Nywoman in Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon
 

Good morning Vietnam
Checked into the Hanoi Elegance in the very early morning, was met with a glass of lemonade, my welcome drink. The room is quite nice, with a shower that looks like a space capsule. Crash for a few hours and wake up to a lovely breakfast, and am off. The hotel is in the �old quarter� and very conveniently located to everything.

The first order of the day was the Temple of Literature, it was within walking distance, and for not the last time I took my life into my hands walking the streets of Hanoi. The traffic is intense, scooters everywhere and if the street is not wide enough they drive on the sidewalk. Am not sure how I am reacting to all this cacophony, and crazy traffic. As I walk along I come to a street that obviously have a few catering rental places, chairs are loaded onto a truck, tables stacked in a corner. Dishes being washed Hanoi style, crouching on the sidewalk, dipping the dishes into a plastic bowl filled with water. Now I know why people use the hot tea to rinse out their dishes in restaurants.

Another street is filled with florists, the arrangements are all triangular and can be for the table, in front of a store opening or funeral procession. I reach the Temple of Literature but turn the wrong way, which means I walk almost the entire city block to enter.

After China the entrance fee is a shock, 15.000 dong that is less than $1. The temple is very lovely, it to Confucius, and was founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong. In 1076, Vietnam's first university was established here to educate Vietnam's administrative and warriors class. Am wandering around, enjoying seeing all the young to-be-married in a few months, posing in their wedding dresses, full make up and hair dos. The custom or so it was explained to me, is that you get married on a day that is considered lucky by the Buddhist calendar, but you pose for all the photographs weeks or months before the ceremony. Have probably missed some of the details, in the translation, if anyone knows better please let me know.

Met a lovely young couple from Ireland and Madrid, actually they are both from Madrid and traveling the world. We decide to go for lunch together at Koto. I have Banana flower salad with fried dried tofu, watermelon juice, Crème Brule and warm cake 165.00 dong or less than $10. This is a little high for Vietnam but Koto is very special it is a training school for street youths started by a Vietnamese-Australian man. The students learn everything from the front of the house, to the kitchen and back of the house. I thought this was the only restaurant like this in Hanoi but was to learn differently After lunch we part our ways and I mosey along.

Walk by a lot of art galleries. Adele by Klimt seems to be a favorite, to copy. Most of the galleries have at least one copy, apart from the monks and peasant women with straw hats, Not very inspiring, finally I get to the lake and as I confer with my map, I realize that I am very close to Fanny�s. This is supposedly the most famous, and best ice cream parlor in Vietnam with 2 locations I order Passion Fruit, it was a sorbet but still very good. Walk partially around the lake, until I decide it is time to head back.

I walk back past many, many stores and I feel besieged by the Cyclos � one hour�, shopkeepers �come look Madame�, Scooter drivers and taxis �Where are you going?�. They all want my attention, horns are blowing non-stop. Walking the sidewalks is an exercise in agility, between the parked scooters and the ones that think the side walk is part of the street. The secret to crossing the street in Asia, when there are no lights is to do it in segments, you do the first part when there are few bikes and cars then you do the next part permitting the scooters to swerve around you, or at least give them a chance to. They will not stop for you, the really young kids will try to get as close to you as possible on a dare, I suppose. I feel as if I am losing my sanity.

Get back to the hotel and am really ready for a drink, fortunately had my stash in the fridge, courtesy duty free.

