h a n o i

Honk.

A freeway bends into the city and the thing that struck me most about Hanoi, was the traffic.

Definitely chaotic...

But somehow they managed.



Occasionally, traffic rules do apply...

But they should not be taken for granted.



The best way to cross the roads was to do it slowly, and confidently.

Because in all that chaos, motorists and pedestrians do look out for each other.

And it was good to know that I did not witness any accidents while I was there.

But still, tourists should always be on their toes.



There's little space between shops and roads...

Definitely stressful for us not used to it...

But somehow we managed.

(Above: LY at a crossroad)

The streets of Hanoi have character...

But sometimes it's hard to enjoy them when you have to keep a look-out on the traffic.



Street names may be a mouthful...

But places shouldn't be too difficult to find.



Especially if you er left it to the rest.

(Above: Getting our bearings while LY fixed a stray hair.)



Graffiti on the wall means business.

No, I mean it!

They're usually numbers to hotels, hostels, cafes and restaurants.

I think...



This was just outside our hotel.

I think...



There are hints that Hanoi's streetscapes are slowly changing.

Because like all developing countries, it is probably in the process of getting a modern facelift.



But there are still enough characteristic old town charm of back alleys and street corridors which sometimes opens up to quiet courtyards, hidden dwellings and happening restaurants.



Shop.

After all, Hanoi appeared to be a trade town.

(Above: Old propaganda posters by various painters for sale. (As if you can't read :\))



Or maybe cheap time pieces are more your thing...

(Above: SL, CT and IH spotting for one that comes with a calculator ;p)



Err...This isn't what it looks like.

We were just looking.

Honest!



Vietnamese people are pretty into art and galleries are aplenty.

Art shops may look cluttered but take your time...you may find some nice gems.

Little Miss Scatterbrain here found herself a set of delightful mini portraiture if I do say so myself.



Some shops opened up till late.

Which was great for last minute souvenirs for people back home.

h a n o i

There are places in Hanoi you can go see besides shopping.

Like the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.



The Mausoleum was closed for a couple of months for maintenance or something when we were there (that'll teach us to do our research more thoroughly before out trips)...



But we were pretty fond of this public square outside the Mausoleum because, well...

There was no Traffic :D



(Above: LY, red flag and blue sky.)



You can go see the Museum nearby and get yourself some history.



Or visit a temple like the tourist that you are.



Or watch the award winning water puppets.

(Above: Clearly the ticketing lady was not a fan of the language barrier.)



Wine and Dine after the puppet show.

You can make a reservation at celebrity chef Bobby Chinn's restaurant nearby (left).

Or maybe try Red Beer further in (right)...depending on your budget.



Actually, Red Beer was the first place we had dinner after arrival in Hanoi late in the evening which, judging by it's crowd, appeared to be a rather popular spot.

The food was ok and it had an interesting interior but we were just glad that we could dig in.



Places we'd recommend to eat in Hanoi includes this pizza place we found.

Can't remember what it's called (so much for references) but the pizza's good :)

It had it's kitchen on the ground floor and the dining's upstairs, away from the traffic, as we like it... The setting sun was coming in through the leaves and it was quiet with just the few of us... Pretty nice.



The Little Hanoi Cafe was a nice place to chill and watch the crowds go by.

This place was usually packed but we went back twice for good shade and the desserts' a bonus.



More desserts at Quan An Ngon... which was something like an outdoor food court in a courtyard, under umbrellas and canvases.



Even more desserts at Soffitel Metropole.

One of the nicest hotel we've seen in Hanoi.

$o very high-end.

Which was why we weren't staying there :(



Cha Ca La Vong.

This is a pretty famous local dish with fish in oil and something that looked like chor bee hoon.

I like this stuff!



Now... when it comes to good food during our stay in Hanoi, the Green Tangerine (above) was our pick.

Sadly, I didn't take too many pictures.

I was probably too preoccupied with my Pho :p

Service and the shophouse courtyard ambiance was also excellent.

