Vietnam Trip Day 7: Hanoi

0730 Hrs:

Had wanted to wake up at 0700 but only wake up now. Need to meet Son at 0830 Hrs to tour around the city.

0800 Hrs:

Had breakfast at the restaurant at the top of the hotel.

A cloudy morning.

0830 Hrs:

Waiting at the hotel lobby for Son but he has not arrived. Chatted with the two receptionists at the counter.

0840 Hrs:

Gave Son a call but he said he still was at his hotel room. Wah kau …..

He told me to give him thirty minutes and he will reach my place.

0900 Hrs:

Son arrived and we set off for HCM Mausoleum. The two of us were sitting on one single motorcycle. Including the motorist, there were three of on the bike. Son told me actually this was illegal. Yet, apparently a lot of other locals were doing the same. I had seen before a family of four on one single bike on my first day in Vietnam.

People in Vietnam like to horn when they drive to make others aware that they are around. I was sitting at the back so this makes me nearer to the vehicles behind. Their constant horning sure makes it scary.

The motorist sure knows how to wind his way through the thick traffic. It had been raining the night before so the road was slippery yet he was still traveling very fast. There was even one time he speed through the red light. ('__' ) …

0920 Hrs:

We reached Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The motorist also wanted to join us to tour around. Since Son is not from Hanoi, having the motorist around as a guide was a good idea.

HCM Mausoleum is where the body of Ho Chi Minh rests. I was told we were not allowed to bring cameras in. However, we could not enter as it is closed every Monday and Friday. What a waste! Arrghhh …

There is a very big open space in front of the mausoleum. Reminds me of Tiananmen Square in Beijing.







The guards were all dressed smartly.

Across the open field is this big building which looks like a government building.

Also went to the presidential palace, HCM stilt house.

The presidential palace. It is not opened to the the public. We were not allowed to take photo from the front. There was a signboard restricting us from going in further. I had actually went past that signboard and quickly took this picture. There were some guards standing nearby. They were already calling out at at me to stay behind the signboard and I had to really take the picture real quick before they take any action on me.

There was this house which HCM stayed in.











Behind the house is this big pond.

There is also the stilt house which HCM had also stayed in.

Stilt house.

Halfway through, it started to rain heavily! Sigh ….. what a bad day.





We found a place to hide from the rain. Stayed there for around an hour when the rain got smaller. In order not to waste time, we decided to continue the rest of the tour around. Each of us bought the universal rain coat that Vietnamese like to use and off we go again.

Next, we went to the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Locals can enter for free but tourists need to pay an entrance fee of 10,000 VND. All visitors are required to deposit their bags at the entrance. The museum showcases everything that is related to HCM. Everything from his life, how he unified Vietnam, his ideologies, policies can be found here. It was said that no photography was allowed inside yet I saw some group of tourists taking group photos in front of a gigantic statue of HCM. Hmmm …



Me in that universally used rain coat.

Beside the museum was the One Pillar Pagoda. It is a temple that has only one pillar as foundation and is among the first temples to be built in Vietnam. It was meant to shape like a lotus flower.





It was still drizzling after we finished the tour. The motorist sent us back to out hotel and we shared the cost. Each of us paid 30,000 VND.

1130 Hrs:

Returned back to the hotel. Whole body was wet.

Quickly took a bath and went to watch TV. Hahaha …. So slack.

1430 Hrs:

Went out for a walk around the area.

World of Music.

A motorbike repair shop nearby.

Wondered into this back alley.

Inside the back alley, there was this temple.



The old caretaker was kind enough to allow me to enter the temple. I did not stay too long though.

Do not ask me if this was a real or fake bear.

One of the small stalls in the alley selling food. Most of the people would smile at you when you take photographs of them. Some people would object to it. Just smile back at them politely and walk away.

Hapro Mart. A mini mart near the hotel.

One of the very few ATM machines that I saw in the trip next to the mini mart.

Along one of the streets were shops selling paintings. You could see the people doing the painting themselves.

Look closer, you would see that they were trying to copy some other people's paintings.

They sure look alike eh.

One of the peddlers offered to take a photo of this lady with her fruits and her hat. As expected, after the photo was taken, the old lady asked the young lady to buy some fruits. She bought some fruits as a token of appreciation.

You could see many such makeshift "stalls" selling snacks at the roadside.

Not sure what were they selling. Did not try also.

Walked to Hoan Kiem Lake. I passed by a shopping center yesterday while I was trying to walk to Hoan Kiem Lake after alighting from the taxi. It was located just next to the lake itself.











The furnishing sure looks modern compared to the buildings in Old Quarter. It gives a very distinct contract between the old and the new.

I went to explore around Old Quarter again.

There was this street which sells mainly bags.

You could not see such wet markets in the open anymore back in Singapore.



Bought this sandwich. There's pork and cheese in it.

This is a stall along a streets that sells mainly wooden stamps.

Reminds me of the phrase "工欲善其事，必先利其器".

Mini 油条.



Motorbikes, the most prominent transport in Vietnam.

This is how a normal traffic looks like.

Ok, this looks more like it.

Seeing the raincoats that the motorists were wearing, it has a transparent part for the motorist to see the bike handle and meters when it covers over them. I thought of buying one for Meichun but I am not sure whether if she would use it. Think when it rains she would just hide under shelter or not use her bike at all. Hahaha .....

Also went to Prince 57 Hotel to sign up for the trip to Perfume Pagoda for tomorrow. Cost USD$14 and includes transport, lunch and tour guide. Son initially planned to join me for the tour. However, by the time the trip ended it would be already near 1800 Hrs in the evening. He need to leave for the airport at 1730 Hrs to catch his domestic flight back to HCM City. He had to give it a miss.

1730 Hrs:

Went back to the hotel again. A bit bored from walking around.

1915 Hrs:

Went out for dinner. Came to this roadside stall outside one restaurant called Song Anh. Seems that the roadside stall also serves the customers in the restaurant. Ordered pho ga (chicken noodle). It cost 20,000 VND.

Song Anh Restaurant.

Pho ga. The noodle looks more like bee hoon lah. Hahaha .....

Made short works of it in no time.

I was sitting by the roadside facing the road. The road was still wet from the rain. On my left sat a man and a woman. From their conversation, it seems that they are from Singapore too because I heard them saying something about Bedok. It is good to see people from your own country around.

After dinner, went up to the second floor of Song Anh and ordered a glass of peppermint tea (tra bae ha).

Tra bae ha (peppermint tea). Cost 8,000 VND.

The second level of Song Anh.



The weather is very cold and drinking the warm tea feels so shioks siah!

Just sat there and watch the people and traffic move around in the road below. Sometimes, it is good to just sit there and not think about anything and just look at people and things happening around you. How often do we get such a chance back in Singapore.

Tried to go to the night market again. However, it was not opened. Think it is due to the rain.

Saw this lady selling BBQ squid.

On my way back to the hotel, bought a meat bun. Steaming hot out from the stove.



At the minimart near the hotel, I bought a can of Hanoi beer from there. Wanted to try how the local beer tastes.

Back in the hotel room, I ate the meat bun and drank the beer. It was windy and raining outside. Felt so cold when I returned to the room. Luckily the bun was still warm.

Meat bun.

Bia Ha Noi.

I need to reach Prince 57 Hotel by 0745 Hrs tomorrow morning for the Perfume Pagoda tour.

Cannot sleep too late tonight.