I am trying to gather together my first impressions. Hanoi reminds me of India, but without the good nature of the Indians. The infra structure is very poor, sidewalks in bad repair if at all, roads full of pot holes, buildings are pretty shabby. I do so want to like this city, but my first day is a disappointment. I don�t see the beauty and charm that was, or still is

Time for dinner which is at a nearby restaurant called Quan An Ngon, at 18 Phan Boi Chau, Hoàn Kiếm, which is very well known except I didn�t know it. The receptionist Amy who became my restaurant adviser called it �Always delicious restaurant� and that is what I went to. It was totally packed but since I was single, I was seated right away at a table with two Singaporeans, who left fairly soon, to be followed by two Vietnamese young men. The restaurant is in a garden under a large ochre tent. There are cooking stations all around the perimeter, and the menu is very large. It is supposed to be an upscale version of street food, and the food and quality is great. I have to go back to the pictures to remember what I ate. My two Vietnamese companions, one was a taxi driver and the other a police man insisted I should try some of their food as well. My perceptions of Hanoi are shifting, am not a convert yet, but my sanity is returning.

Next morning I take a taxi to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, and buy a ticket for the Water Puppet Show which was being performed there that week at least. Walk around and visit several tribal buildings from around the country. I find it a bit unsettling walking barefoot, on bamboo mats, with nothing but bamboo slats underneath and quite high off the ground. It was enjoyable to see the different types of houses that were represented.

The Water Puppet Show was very interesting, The actions were narrated by a man who did a great job, impersonating different figures and moods. The translation read by a woman left a lot to be desired. The performance was also accompanied by musicians, and singers. 40 minutes was perfect to watch, though one had to wonder how it all happened. At the end,3 young men came out to take their bows dressed in waist high wet suits. It is what flyfishermen wear but I don't know the name.

When the first young man emerges from the tent after he has changed, I ask if I can see the puppets, my theory is always, that �No� is also an answer, but he said yes .At this point several others have joined me and we get to walk backstage and see how it all happens. It really made me admire the skill of the puppeteers even more than I had during the performance.

Time for lunch, the restaurant at the museum is run by yet another not for profit group, teaching under privileged, handicapped and street children restaurant and other skills. The lunch was very pleasant, had a salad and a lime ade. Then it was time to see the museum. Have barely stepped inside before a young woman comes up to me and explains that she is an English Major and can she join me, it turns out she is with a young man with no English knowledge. Am I going to be churlish and say I like my museums solo, unless you can give me a docent�s tour, of course not, so I smile and say �with pleasure�. Am not sure what she wanted from the encounter, but they left after awhile. The museum is very well laid out and it shows the different minorities, as well as their different customs and lifestyles very well. The museum shop is run by a not for profit organization selling handicrafts, I make a small dent in their inventory.

Talking about students, I was approached on several occasions at tourist spots by young women who claimed to be students and wanted me to buy matches for the Red Cross. Finally I said to one before she even gave me her spiel �how much� without missing a beat she said �whatever you want� China has the tea ceremony, Vietnam the matches.

Take the public bus back, I think the fare was less than 5 cents. Am dropped off at the last stop, which is the north part of the lake. I have read about Nguyen Freres, courtesy Ekscrunchy, and their pleated silk jackets. The shop is supposed to be right by the lake according to my map. I walk down the side of the lake, I walk up the side of the lake, I buy another map from the tourist office, and suspect I was scammed, by being charged for a very limited map. Walk the entire west side of the lake and there is no shop. It�s time to go home, but since I am there I might as well do some more sight- seeing, I go to the temple on the lake, walk past the shoe street, Imelda Marcus would have been in ecstasy, perhaps not by the quality, but surely the quantity. Manage once more to get home unscathed, it is always an amazement to me that I can actually manage to cross a street without any damage to either me or a scooter.

Walk by an alley where there appears to a supermarket, go in and buy some juice, while on the checkout counter I stand next to a German man, dressed in long pants, sandals and socks, probably saved his whole life for this trip, with a shopping basket full of green tea. He is very happy, he even got the very large leafed one his guide had shown him . On the bag says it�s good as a diuretic, for rheumatism and backaches, as well as anything else that ails you. May be he will relegate it to the back of the pantry when he gets home.

Dinner that night is at Cha Ca La Vong, there are at least 3 restaurants with that or similar name on the same street. Since I had the wrong street number it took me a second to figure out which one was which. For 90.000 you get a slew of greens to cook with the fish, of which there were a very few fried pieces, though I had read it is broiled, it wasn�t, set over a clay brazier and served with a bowl of noodles. To say I was underwhelmed is probably accurate. It was a pleasant enough meal, but not worth the effort.

