Where We Be
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| Delicious street food and draft beer (Bia Hoi) make for fun evenings in Hanoi |
| Hanoi, Vietnam |
| This is the entrance to Hoa Lo Prison, built by the French in the late 1880s and called Maison Centrale ("Central House") -- a euphemism for prisons in France. U.S. prisoners of war shot down over Vietnam sarcastically called it the Hanoi Hilton during their imprisonment here. |
| Hoa Lo literally means "stove" in Vietnamese but translates more loosely as "fiery furnace." Most of the prison museum is devoted to a discussion of the terrible treatment received by the Vietnamese at the hands of the French. |
| Two rooms are devoted to the U.S. airmen imprisoned here as POWs -- including John McCain, who revisited the prison in 2000. His flight suit and other memorabilia are on display here. |
| We continued walking to the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 AD to honor Confucius. As early as 1076 it housed the Imperial Academy, Vietnam's first national university. |
| Inside the Temple of Literature are some elaborate shrines and decorations |
| It’s a peaceful oasis in the midst of all the Hanoi craziness |
| We particularly liked this diminutive statue of two monks playing a board game amongst the ankle-high foliage |
| Feeling footsore, we paid $4 to be wheeled at bicycle speed through the crazy streets of Hanoi. Motorists zipped past us like we were standing still, and some of the turns through traffic were hair-raising. |
| Close to the pagoda is Ho Chi Minh Museum, dedicated to the life of "Uncle Ho" who fought for Vietnamese independence from the early 1940s until his death in 1979 |
| A bit further along is Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a big cube of a monument. Vietnamese soldiers in full dress whites keep a watchful eye. Soldiers march by instead of just walking so it feels very military. |
| The mausoleum is stark and imposing. Heroic military music plays from speakers hidden in bushes near the site. Inside are the embalmed remains of Uncle Ho. |
| Vietnamese military drill out in the open across from the mausoleum |
| Ba Dinh Square itself is an enormous rectangle -- huge and empty feeling. Vietnam's declaration of independence from France was declared here in 1945 by Ho Chi Minh. |
| Just outside Ba Dinh Square is the Presidential Palace (built 1906), a restored colonial building in "imperial yellow" -- a color associated with French imperialism in Vietnam |
| Motorcycles are ubiquitous. Even the sidewalks aren't safe! And crossing the street can be a real challenge: it requires a steady walking pace and a good deal of trust as motorcycles thread around you. |
| Sidewalks in the Old Quarter are a study in chaos! |
| Parked motorcycles and obstacles galore make every walk an adventure. This was so different from anything we'd experienced before that we loved it. |
| The Old Quarter bubbles over with energy -- not to mention inexpensive lodgings, restaurants, and shops. We stayed at the central and friendly Tu Linh Palace II for just $22 per night. |
| These helmets let you motor around Hanoi in style. We particularly like the "Hello Kitty" helmet. |
| Memorial House (or Heritage House) in the Old Quarter is worth a visit. It's known as a “tube house” for its unique architecture, with a small storefront street-side and a long series of connecting rooms and courtyards heading back. |
| The lake is an oasis of green at the city's center |
| Hoan Kiem is the lake at the center of the Old Quarter – and in many ways the symbolic center of Hanoi itself |
| At the southern end of Hoan Kiem is the French Quarter with its fine colonial architecture, including the Opera House |
| A sure sign that capitalism is alive and well in Vietnam these days |
| Even Robin, who is 5'2", seems big sitting at these tiny chairs and tables! We ordered banh xeo -- ultra-thin rice cellophane wraps with bean sprouts, pork, veggies, and fish sauce. Robin also discovered she loves French fries with soy sauce! |
| We got a kick out of this mural outside St. Joseph Cathedral showing the Magi pointing to -- a fern? The real star is actually off-screen to the right! |
| These gatherings are a nightly event in Hanoi's Old Quarter -- hardly surprising given the price of a draft beer is just 25 cents |
| Aerial photo of Hoa Lo prison from the time of the Vietnam War |
| Our final stop was West Lake, where we saw Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest pagoda in the city, built in the 6th century AD. Each niche in the pagoda is filled with a white Buddha statue. |
| A small temple sits on an island at the lake's northern end. It's easily reachable by pedestrian bridge. |
| Hoan Kiem means "Lake of the Returned Sword." The story goes that a turtle gave a magic sword to the emperor of Vietnam in the 15th century -- then took it back once independence was achieved from the Chinese. |
On our first night in Hanoi we had great fun
wandering through the chaotic streets of the
Old Quarter. And when we say chaotic we mean
it! You have to pick your way through the busy
streets since the sidewalks themselves are
almost completely obstructed with parked
motorcycles, street food vendors, diners on
stools, piles of boxes and goods destined for
stores, utility poles, leaning ladders, and so on.
