A bustling city of 9 Million + with layers of history certainly not fully understood by us, Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi awaits. As we typically do, we start by exploring our immediate surroundings on foot. In this case, the Tay Ho neighborhood which sits adjacent to the Ho Tay lake, some 15 minutes north of the Old Quarter by car or scooter. The name Hanoi apparently translates to “inside the river”, which makes sense when you see it, as there seems to be a river or lake in every direction here.
We dodge more than a few honking vehicles to cell phone GPS our way down to the nearby waterfront, for an evening exploratory trip. The only non Vietnamese people we can see, we feel like we stick out. The locals seem to enjoy gathering around funky restaurants across from the water, smoking, eating or drinking something we can’t identify. They don’t seem too concerned with us and mostly ignore our wandering.
Are those bats above us? They are, eek. Those creepy critters swirl and dive just above our heads and between the trees. They won’t hurt us, right? There seem to be thousands of them and there are more when you’re near the water, particularly when it’s dark. Peering across the fairly sizable lake from our point of view, we can see the bright lights of sky scrapers and apartment towers, giving a kind of magical and yet eery vibe. As we stroll in and out of the street due to lack of passable sidewalks, we see more than a rat or two scurry across the street to nearby bushes. Not quite the relaxing stroll we had in mind, but it’s interesting to be sure. It’s hot and sticky here.
The next morning with some welcome light of day, we hail a grab car to drive us south to explore Hanoi further. We get dropped near the Tran Quoc Pagoda, we choose as a landmark, and set out on foot, not quite sure where we’re headed. With some good fortune, we soon find ourselves passing the Presidential Palace, a beautiful 1900’s French Colonial structure, which houses the Vietnamese President and Vice President. A striking bright yellow, the high gates and uniformed soldiers with machine guns let us know that this is as close as we’ll get. As we pass by several more French Colonial government buildings of unknown purpose, we find ourselves facing a huge, but secured walking area. It looks like one of those Communist squares you’d see in China or Russia hosting a military parade, and that’s exactly what it is. We’re funneled through a sort of small guard house, where they screen our personal items and we’re entered into a walking mall, where both tourists and locals stroll to see the sites. We soon learn that we are adjacent to the Mausoleum of the revered national hero Hi Chi Minh, who saved and unified the country from the American invaders some 50 years prior. Soldiers in formal attire surround key locations. Some appear to be guarding the grassy field across from Mausoleum. What happens if we step on the grass? We’d better not find out. Others in pristine white formal dress guard the tomb of Ho Chi Minh itself. It’s a beautiful place, surrounded by manicured trees and gardens, but doesn’t give the vibe that we’re welcome to enter. Along with numerous Vietnamese flags, there are signs of “protected areas” that warn us where can and can’t walk. This is a Communist society with some rules we’d be best to follow, despite the temptation we feel to step just over the indicated lines. We soon come across a national museum and take a few photos more. There’s a lot to see here.
Time to explore the the famed street food situation. Only a few minutes outside of the secured zone, we find our spot, a little restaurant right there on a sidewalk. The place looks busy enough to not be a food poisoning risk, so we order our first Pho and find a seat. We can’t imagine why, but Vietnamese street restaurants, all use little teeny tiny plastic chairs and tables, the kind you might see at a pre-school back home. Seriously, you’ll be sitting right there on the side walk, in a tiny red plastic chair that you can barely get your booty on, or bend your knees far enough to sit so low. They’re all like this and we find it hilarious. The soup is delicious, although the chicken in Vietnam was hit or miss for us, sometimes perfect, sometimes pretty weird. We’re happy and feel the thrill of sharing a meal on the sidewalk in a strange city. The price for a Banh Mi sandwich or Pho soup on the street is around 30k Vietnamese Dong, or $1.16. With an exchange rate of 25k VND:$1 USD, we’re a bit confused at first, but get the hang of the conversation soon enough. Food and most everything else is very affordable here.
