The real hits in my opinion are the Museums, we visited the Women’s Museum and the Hoa Lo Prison. Both are very interesting and display Hanoi’s history as well as parts of their culture.

There are pagodas dotted all over Hanoi and visiting them is a nice thing to do if you’re in the area.

Of course we also went to see the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, though sadly the museum and his house were closed the day we visited it.

That day we also looked at the Quan Thanh Temple, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature. Of all the temples and pagodas in Hanoi the the Temple of Literature was my favourite. The four courtyards built at different times offer a lovely stroll through Indochinese history.

A must do in Hanoi is a stroll across the night market on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays 7pm till midnight. The streets of Old Quarter are cleared of traffic, and musicians and artists emerge, performing on the streets. All the restaurants set up seating outside and lots of street food is served. People dance, eat, browse and the atmosphere is the opposite of the rushed, cramped, loud daytime.

Sadly I was ill during our stay in Hanoi and this forced us to miss out on a tour to Halong Bay. In addition it cut the days shorter, as I tired much faster.

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Em

14/01/2018

Hoi An

#Travel #Hanoi #Vietnam #Oldquarter #Southeastasia #Budgettravelling