It was not cool...it was COLD in Hanoi, and colder in the highlands of Sapa. However, my blood pressure rose when I found out that my camera had been stolen from my bagpack near the Water Puppets Theatre in Hanoi. So, I've had to use susan's photos for this blog: thanks, susan!. (I know you will chastise me again, Kong Chong, for not bringing a back -up camera!!)
Debbie had the presence of mind to suggest that I make a police report, and people were helpful in directing us to the nearest police station in Hung Bac street. There I was gruffly told to sit down, and a younger policeman and a lady interepreter were found for me. While there, another man came in with a stolen wallet...all money gone, but all cards intact. So I felt thankful that I was safe, and that my passport was still with me, enabling me to return home as planned.
6 million people and 3 million motorbikes make Hanoi's air pollution severe. Perhaps because of the season, I did not see the sun for the 8 days which I spent in that part of Vietnam. We arrived on the eve of the Lunar New Year, so we joined the throngs walking in festive mood around 
Hoan Kiem lake. There were 3 stages erected for shows, the largest one being at the Martyrs' memorial. Later at midnight, fireworks went off, but we were told by our German fellow-travellers that it was so smoggy that the fireworks couldn't be seen!
The Lake became or point of reference in the city. When we returned from our HaLong Bay cruise, we walked around it again after visiting the Cathedral and the Opera House (a miniature
of the Paris Opera). Our third stay in Hanoi was after our visit to Sapa. This time, many shops were open after the annual New Year (Tet) holiday. Hang Gai, our main access to the Lake was a street full of beautiful silk stores. We followed Lonely Planet's walking tour to the street markets and specialty stores of the city. That reminded me of the markets we had in Singapore in the 50's. 
The signature Vietnamese dish, Pho, was sold everywhere. On the streets, hawkers set up their 2 pots of hot soup and hot water to scald the noodles, together with plates with other ingredients like meat,(Bee
f, pork or chicken) spring onions, lime, nouc nam (fish sauce), sliced red chillies. Customers sat on low plastic stools, sometimes at tables to consume the tasty fare. Besides these street vendors, Pho was also sold in restaurants everywhere. We were assailed with smells of boiling oil when we walked back and forth from our hotel. A narrow alley nearby was lined with stalls selling "nem" by night and "pho" by day. Nem was accompanied by french fries and cucumber slices. On Saturday night the alley was full of diners on low stools. Two rows of motorcycles were parked at the entrance to the alley. Pedestrians and bikers circulated up and down any space that was left! Motorcycle exhaust pipes were right at the level of the noses of the diners!
Debbie had the presence of mind to suggest that I make a police report, and people were helpful in directing us to the nearest police station in Hung Bac street. There I was gruffly told to sit down, and a younger policeman and a lady interepreter were found for me. While there, another man came in with a stolen wallet...all money gone, but all cards intact. So I felt thankful that I was safe, and that my passport was still with me, enabling me to return home as planned.
6 million people and 3 million motorbikes make Hanoi's air pollution severe. Perhaps because of the season, I did not see the sun for the 8 days which I spent in that part of Vietnam. We arrived on the eve of the Lunar New Year, so we joined the throngs walking in festive mood around 
Hoan Kiem lake. There were 3 stages erected for shows, the largest one being at the Martyrs' memorial. Later at midnight, fireworks went off, but we were told by our German fellow-travellers that it was so smoggy that the fireworks couldn't be seen!The Lake became or point of reference in the city. When we returned from our HaLong Bay cruise, we walked around it again after visiting the Cathedral and the Opera House (a miniature
of the Paris Opera). Our third stay in Hanoi was after our visit to Sapa. This time, many shops were open after the annual New Year (Tet) holiday. Hang Gai, our main access to the Lake was a street full of beautiful silk stores. We followed Lonely Planet's walking tour to the street markets and specialty stores of the city. That reminded me of the markets we had in Singapore in the 50's. 
The signature Vietnamese dish, Pho, was sold everywhere. On the streets, hawkers set up their 2 pots of hot soup and hot water to scald the noodles, together with plates with other ingredients like meat,(Bee
f, pork or chicken) spring onions, lime, nouc nam (fish sauce), sliced red chillies. Customers sat on low plastic stools, sometimes at tables to consume the tasty fare. Besides these street vendors, Pho was also sold in restaurants everywhere. We were assailed with smells of boiling oil when we walked back and forth from our hotel. A narrow alley nearby was lined with stalls selling "nem" by night and "pho" by day. Nem was accompanied by french fries and cucumber slices. On Saturday night the alley was full of diners on low stools. Two rows of motorcycles were parked at the entrance to the alley. Pedestrians and bikers circulated up and down any space that was left! Motorcycle exhaust pipes were right at the level of the noses of the diners!The shop houses also reminded me of those in Singapore when I was growing up. While our shop houses were mostly two-storey buildings, the ones in Hanoi could go up to five storeys. The frontage was about 4meters, and I expect that, like our family-run hotel, the house could be 20 meters from the front to back of the buildings. Many residential buildings had balconies on every floor.
We stayed at Tung Trang hotel in the Old Quarter, within walking distance of most downtown sites. Rooms were clean and comfortable, but the bathrooms were narrow. After taking a shower everything in the bathroom would be wet, including the toilet paper!!
In any case we were charmed by the good-natured receptionist, who acceded to our every request and arranged our tours to Halong Bay and Sapa. We used the facilities as well, while in transit to and from these trips. Grandma cooked breakfast and boiled hot water for us. Papa fixed the faulty lights in our room. We felt safe here, and, the hotel being in an alley, the nights were quiet here, as compared to all the insistent honking we heard on other streets in Vietnam.
We are used to honking in Asia. In Hanoi we learnt to cross the street weaving in between the motor bikes and cars. I must say that the system works because motorists and pedestrians have more consideration for each other than on Singapore streets.
We had Pho twice at the street stalls, had coffee at "Moca" cafe, as recommended by our German friends, and on our last night had a celebration dinner in the ritzy restaurant on the lakefront. Five musicians played on vietnamese instruments while we ate. We tried our hand at playing a fascinating percussion instrument that was a clapper made up of 2 miniature "washboards". We did not try the teacup castenets-cum-bells.
