30 October 2011
Breakfast was at Golden Wings II and was included in the NZ$25 per night rate. Jo went with the local option of Pho but I couldn’t go past the good kiwi eggs and tomato sauce sandwich.
A few days previously I had made a 180 degree map reading error that Jo would not let me forget and since then she’s taken control of navigation. We made it to our first stop without putting a foot wrong.
With just a few days before we were planning to be in Halong Bay, we were keen to get a tour booked and with all the touts wanting our custom, some pre-trip study suggested that the Kangaroo Cafe was the place to book. We signed up for a two night boat trip around the famous limestone rocks.
Hoan Kiem Lake is the focal point of the Old Quarter in Hanoi and is most well known for the Huc Bridge that spans the gap between the waterfront and Ngoc Son Temple on a small island. As a keen armchair traveller the bridge is the thing I most related to when I thought of Hanoi – the result of too much travel TV.
We walked over the bridge and spent half an hour in the temple watching people chant and pray whilst taking photos and sucking up the atmosphere.
Just across the road is Martyr’s Monument, a dedication to those who died fighting for Vietnam’s independence. I was more interested in a game of outdoor badminton doubles in which one player (who I’m pretty confident I could have beaten left handed) was complaining about his partners game – loud enough that we’d heard him from the other side of the busy waterfront road. In Hanoi, with the constant horn tooting and scooter engine noise, that is quite an achievement. We also had a chat with a couple from Matamata who were with a tour group. We’ve only been here four days but it’s nice to hear a kiwi accent.
Following the Lonely Planet walking tour (almost), we spent a few hours wandering the streets of the Old Quarter. We’d become adept with dealing with the traffic over the last few days and sightseeing in the narrow, market lined roads had become more of a pleasure and less of an adventure. All the footpaths may as well have been non-existent, having been secondered for scooter parking or retail space.
Another temple was on the must-sees and we spent 20 minutes at Bach Ma Temple, another elegantly furnished Buddhist Temple offering respite from the noisy streets just metres away.
Back on the waterfront, we found a cafe located on the fifth story of a building with views over Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple, as well as one of the busier roundabouts in the Old Quarter. I had an experiment with time lapse photography while we ate. I had a seafood curry (superb) and Jo ordered spicy pork ribs, Hanoi lager was the beer du jour. Whilst the D440,000 (NZ$30) price tag was high, the views made up for it… I’m still not used to the cheap prices here, NZ$30 at Sam Woo Vietnamese Cafe in Otahuhu would be about right for a snack.
In dire need of a break from all the walking, we headed back to Golden Wings for a rest for a few hours. I also filled in some time copying photos from my camera but had all sorts of trouble doing so as the jpeg files seemed to have turned themselves into exe files. For a short while I feared I’d lost all of the 200 pics I’ve snapped so far.
Back down at the lakefront, we bought tickets for the following nights Water Puppet Theatre and then found a camera shop with a bloke that, despite language barriers, was more than happy to diagnose my memory card problem and then spend 30 minutes sorting it out for me. The shop would not take payment and in doing so, helped me realise that not all Vietnamese people are out to screw the tourists.
On the third floor of the building we had lunch in is Highland Cafe. We sat on a few beers for an hour or so as the sun set. The day had been overcast and we hadn’t actually seen the sun since arriving in Hanoi so there was very little twilight.
Dinner was in the Old Quarter at one of the few places not touting for business… in fact, the bloke looked genuinely shocked when I signalled that we’d like a feed, He rummaged around to find a copy of the menu with tourist prices on it and we took our seats. Once again the “seats” were 20cm high stools that, in NZ, we’d use for kids tables at BBQs. I’m aware I look quite ridiculous on them, I’m aware my knees crack every time I sit down or get up – but when in Hanoi…
Due to language issues, my snails morphed into clams somewhere between the ordering and serving of the food. Jo’s meal was never in doubt. The crab was fished from it’s tank and served in a tamarind sauce within five minutes. Both were excellent although Jo waited until the crab was on her table before admitting she had no idea how to eat it. With fork and nutcracker in hand, she soon worked it out.
We walked back to the hotel, getting back at 1915. I updated this blog whilst watching an hour highlights package of the Rugby World Cup (we won in the Vietnamese version also).
Sounds like you’re having a great time.
Love reading about your adventures!