Hanoi can be kind of a shock to the senses. We're city people and soon loved the chaos. Your story about the Red Cross matches made me laugh. We didn't run into that, but we did run into lots of young men selling various things - books (terrible quality copies) and cigarette lighters ("Saddam Hussien lighters, Madam") - were the most numerous. But VN is the only country I've been to in which if you don't buy, you may be assailed by a barrage of obscenities. This is a sales technique?!

It sounds like you didn't visit CraftLink, a fair trade crafts shop next to Koto. I highly recommend it. It has some very unusual merchandise. I bought some Khmer silk double Ikat with human figures for a friend, and I ran into a woman from Switzerland who was stocking her boutique with interesting hand-made purses. Also, one block away is the national Art gallery which was very interesting and is a good place to buy art.

For sheer spookiness, you may want to visit the Museum of the History of the Revolution... we were the only people there and it was odd to be there alone and realize that we were the enemy.

Restaurants we loved: Club L'Opera across from the Metropole, Brothers Cafe located in the courtyard of an old monastery, the original Little Hanoi (not the sandwich shop next to the lake), and Cau Cau, in the hotel where we stayed, the De Syloia.

I'm enjoying traveling along with you!

Me too. I'm trotting along behind you. Now you're in Vietnam I can see it even clearer. And hear it. And taste it. We've eaten in all the same places. Keep dropping those juicy left-overs in my direction.

I am following along also, Nyw - we will be spending 5 days there next April plus time in Sapa and Halong Bay. Looking forward to more...

How long did it take you to walk to the Temple of Literature? Other than the Museum of Ethnology, are the major attractions pretty much within walking distance? As you can tell, I don't really have a good feel for the size of the city.

Also, I am wondering about the water puppet show that you went to - was it the same organization that does the shows at the Thang Long Theatre by Hoan Kiem Lake?

Kathy,
The shop at the museum was a Craftlink, I don't think I saw the one next to Kota.

Cafe Opera, I walked to it, and by it, didn't realise that it was the one, thought it was the Opera Cafe at the Hilton, which I didn't go to because that was not what I wanted.
Another case of mixed identity for me. Have had a lot of those on this trip.

Unfortunately did not get to the other restaurants you mentioned.

Craig I don't know if it is the same group. There are approx 20 groups total in the entire country, that try to keep the art alive. Am not sure if it makes much difference which one you go to. The one I saw was nice, because there were hardly any other Western tourists, and the setting was lovely. I was there, and it seemed like a good idea.

Oops, Ny, I thought you were still in Hanoi so I offered those restaurants. Yes, you're right there is a Craftlink at the Ethnographic Museum.

Craftlink has a shop inside the Ethnographic Museum--so you have to pay the entry fee to get into it. This shop doesn't have many clothes but seems to have primarily things for the home -wall hangings, plates, coasters, a good selection of greeting cards, etc. The quality is excellent.

As has been stated on this thread, Craftlink also has a shop down the street from Koto--and across from the Temple of Literature. This is a much larger shop and sells more clothing items in addition to some of the home items. I also found another Craftlink store just down the street from this one, and it again has more things for the home and no clothing.

If you buy silk wall hangings while in Asia--one thing that Craftlink carries that are cheap and very nice are wooden rods to hang the silk wall hangings from. Traveling through Laos and Cambodia--I picked up many, many of these silk hangings for gifts. When I returned to Hanoi I went back to Craftlink and purchased about 15 of the rods. I thought they would make my gift "complete"...giving my friends no reason not to hang the silk! The rods were only $1 (17,000 dong) for ones about 1.5 feet long. The longer ones were about a dollar more...and some really beautiful carved wooden hangers were about $10. My husband returned to the states last week. We tucked the smaller rods into the sides of his suitcase. But several of the longer ones wouldn't fit...so he wrapped them in paper and bubble wrap and then slid them into the outer pocket of his rolling carry on bag. He took them out when the bag went into the upper storage bins of the plane. He reported that everything arrived in good shape.