Of course this is exactly what makes Hanoi so
much fun -- as long as you don't get run over!
It seemed as if the entire city was out having a
party. Everyone was out eating and drinking on
small plastic chairs and tables that packed the
sidewalks and spilled over onto the streets.
Motorcycles threaded through the crowds at
slow speeds. Eventually we parked ourselves
at a local joint where the “Bia Hoi” (draft beer)
was only 5,000 dong per stein -- that’s 25 cents!
Over the next few hours we drank ourselves
silly while striking up conversations with fellow
travelers from Australia, Scotland, England,
Germany, and the Netherlands -- not to mention
four friendly Vietnamese at a table next to ours.
At one point a police van quietly pulled up and
everyone sitting in the street -- tourists and
Vietnamese alike -- picked up their stools and
moved to the sidewalk. The bartender told us it
happens every night: the restaurants aren't
supposed to spill out onto the streets, so the
police cart off any unclaimed stools they find
there. But if the stools are held by patrons on
the sidewalk, they are in a “safe zone” and it’s
no problem!
wandering through the chaotic streets of the
Old Quarter. And when we say chaotic we mean
it! You have to pick your way through the busy
streets since the sidewalks themselves are
almost completely obstructed with parked
motorcycles, street food vendors, diners on
stools, piles of boxes and goods destined for
stores, utility poles, leaning ladders, and so on.
Of course this is exactly what makes Hanoi so
much fun -- as long as you don't get run over!
It seemed as if the entire city was out having a
party. Everyone was out eating and drinking on
small plastic chairs and tables that packed the
sidewalks and spilled over onto the streets.
Motorcycles threaded through the crowds at
slow speeds. Eventually we parked ourselves
at a local joint where the “Bia Hoi” (draft beer)
was only 5,000 dong per stein -- that’s 25 cents!
Over the next few hours we drank ourselves
silly while striking up conversations with fellow
travelers from Australia, Scotland, England,
Germany, and the Netherlands -- not to mention
four friendly Vietnamese at a table next to ours.
At one point a police van quietly pulled up and
everyone sitting in the street -- tourists and
Vietnamese alike -- picked up their stools and
moved to the sidewalk. The bartender told us it
happens every night: the restaurants aren't
supposed to spill out onto the streets, so the
police cart off any unclaimed stools they find
there. But if the stools are held by patrons on
the sidewalk, they are in a “safe zone” and it’s
no problem!
| In Vietnam you can carry a cool million around in your pocket like it's nothing. 500,000 dong = $25. (20,000 dong = $1.) |
| St. Joseph's Cathedral looks like a weathered version of Notre Dame |
| This is the real Hanoi Hilton -- not the facetiously named prison that held U.S. POWs during the Vietnam War |
| Hoan Kiem Lake |
| French Quarter |
| Old Quarter |
| Back in 1945, 100 political prisoners held by the French crept through this underground sewer door and managed to escape Hoa Lo. |
| Hoa Lo Prison -- the "Hanoi Hilton" |
| Temple of Literature |
| Ba Dinh Square |
| Some sections of the prison wall still stand |
| Near Ba Dinh Square is One Pillar Pagoda, a famous Vietnamese pagoda built around 1030 AD. Designed to resemble a lotus blossom, it rises out of a small pool. |