Hanoi (September 2011)
6:30 PM
Basically this Hanoi trip was to visit my friend Chi and eat the vietnamese food that she recommended when we were doing volunteer in Taiwan.. haha.... After so long, I have finally meet her up.. LOL
On my arrival day, chi had brought me to the lake in the centre of the town.. there you can see the famous floating temple.. Chi told me, theres a turtle which is bigger than a car in the lake. The people there pray it as a God. Lately they just have an event which hundred people went down to the lake to catch the turtle to the land, because the turtle is sick...
Ngoc Son Temple《玉山寺》
Hoan Kiem Lake《还剑湖》
Floating Temple
St. Joseph's Cathedral
This Catholic Cathedral was completes in 1887, by Monseigneur Pigneau de Bahaine, and is the oldest in the city. It was closed in 1975 upon reunification of Vietnam, and was not reopened until 1985. The neo-gothic style of the Cathedral looks somewhat out of place in the busy and typically Vietnamese streets of Hanoi.
Water Puppet Show
We went Thang Long water puppet theatre for the traditional puppet show as well. Water Puppet show or Mua Roi Nuoc is a unique art which has it origin in the delta of the Red river in the tenth century. This art form is unique to North Vietnam and only finds its way to the world stage in recent years as a result of the normalized relation with the West. Today the Thang Long puppet troupe is the most well known in Hanoi.
Modern, water puppetry is performed in a pool of water with the water surface being the stage. THe puppeteers stand behind a screen and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface.
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Ho Chi Minh Museum is built in the memory of a great man whose name is written in golden alphabets in the history of Vietnam. The special person was a great revolutionary and statesman and went on to become first the Prime Minister and then the President of North Vietnam. The great man was none other than Ho Chi Minh. The common people of Vietnam are indebted to him for what he has done for his country and as a mark of their gratitude the museum was dedicated to him apart from a city and a mausoleum which also shares his name.
One Pillar Pagoda
The Buddhist One Pillar Pagoda is almost peerless in Vietnam, with a history that dates back a full millennium. The iconic landmark was badly defaced by French troops in 1954 but was rebuilt decades later.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
One of the most conspicuous mausoleums in the world, the massive tribute to the most famous leader in Vietnam provides Hanoi with a landmark on par with Lenin's tomb in Moscow. Open since 1975, the mausoleum site also contains a museum on Ho Chi Minh.
We didn't manage to go into the Mausoleum because its under renovation. Heard from Chi that they are having renovation once every three months.
Hanoi is very famous in sugar cane juice. Their sugar cane juice are totally different from country like Malaysia and Singapore. Taste very pure and fresh.. even miss it when I came back from Hanoi. Because of the weather was soooo damnnn hot, and we cannot manage to visit the Mausoleum, we ended up treat ourself sugar cane juice under a big tree near the Mausoleum. Looking at the Mausoleum from far away.. Wahahaha.. LOL .
Best Sugar cane Juice
Long Bien Bridge
Long Bien Bridge (Cầu Long Biên) is a historic cantilever bridge across the Red River that connects two parts of the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. It was originally called Paul Doumer Bridge. The bridge was built in 1903 by the company who build the eiffel tower also.
Entrance of Temple of Literature
Temple of Literature
Temple of Literature is a tribute to Confucius and the site of the first university in Vietnam. The beautiful Temple of Literature has been around since the year 1070. The landmark contains numerous courtyards and pavilions, many of which have undergone careful restoration in recent decades.
The Museum Of Ethology
This museum is exhibiting the ethnic group of Vietnam, which is composed by 54 ethnic groups. It it to preserve and present the cultural heritages of ethnic groups. The entrance fee is actually free for the local and they charge the foreigner. But they gave me free entrance also because I "somehow" look like a Vietnamese. wahahha~~
This is nice decoration at the main road of Hanoi.. Its very long and every decoration was made by ceramic piece by piece. You'll feel shocked and amazed when you see every picture.
Hanoi's Old Quarter which is also known as The 36 Streets《 36古式街道 》. One of the reason that Hanoi - the capital city of Vietnam, has attracted so many tourists over the years is this Old Quarter. It is an area well-known for the history, the architecture, the enormous amount and diversity of products and even the daily life of the residents. They have different kind of nice street food there in the 36 streets as well. damn nice 1~ LOL.
The traffic in Hanoi is amazingly crowded. You would never imagine how the people there survive with this traffic. After all, I have certified Chi is the best driver to survive in this crazy traffic place. haha
When talking about food, Vietnam has a lot of good food which 90% of tourist go back to Vietnam because of their nice food. The most traditional food in their place is this noodle, Pho. Thin Kuey Teow with beef.. Basically, you have to know which Pho stall you suppose to go, then only you will get to eat the nice and best Pho ~ ~ ~ I feel very lucky because I have my friend, Chi, in Vietnam to bring me for every Vietnam good food.
Pho
As what I know from Chi, theres actually two of the Vietnam food which get into the Must-Eat-Food-Before-You-Die list. One of it is this very + super nice Rilled Fish. You would never imagine how crowded is the restaurant, and how ugly is the food when you first see them. hahahaha!!! But you will never regret for eating it. Some of the people purposely come from the South, just to eat this Rilled Fish, so you can imagine how nice is this.
Rilled Fish
Another Must-Eat-Food-Before-You-Die is this damn good Pho Chien Phong. I still can't resist this damn good dish even I have came back from Hanoi for 9 months. Thinking of it day and night. LOL
Basically they cook this dish with beef. The Square thingy is the Pho Chien Phong.. We actually ordered another dish like popiah also, but I forgot what is the name. But I still prefer Pho Chien Phong. Damn Good!!!!!!
And of cause we tried the famous local ice cream - Kem Trang Tien. The ice cream is very smooth unexpectedly. Good! They dun have a proper cafe for u to enjoy the ice cream. Everyone was eating standing there. Maybe this is their speciality?? hahhaa...
This is the only dessert I missed a lot in Hanoi. Mixed Fruits with their Local Condense Milk. They mixed different kinds of fruits like mango, dragon fruits, jackfruits, longan, watermelon with their local condense milk and we were eating it with the shaved ice. Damn good lo ~ ~ Haha.. everything seems so nice in Hanoi, right? THeres another dessert is damn good also, its in night market. Scroll down~~~
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When people talk about Vietnam, they think about coffee also. Even though Im not a coffee lover, but I don't mind to have a try on Vietnam coffee~~ haha.. We have done a research on a very good local cafe which serve good coffee. I forgot how to go there because its raining cats and dogs when we wet there that day
So this is how people have their high-tea there. Coffee with sunflower seed :)
My Hanoi trip was actually different from others, because I went for Vietnamese Movie. The movie name was Friend With Benefit. I still cannot imagine how can I watch Vietnamese movie that time... hahaha.. a very good travel experience though..
Spotted this when we were having our Last Western Dinner in Hanoi. Moving Karaoke Band. If you stare at them or if you interested with them, as in you feel their singing is good, they will come to you to sell you bubble gum.
It was moon cake festival when I went to Hanoi. So, they were having this moon cake festival night market at the street. Saw different kind of lantern and decoration, and people with the special decoration in night market. It was sooooooo crowded!!!
This is the very good dessert in night market. They roll the ingredients like popiah. But its unlike Chinese style, they roll coconut sugar thingy and black sesame.. Very good! Must try
I didn't manage to go Halong Bay this time due to I only went there for four days. But Im sure Im going to take a Halong Bay Cruise somedays~~ hehe~~
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