So less than a week after returning from Krabi, we happily packed our bags again and flew to Hanoi for a 4-night trip that would include two nights in the city and another two nights on nearby Ha Long Bay. We left Singapore on Wednesday, 9-February, and after a 3-hour flight we arrived in Hanoi around lunchtime. There was a stark difference in airport decor when comparing our posh Changi Airport complete with a butterfly garden and Segway tours to the Hanoi airport that looked like a structure that hadn't been altered since the 1960s. It looked exactly like what you would expect when entering a Communist country.
Our Hanoi experience got off to a rocky start when another passenger mistakingly took our suitcase from the baggage carousel. We wondered why it was taking so long for our bag to appear when it had a priority label on it and when we saw the exact same suitcase, with someone else's tag, we knew what had happened. Brian unsuccessfully attempted to explain the situation to the airport staff and then made a quick phone call to the frequent flyer desk at Singapore Airlines. They were able to contact the person with our suitcase and within 20 minutes, he returned to the airport to exchange suitcases. The funny part was that the man was traveling from Dallas. We figured he probably bought his luggage at Kohl's, just like us!
So, with our luggage finally with us, our guide, Mao, drove us into the city. We booked our trip through a Vietnam-based company that friends had used in the past and it made for an easy travel experience for us. We had our own guide and driver who took care of just about everything during the trip and I was happy to outsource the logistics.
It was sunny and unseasonably warm the day we arrived (about 75 degrees) and on the way into Hanoi, Mao told us a bit about the city -- how we wouldn't see tall buildings and how Hanoi has a population of 7 million people and 4.5 million motorbikes. It was apparent within 15 minutes of riding around town that the traffic scene would be entertainment in itself.
We checked in at the Diamond Elegance Hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter. The neighborhood was busy but quaint and I immediately noticed the French architecture, remnants from French colonial days. After quickly dropping off our bags, we decided to stroll around the neighborhood before meeting our guide for an afternoon tour of the Old Quarter.
While walking along the street, I stopped to take a few pictures of the street kitchens where people cook food on the sidewalk and patrons crowd around on little stools to eat their meal. While we never ate at one, many of them smelled really good. We continued walking until we reached Hoan Kiem Lake in the middle of town, when Brian reached into my backpack in search of our map and discovered my wallet was missing.
Looking back on that 10-minute walk, someone bumped into me rather hard at one point but I didn't think much of it at the time because it was crowded and sadly I'm used to being roughed up by people in this part of the world. I'm certain that was the distraction that allowed them to swipe my wallet without my knowledge. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly the welcome gesture I was looking for on our trip.
So, we quickly backtracked to the hotel and proceeded to cancel all my credit cards, which thankfully took mere minutes with both of us making the calls. The thief got away with the equivalent of $20 USD so from a financial standpoint I was much better off than if they had stolen my brand new sunglasses I had just bought hours earlier at the duty-free store. And I was especially grateful I had taken out my Singapore dependent pass card that proved my residency because I would have stressed all weekend about getting that replaced. Of course, I would need to replace two drivers licenses but more than anything it just left a bad taste in my mouth at the very beginning of our travels. I began to fear what else would go wrong.
Our guide was apologetic over the theft and encouraged us to continue with our afternoon plans. He took us to the Water Puppet Theatre where we watched a traditional water puppet show. The puppets were attached to long rods under the water with a Vietnamese orchestra providing the music. Brian and I knew very little about this tradition and learned that long ago, the Vietnamese people entertained their villages with these water puppets along rivers and flooded rice paddies. After watching the performance, we could see how it would have been a popular form of entertainment.
Following the show, we went on an hourlong "cyclo tour" of the Old Quarter and that was awesome. Basically we each had a man on a bicycle behind us pedaling us through the streets in a little cart affixed to the front of the bike. We had an opportunity to decipher the Hanoi traffic system up close and personal because we were in the thick of it! Our tour took us down several different shopping streets, each one offering a specific category of items. We saw fish street, shoe street, toy street, candy street, coffee street, etc. It was fascinating to view all the merchandise for sale while at the same time weaving in and out of all kinds of motorized traffic with virtually no protection. At a four-way intersection there were no traffic lights and even if they were present, they were merely a suggestion. And pedestrians just stepped off the curb into the street having faith that the traffic will make room for them. We could begin to see how the system worked because no one ever went fast and yet no one ever completely stopped either. It was crazy and fun. And I'm so glad our children weren't with us!
Start of Our Cyclo Tour of the Old Quarter
Chinese New Year Decorations
Sidewalk Produce
At one point we passed by a bakery so we picked up a couple pastries and continued on our way. That was the likely the moment when I forgave the people of Hanoi for their lousy welcome because I was so delighted to find good bread in an Asian city. Thank goodness we finally found a place in Asia that recognizes carbohydrates besides rice! It was a glorious revelation and I thank the French for that contribution to Vietnam.
Merci Beaucoup, France!
Cyclo Tour Complete with a Pastry
I loved gazing at all the buildings in the Old Quarter during our tour and that was definitely a highlight of our time in Hanoi.
In a Cyclo Not Exactly Built for Two
We shared several dishes, including traditional spring rolls, pho (noodle soup), prawns and chicken and we each ordered a half liter of the local brew Bia Hanoi. Our meal was delicious and we were a bit surprised when Mao returned to ask if we would like some fruit for dessert because we had not met the allowance yet. After dessert, Mao explained that our allowance was 20,000 Vietnamese Dong, or the equivalent of $10 USD. We couldn't believe the amount of food and beverage we had consumed only totaled $10. We can't even buy one beer for that in Singapore.
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