Hanoi continued.
Before I set off on another day, I call my sister-in-law in Sweden totally mindless of the time difference, I wake her up. I need her to tell me why Hanoi is so fabulous, I want her to explain to me why she likes it so much. She tells me about the French Colonial Architecture, I see squalor, disrepair and very little charm. We have a horrible connection and finally I realize my mistake in the time difference.

I am pondering, what am I missing here? All I have read are glowing reports of Hanoi, everybody I know loves it. One of my favorite cities is Mumbai, so it is not the squalor, or the teeming amount of people or traffic. It doesn’t talk to me, or maybe it does but in the wrong language. The only way to find out if we can have a conversation is to venture out again.

This time I walk towards the Opera House, this is the area where all the posh hotels, and boutiques are located. It is nicer not so run down, The Opera is a lovely building in front of a large square, next to it is the Hilton. Somehow, in my mind Club l’ Opera is at the Hilton and Opera Café is not. It doesn’t matter, am not ready for lunch I walk to the History museum which is a stunning building, and walk around the courtyard admiring some of the exhibits.

There are no brides here to be photographed, but this seems to be one of the spots where romantically inclined portly, middle aged Western men take their young Vietnamese girl friends, tottering on impossibly high heels while holding hands. Am not sure why my reactions to those sights are mainly negative. The men are as a rule not particularly attractive, so why shouldn’t they feel as if they are, if even on a delusional holiday. The girls may view it as a language lesson, one of the best ways to learn a foreign language is in bed, or so I have heard! Or is it the same way I feel when I see old men with very young girls, disdain mixed with pity.

Time for lunch, wander in and out of the Hilton and end up at Sofitel Metropolitan for their Vietnamese Buffet Lunch. What a treat, the crabs are the largest, sweetest and most succulent I have had so far, or even in a long time. The rest of the seafood is not far behind, I try most of it. Skip the meats and soups, since a main course is included in the Pris Fixe of $20 plus tax and gratuities, the final bill came to $30. My choice was grilled Shrimp on Lemon Grass, very mediocre, dry and tasteless. It really didn’t matter though, since all the other items were impeccable, as was the service. Walk out and can even smile at the Cyclos, and Taxi drivers. Perhaps Hanoi has some good points?
Walk slowly up Hoan Kiem Lake, past Memorial House 87 Pho Ma May. It is a small building that has been restored to its original state of being a merchant’s house. There is a very small admission fee, and each floor and room has merchandise for sale but it is still a nice look into old Hanoi. Walk the by now familiar streets, some of the shop keepers smile in recognition, but am still asked to come in and look.
My last day in Hanoi is spent doing more walking. The Ho Chi Min Museum is closed, or so I am told, which apparently was not quite correct. Anyway I don’t go there, instead I am going to yet another market. The Dong Xuan Market, which is to the far north of Hoan Kiem Lake. Nothing has prepared me for the experience. As you approach the building, there are streets and alleys with merchants selling specialized merchandise. There is a row of nothing but office material, another row where they are selling red lanterns, a third alley with tools etc. etc. One line of shops had nothing but plastic shopping bags, including the blue IKEA ones.
This is not unusual when approaching markets except this was a different kind of market.

I get to the building and am almost knocked over by people exiting with enormous bags and bundles. This is a wholesale market for clothing, shoes, bags, suitcases, trinkets, fabrics, cheap cosmetics, but no food. The commerce is fierce, you can see the buyers on the staircases doing their calculations in note books. The bundles piled up next to them, impossibly thin men with carts lug them outside to be piled on cyclos. In one stairwell there is a long standing wooden pipe being circulated, the men have glazed looks and who knows what substance was in that pipe. I was not allowed to photograph it. There is no room or time for individual purchases, you want children’s pajamas, they come in bundles, take the lot. The frenzy is palpable, I walk around a bit longer and then leave.

