Oi! Hanoi!

With only 10 days to see ALL of Vietnam, Lauren, John, and I set off early in the morning on a flight to Hanoi.  A few days in the capital city served as our starting off point for adventures in the north.

Following all safety regulations

After dropping our luggage at the Charming Hotel, which by the way was truly charming, we began the day with a massive meal of bun cha, a Hanoi specialty and official favorite of our group.  The shop only serves bun cha, so we didn’t have to worry about the language barrier hindering our order.  And lucky for us, the restaurant was just around the corner from Charming Hotel, at Hang Manh and Yen Thai.

Hanoi specialty - bun cha

Completely stuffed with rice noodles, grilled pork, and fresh herbs, we walked off our food comas around Hoan Kiem Lake.  Sittin’ pretty in the middle of the lake is Thap Rua (Turtle Tower), in honor of the brave golden turtle who did the work of the gods by returning Emperor Le Thai To’s magical sword to the bottom of the lake.  True story.

Turtle Tower

Hoan Kiem Lake

Our next stop was the National Museum of Vietnamese History, where we pieced together what we THOUGHT we knew about Vietnam with the sometimes-translated plaques detailing the historical events of the country.  Mostly though, we relished in the welcome air conditioning.

Cyclo drivers wait outside the National History Museum

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the Old Quarter of Hanoi in search of bia hoi.  (We found it.  A couple times.)

Hanoi Old Quarter

Hanoi

Power lines

Hanoi turned 1,000 years old in 2010!

Our second day in Hanoi began bright and early with a trip to see a dead guy.  We waited in line for over an hour in the blazing heat to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh, the beloved liberator of Vietnam.  There are strict rules about dress code and behavior inside the mausoleum, and of course you’re not allowed to bring your camera.  But I must say, this was the strangest, and one of my favorite, experience from the entire trip.  Inside the mausoleum, Uncle Ho lies in formaldehyde immortality, encased in a glass sarcophagus.  His hair is white and whispy, and his fingernails are impeccably clean.  Overall, pretty creepy, but I liked it.

Uncle Ho's eternal home

Next we spent some time wandering the grounds of the Mausoleum Complex, taking in views of the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, and the One Pillar Pagoda.  Inside the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the building was filled with mementos from the leader’s life.  The best piece was a clock from HCM’s room, which was stopped at the moment when he died in 1969.

Presidential Palace

Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House

One Pillar Pagoda / Lotus

Ho Chi Minh Museum

A steamy walk to the south brought us to the Temple of Literature.  Dedicated to Confucius, the Temple was the sight of Vietnam’s first University in 1076.  It reminded me of the millions of temples I visited in Taiwan, a nice blast from the past.

On the grounds of the Temple of Literature

Plaques with the names, birth places, and achievements of exceptional scholars
My info is on the third from the end :)

Roof of the Temple of Literature

Temple of Literature

We deserved a coffee break after a full day of history and stuff, so we trekked (in a cab) back to the Old Quarter to enjoy a potent brew from the terrace at the City View Cafe.  If I haven’t said it before, Vietnamese coffee is like diesel fuel, and it’s possibly the best thing in the entire nation.  The view from the table wasn’t half-bad, either.

Cafe da - my favorite

John reflects on the day

Because my brain was so filled with knowledge and history and travel plans, I forgot the tickets for the Water Puppet Show back at the hotel (oops). So we flew back to grab them and settled in to the most uncomfortable theater on Earth for the most bizarre cultural performance I’ve had the pleasure to experience.  I’m not sure any explanation I give would truly do the show justice.  Imagine: ten puppeteers standing in two feet of water behind a bamboo screen, guiding hand-crafted wooden puppets through tales of Vietnamese history and customs.  Oh, and a dragon and a fairy making sweet, sweet, mythical love.

Without question, we needed this after:

Selection of local brews

Lauren is right at home with her bia hoi and knock-off Ray-Bans