(January 18)
We walked all about Hanoi on our first day. My father-in-law's abode is very centrally located, and central Hanoi and the old quarter are small, so we began our day after a pleasant breakfast of fresh fruit, bread and tea, with a walk...
...and became promptly lost, the best way to learn any city well.
The house is located to the just east of Hoan Kiem lake, not far from a statue commemorating the reign of Vietnam's first emperor, Lý Thái To .
So rather than head west to the lake, we walked further east (oops), toward the Red River, and wandered alleys for a while. Like China's cities, Hanoi has a bustling life hidden away in alleys off the main roads. In a passage where two people have to squeeze past one another, motorcycles rush to and fro, mingling with entire businesses run atop bicycles (clothing, toys, food). Kids are the same everywhere, though, running about, playing hide and seek, and hoping you will play too.
When we hit the river, we reversed course and wandered back toward Hoan Kiem (thank goodness for the tall Vietcom bank tower landmark!). One of the fascinating things about Hanoi is that the French colonial buildings are still very much present. Tall, narrow, four or five story townhouses with balconies and verandas. Big window boxes with tropical plants. Lest I paint too idealized a picture, keep in mind that this is a city in transition. The architecture IS lovely, but many neighborhood homes have businesses running on their first floors at least, but often higher up. It seems like everyone runs at least one business in the old quarter. And all businesses and homes need power,so there are forests of power lines jury-rigged or together spreading in all directions seemingly sprouting more as you watch. Interestingly, with rare exceptions, the streets are pretty clean, people don't spit, and you don't see a lot of piles of rubbish (Big difference from China).
Crossing busy streets in Hanoi is an art. The trick is to pick your moment and start walking slowly forward into traffic. It is fine to slow down, but never to back up. The motorcycles and cars will part to rush in front of you or behind you, and as long as your movement is predictable, they can accommodate. As a motorist, it seems that slowing down or swerving is okay, but stopping is unacceptable. Very similar to NYC, but with more horns blaring.
Back at Hoan Kiem lake, things are a bit more upscale, and foreigners are more common. While walking elsewhere, we would occasionally run into people hoping to part us from our money (in exchange for books, DVDs, fruit, clothing), but here they became a little more aggressive. Cyclos (pedicabs) want passengers, and apparently many motorcycle drivers will happily shuttle you for a fee. We stayed on foot. The closer to the foreigner bars you get, the more the harassment. But they still give up pretty easily.
We circled the lake, noting how many options we had for food. Steaming bowls of Pho (beef noodle soup), Bia Hoi (draft beer and snacks), more upmarket restaurants with many varieties of food. We ended up at Hanoi Garden, a restaurant recommended by the Lonely Planet, and ate spring rolls (FANTASTIC!), green papaya salad with beef, and pork and green veggies in sweet chili sauce. All good. Stopped off at Highlands Coffee. Lovely coffee. Huge contrast between these two food venues: Hanoi Garden was primarily populated by Vietnamese plus a few foreigners, and the coffee shop had the opposite proportions.
...and became promptly lost, the best way to learn any city well.
The house is located to the just east of Hoan Kiem lake, not far from a statue commemorating the reign of Vietnam's first emperor, Lý Thái To .
So rather than head west to the lake, we walked further east (oops), toward the Red River, and wandered alleys for a while. Like China's cities, Hanoi has a bustling life hidden away in alleys off the main roads. In a passage where two people have to squeeze past one another, motorcycles rush to and fro, mingling with entire businesses run atop bicycles (clothing, toys, food). Kids are the same everywhere, though, running about, playing hide and seek, and hoping you will play too.
When we hit the river, we reversed course and wandered back toward Hoan Kiem (thank goodness for the tall Vietcom bank tower landmark!). One of the fascinating things about Hanoi is that the French colonial buildings are still very much present. Tall, narrow, four or five story townhouses with balconies and verandas. Big window boxes with tropical plants. Lest I paint too idealized a picture, keep in mind that this is a city in transition. The architecture IS lovely, but many neighborhood homes have businesses running on their first floors at least, but often higher up. It seems like everyone runs at least one business in the old quarter. And all businesses and homes need power,so there are forests of power lines jury-rigged or together spreading in all directions seemingly sprouting more as you watch. Interestingly, with rare exceptions, the streets are pretty clean, people don't spit, and you don't see a lot of piles of rubbish (Big difference from China).
Crossing busy streets in Hanoi is an art. The trick is to pick your moment and start walking slowly forward into traffic. It is fine to slow down, but never to back up. The motorcycles and cars will part to rush in front of you or behind you, and as long as your movement is predictable, they can accommodate. As a motorist, it seems that slowing down or swerving is okay, but stopping is unacceptable. Very similar to NYC, but with more horns blaring.
Back at Hoan Kiem lake, things are a bit more upscale, and foreigners are more common. While walking elsewhere, we would occasionally run into people hoping to part us from our money (in exchange for books, DVDs, fruit, clothing), but here they became a little more aggressive. Cyclos (pedicabs) want passengers, and apparently many motorcycle drivers will happily shuttle you for a fee. We stayed on foot. The closer to the foreigner bars you get, the more the harassment. But they still give up pretty easily.
We circled the lake, noting how many options we had for food. Steaming bowls of Pho (beef noodle soup), Bia Hoi (draft beer and snacks), more upmarket restaurants with many varieties of food. We ended up at Hanoi Garden, a restaurant recommended by the Lonely Planet, and ate spring rolls (FANTASTIC!), green papaya salad with beef, and pork and green veggies in sweet chili sauce. All good. Stopped off at Highlands Coffee. Lovely coffee. Huge contrast between these two food venues: Hanoi Garden was primarily populated by Vietnamese plus a few foreigners, and the coffee shop had the opposite proportions.