My flight out to Da Nang leaves at 6 am next morning, am still not sure if Hue is on the agenda or not it all depends on the rains.

Dinner that night is on the corner of Hang Bong and one of the side streets. Every day I had been watching the young girls carefully prepare skewers of food in this tiny corner shop. At night the whole sidewalk becomes a café. I select my food to be cooked over a charcoal fire and sit down on a tiny chair. Have a beer and feel that all is well with the world.

Thanks again Nyw - while I tend to plan things out more than you did, wandering the city is part of the plan. At Dong Xuan Market can we take photos if we are so inclined? Or is it just too hectic? It sounds like a very unique place...

Craig,
While I think I have planned well, it is often not the case. I left most of my notes behind. I also get tired, and on overload with sights.

Somewhere along this trip I decided that the world would continue if I didn't see every temple or attraction. It took a lot of pressure off me, and I'm sure I also missed some wonderful things.

Sometimes the weather did not co-operate and I was forced to abandon excursions.

Craig I am sure you will have a fabulous trip.

You can take as many pictures as you want at the market, just not of the guys smoking whatever!!!

Nywoman-
I'm very much enjoying your report. My husband and I are headed to Vietnam for the first time in July so I'm starting to look for any and all tidbits which the standard guidebook may not have.
I really appreciate any information on markets, street food, restaurants and hotels.
After your stay at the Hanoi Elegance, would you recommend it? it sounds like you didn't like the neighborhood much.
Also, I can relate to your desire to really like a place, yet find it a challenge. Frustrating, isn't it?

Kristina,

I liked the neighborhood a lot.

Am just not sure at which of the Hanoi Elegances I stayed. After seeing the area where the other two were, I much preferred my area. It is in the old town, as they all are, on Hang Bong.It was convenient to walk to many places. I did not fall in love with Hanoi, and that was more the problem.

Now Saigon which I am leaving this morning, that is a whole other story. Am totally enamoured with the city, want to return, and have a whole different perspective on the Vietnamese. Full report to follow

Hoi An
One of the advantages, or is it a disadvantage of independent travel is that you can change your mind and direction, even before you have finished walking down the block. Now if you are with other people plans are less flexible, decisions are made as a group and usually adhered to.

I am sure that I have missed many “must sees” because I was tired, bored couldn’t be bothered and also because I had no daily itinerary, or anybody else to prod me along. Vietnam was deliberately not a very planned destination, wasn’t sure whether the elements would cooperate. As it turned out they didn’t, though I had a preliminary itinerary it had to be tweaked considerably.

I tried to go to Hue, though the weather reports were terrible, there were no flights, however I did get one to Hoi An leaving at 6 am. One out of two towns was not bad. I did manage to see the town, as well as having several pieces of clothing made from different shops. Was I thrilled with what I had made? I would say I had very mixed results even from the same shop.
Since I arrived at 7.30 am, by taxi from DaNang, to glorious sunshine, the first order of business, was breakfast, which was noodles with shrimp that I ate across the river. Then it was time for the market, it is an amazing market, everything seemed to be sold there. I walk by a vegetable stall and the woman looks at me and says “you are beautiful” those may be the only English words she knew, I didn’t care, it made my day.

As I walked further in I get cornered by Kim who has a haircut shop and does $1 pedicures. I wasn’t in the mood for a pedicure but promised to return, which unfortunately I never did, since she was quite the character. It is time for lunch and I hit Cargo Club where I had my first all Western meal on this trip, a delicious perfectly cooked Hamburger, did that taste good. Go back to the hotel to unpack and watch the rain pour down, I did venture out a bit later, after a nap, with my plastic raincoat and umbrella. The rain coat selling women jump on me to buy, what did they think I was wearing?