Highly recommended :)



Thinking of spending a couple of days out of Hanoi?

Get tickets to Ha Long Bay at one of the many Sinh Cafe Travel agents.



Junk tours were many and packages offered may sometimes not be what it seems.

I guess sometimes luck plays a part in these things.



(Above: At the ferry terminal.)

Next up... Ha Long Bay.

h a l o n g b a y

We could feel the awe of Ha Long Bay as our junk made it's way into this world heritage site...



Open waters started to get enclosed by surfacing land masses that were like some mythical dragon creatures in the water under the autumn sun.



To be honest, when my friends pitched to me the idea of going to Vietnam, it didn't turn me on until I saw pictures of Ha Long Bay.



I actually found myself looking forward to having breakfast on a junk with a scenic view.



November was a good time to cruise Ha Long Bay. Skies were clear and the waters blue.

Sadly, the most recommended cruise - the Dragon, was out of commission while we were there, leaving most of us tourists opting for other cruise packages.

Ours did not look like the pictures the agent in Sinh Cafe Travel showed us.

But at least the meals were decent and there was an open roof deck to enjoy the stars...and everything was well within our budget.



Despite looking all rather similar, I think picking a good cruise is important for an enjoyable experience.

After all, you will be spending some time on that boat.

For me, having more open deck spaces was crucial.

Being able to dine outdoors would be best.



(Above: The elusive IH.)

I felt that the Ha Long Bay trip took us back to a time when things were simpler and the pace slower, if not a tad bit wobbly.



Because when you are on a boat and all you have are the mountains and seas, there's nothing else but the scenery and your company.

You slow down to enjoy the view, hang out with friends, have hearty conversations, just be idle and look forward to your next meal.



Views were constantly changing but never less spectacular and the layering of it all made me felt like I was in a virtual scape. A kaleidoscope created by nature or something.

If it weren't for the day and night, it might just have felt like time stood still.



But although mountains and seas were breaths of fresh air, I must say that a couple of days should be enough to wander the waters of Ha Long Bay.

3 days tops.



Coming in for a landing.

(Above: The crew getting ready to dock)



Occasional stops to the scattered islands were welcomed although sometimes getting off and on the boat again can be quite difficult, especially for the old folks i would think, as we hopped from boat to boat to get onto land.

There were choices to canoe, swim or climb.

As I wasn't geared to get wet, I opted to climb a nearby peak.

(Above: Boats came out to play in Ha Long Bay.)



(Above: One of the caves with beautiful rock formations enhanced by strategically placed lightings. But what captivated me more was it's sand-like ceiling that made me felt like I was on an up-side-down beach. Kinda surreal :o)



Back to the boats...

Depending on your preference, some junks had their windows on the outside.

While others, like ours here, had the doors and a corridor, which i think is what we'd rather.



(Above: LY coming out of her room in the morning and meeting up along the corridor.)

Views were constantly changing but always spectacular and the scale of it all made me felt like I was inside a moving picture.



Sometimes it's just open waters, sometimes mountains rise, sometimes junk cruises goes by...



And sometimes, a local might just sail up to sell you some snacks.



Rooms were minimal with just the beds and an attached bath...which was alright as you probably won't want to stay indoors most of the time.

(Above: CT relaxing in the bunk at night.)



I think our favourite place would have to be the open roof deck up above where we just watch the world go by with the wind in our hair.



But not all junk cruises have open roof decks. Some had sheltered ones, some none at all. So pick yours as you like it.



(Above: CT checking out rooms 1,3 and 5.)



We took in as much as we could before we left Ha Long Bay, savoring our return trip, swimming amongst giants.



There is rhythm in the landscape that seemed to make it feel alive and ancient at the same time.



And like cloud formations or stellar constellations, they can easily fuel the imagination and becomes something abstract to lose yourself in.



The scenic tour was a nice contrast to Hanoi, a good choice to complement the urban town and completes our Hanoi-Ha Long Bay Holiday.



(Above: Sunset at Ha Long Bay.)