6 Nov 2019
Continuing our tour of South East Asia, I decided to book a private tour of North Vietnam. It was gonna be a 8 day tour of Hanoi, Sapa hills and Lan Ha Bay.
I also managed to secure a "promo" business class fare from Malindo low cost airline for RM800 return each. Well, it turned out to be a low cost business class.
The meal was bad, and the seat didn't really work. We had seats 1D and 1F, anymore forward and we'd be in the cockpit.
We arrived in Hanoi after 2 hours 45 mins. I picked up some data sims for D200k each, and we were out to meet our guide David who was waiting for us at gate 1.
The drive to Hanoi Old Quarters was 30 mins in light traffic. After check in and a short rest, David was back to pick us up for the street food tour.
First stop was for a spring roll snack and thirst quenching beer from this lady pouring straight out of a keg. The beers were D5k about RM1 or 35 NZ cents. That's David in black.
For our street food mains, David selected Bun Cha. This is sweet beef stew with green papaya. You soak rice noodles and veges in it.
We sat next to another family in very low stools, about 3 inches off the floor.
It was good and we found getting up difficult. It is like getting out of a Porsche 911. So if you can't stand straight up, you tuck and roll off.
We did a bit of walking through Hanoi Old Quarters. The streets are organised into specialities. So we have a jewelry and gold street, a flower street, worship street where they sell praying stuff and wedding street.
By this time we were really full and look very bloated. But David still made us share a bowl of fruits in coconut cream. We gingerly lowered ourselves onto those stools again, crashing the last 6 inches when we lost muscle control.
7 Nov 2019
Today's tour covered the significant Hanoi sites. First off was Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. Uncle Ho lies in-state here perfectly preserved, and hasn't aged a day since 1969. I looked for Madame Tussauds sponsorship sign but found none.
We weren't allowed electronics so there is no proof we saw him. We have to dress and behave respectfully as we filed past. Hats off, no folded arms or hands in pocket.
The large park area also houses the Presidental Palace, a pagoda and the HCM Museum.
President's Palace of French build. Above is a pagoda.
The Vietnam Parliament is across the road from HCM.
Next point of interest was the Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius. It was also the location of the first Vietnam University built in 1070.
I didn't know humans could write then, but there you go........ Apparently all the classes were conducted in the court yard.
Next we visited the Dien Bien Phu railway track that's really close to houses and shops. A tourist was run over and died last week, so they posted a cop there to stop people from crossing.
The shops on the other side were very sad.
And we took in Saint Joseph's cathederal on the way home.
Continuing our tour of South East Asia, I decided to book a private tour of North Vietnam. It was gonna be a 8 day tour of Hanoi, Sapa hills and Lan Ha Bay.
I also managed to secure a "promo" business class fare from Malindo low cost airline for RM800 return each. Well, it turned out to be a low cost business class.
The meal was bad, and the seat didn't really work. We had seats 1D and 1F, anymore forward and we'd be in the cockpit.
We arrived in Hanoi after 2 hours 45 mins. I picked up some data sims for D200k each, and we were out to meet our guide David who was waiting for us at gate 1.
The drive to Hanoi Old Quarters was 30 mins in light traffic. After check in and a short rest, David was back to pick us up for the street food tour.
First stop was for a spring roll snack and thirst quenching beer from this lady pouring straight out of a keg. The beers were D5k about RM1 or 35 NZ cents. That's David in black.
Then we stopped at a satay stall for a stick of pork satay.
We sat next to another family in very low stools, about 3 inches off the floor.
It was good and we found getting up difficult. It is like getting out of a Porsche 911. So if you can't stand straight up, you tuck and roll off.
We did a bit of walking through Hanoi Old Quarters. The streets are organised into specialities. So we have a jewelry and gold street, a flower street, worship street where they sell praying stuff and wedding street.
By this time we were really full and look very bloated. But David still made us share a bowl of fruits in coconut cream. We gingerly lowered ourselves onto those stools again, crashing the last 6 inches when we lost muscle control.
Today's tour covered the significant Hanoi sites. First off was Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. Uncle Ho lies in-state here perfectly preserved, and hasn't aged a day since 1969. I looked for Madame Tussauds sponsorship sign but found none.
We weren't allowed electronics so there is no proof we saw him. We have to dress and behave respectfully as we filed past. Hats off, no folded arms or hands in pocket.
The large park area also houses the Presidental Palace, a pagoda and the HCM Museum.
The Vietnam Parliament is across the road from HCM.
Next point of interest was the Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius. It was also the location of the first Vietnam University built in 1070.
I didn't know humans could write then, but there you go........ Apparently all the classes were conducted in the court yard.
It was full of temple type prayer rooms.
Next we visited the Dien Bien Phu railway track that's really close to houses and shops. A tourist was run over and died last week, so they posted a cop there to stop people from crossing.
The shops on the other side were very sad.
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David then took us for a walk along Lake Hoan Kiem. Hoan Kiem means return the sword, and in Cantonese too. There is a back story to that, but I can't remember it - haha.
We continued this spiritual and significant sites of Hanoi by visiting the Aeon Mall at Long Bien for coffee beans and assorted other purchases.
We were on our own for dinner that night, so we firstly visited Dream Beans coffee for some wonderful egg coffee and coconut coffee.
Egg coffee is layered with condensed milk, expresso coffee and beaten egg yolk. Photo of Egg coffee below before stirring.
Cold coconut creme coffee above. Tuan the proprietor was a great host explaining the construct and how to partake. He buys the raw beans directly from farmers up north and roasts them himself. We will be back to work through the menu.
We then ate dinner, rice flour rolls at a low rise cafe next door before adjourning home.
And we took in Saint Joseph's cathederal on the way home.
We stayed at the Rex Hotel in the Old Quarters. They have a roof top bar and a penthouse restaurant. You can make out Hoan Kiem lake on the left.
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