HoiAn is a cute little town basically consisting of a main street where many of the antique shops and tailors are located, as well as some of the sights. The outskirts are very nice with rice fields and the river appearing every so often, it was appealing despite the downpour.

It came time for dinner and I decided to try Brother’s Café, after quite a lengthy walk I reach it to discover, that I would have been a solo diner, at extremely high prices, nixed that idea. Next door was DaoTien which supports disadvantaged youths. Do not consult my notes, which tell me this is the one restaurant to skip, don’t know where I got that information. Have a nice dinner with steamed Crab, for about $12. There were a few other restaurants that had been recommended but they were no longer in business. Since the rain had really picked up by now, I take a taxi back.

The next day the rain came and went, I explored a bit further and signed up for a cooking class at Citronelle, which is across the Japanese Bridge. I was the only student and it was a hands on class. Made Shrimp Fritters, Squid grilled in Banana Leaf, and Crab Soup. The cost was $15 including my meal Did I learn something, yes that grilled Squid in Banana Leaf is not as good as plain grilled Squid. It was a pleasant enough evening and the food was tasty.

Since the rain didn’t seem to ease I decided to move on to Saigon the next day. I had booked an afternoon flight, in order to visit My Son in the morning, while on the way to the airport. Well that didn’t work out since the road was closed because of flooding. My really sweet taxi driver, who was the brother of one of the shop owners where I had some clothes made, suggested Marble Mountain. Why not, I had a lot of time. We arrive, pay my entrance fee, receive a map with the caves and temples clearly marked and start climbing the steps. It is drizzling, I am all alone and realize that I must be insane even thinking of doing this, the climb looks interminable and I turn around. Take a few photos of the Marble Statues and we leave for DaNang, so the day shouldn’t be a total loss culturally, I do get to see the historic museum before we head to the airport and on towards Saigon or Ho Chi Min City.

Great trip report...keep it coming! It makes one feel like they are there with you. We may very well do Vietnam instead of Thailand if we can't get there at the end of January.

Crossing the streets sounds quite scary. My husband (the one who wants to ride a bike around Siem Reap and the temples)was wondering about renting a bike to get around in Vietnam, or renting a motor scooter (which we've never done before). Both options sound a bit scary to me with all the traffic. What's your opinion?

dgunbug, your husband sounds like he has a death wish! The most frequent cause of death in VN is motorbike accidents - and that's people who live there and know the (very unusual) rules of the road in VN. I'd suggest you go to www.youtube.com and search for Hanoi traffic or HCMC traffic and show those to your husband.

I am one of those who is really enjoying your report! I cannot wait to read your reactions to Saigon, a city which I absolutely adored!

Kathy - We will not be renting a motor bike or bicycle anywhere! How horrifying. I'm not even sure if I will be able to cross the streets without trembling. I think I will probably have to find a kind Vietnamese person to hold on to while I cross!!! Yikes. I'm waiting to hear more from Dogster who managed to talk sense into my husband with regard to bicycling in Siem Reap. Even my stubborn husband was more than convinced after reading what you all wrote - and we got a great laugh. Thanks for all your great info.

NY woman, great report.
I too was amazed at the traffic and lack of order in China, and was terrified at some large intersections. I learned to NEVER cross by yourself, always get "lost" in a crowd of Chinese pedestrains, all crossing together.

Thank you for the nice words. Personally, am not so sure how enjoyable my reports are to others.

If I was one of those people who still remembered how to ride a bike, I would ride one in Siem Reap, but NOWHERE else. To even consider it or a scooter in Vietnam is a total suicide wish. I didn't even dare to ride on a Moto as a passenger.

Saigon report is coming up, I totally loved it and had some great experiences, actually the rest of the trip has been even more amazing if that was possible.
Leave for NYC tomorrow night via Seoul

On the subject of crazy overland ideas, I will mention that a (somewhat daring) friend of mine rode a bicycle last year from (downtown) Bangkok to Vientiane. This year he will do Saigon-Dalat.