A day passes and we’re into the Old Quarter finally, a place we’d heard much about. It doesn’t disappoint. Wandering around the street level, it’s shop after shop, market after market, full of every product imaginable. Coach bag for $20 anyone? Perhaps some shoes or a watch? They sure look like the real thing, but the price reveals the truth, we think. As usual, scooters and cars whiz about, all seemingly heading directly into one another. The whole thing is very interesting, but more than a bit stressful and not quite our thing. We spot a roof top bar, where we can share cold Vietnamese beers for less than a buck and with the perfect spot to look down at the crazy happening below. We perch ourselves just above a 4 way uncontrolled intersection and just laugh and shake our heads at the scene. Men driving bicycle styled rickshaws ferry tourists from here to there. Old ladies balance “shoulder baskets” with fresh fruit, rice, or other wares they’re selling. Trucks and motorcycles all head full speed into the intersection, laying on the horn to the scattering pedestrians. Can it really be like this all the time? Yes, this is how it works here. Just amazing….
As mentioned in a previous post, we also had several days trapped inside our funky apartment to avoid the terrible air quality index in Hanoi. We decided that anything above 150 AQI was a no go and pretty much stuck to that. If the air quality dipped down into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups”, we’d head out and explore a bit more. We felt sad for the locals that live in that kind of terrible and unhealthy air, with nowhere to go and no choice but to just breathe it in.
A few of our Hanoi favorites….
Stroll around Ho Hoan Kiem lake- In the Old Quarter area, there’s a beautiful lake, just the right size for a lazy stroll. The side benefit that scooters won’t run you over on the walk way, and you can pause to take stock of the architecture, people, and the Den Ngoc Son temple, which stands in the middle of the lake. A rare place where you take it all in and still have some peace. One day, we saw preparations for some kind of military style parade underway, where young and shirtless Vietnamese soldiers performed “feats of strength”, loud chants and coordinated marching. Guards watch the tourists closely, with billy clubs in hand, to ensure you don’t get too close.
Train Street- Cafe’s, bars and restaurants line the train tracks that run right through the heart of Hanoi. Every afternoon a train runs right through, just inches from the tourists and shop keepers, sitting on each side of the tracks. Dangerous, perhaps, but a really cool experience. The proprietors line the street with lights, making for a beautiful and charming scene. We stopped and had cold beers and French fries and just soaked it in.
Temple of Literature– For a small fee, you can enter this gated area, surrounded by green algae ponds with lily pads, temples, historical buildings, art, pagodas, and incredible trees. A great way to learn about the depth of history here in Hanoi.
Combo Obama- Fans of Anthony Bourdain’s hit travel show on CNN will surely remember the episode featuring then President Obama joining Anthony for a meal in Hanoi. We found the spot at Bun Cha Huang Lien, where the menu offers the “Combo Obama” for 120,000 VND ($4.50). The meal includes 1 Special Bun Cha, a noodle and beef dish in a sweet broth, friend seafood roll, and a cold Hanoi Beer. The food was amazing and by a bit of good fortune, we sat right next to Anthony and Barack’s table, which they have encased in plexiglass for posterity. Super fun experience for us.
Halong Bay– Our best 24 hours were spent here, totally special and highly recommended. A few hours in a shuttle takes you there, where you get on a transfer boat, and then spend a night on a gorgeous ship and out into Halong Bay for an overnight. We stayed in a spacious, wood-lined room, with beautiful fixtures and a taste of history. Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site and features emerald waters, thousands of towering limestone islands topped by rainforests. The most expensive thing we did in Vietnam by far, the experience ran about $300 for the two of us. One of our favorite nights of all our travels anywhere.
Ultimately we were happy to have visited the beautiful city of Hanoi, as a fascinating experience. The architecture, history, the food and the people were all something worth seeing. However, our departure day was a welcome one, due to the insane traffic and un-walkable streets, terrible air pollution and trash everywhere.
We hope our next stop of Da Nang will be a breath of fresh air, literally.
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