Friday, October 09, 2009
Trip to Hanoi and
Halong Bay (1 Oct to 4 Oct 2009)
1 Oct 2009 was our 4th wedding anniversary. We
flew to Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines flight VN744 which departed from Changi
Airport Terminal 1 at 3.50pm. It was going to be a 3 1/2 hr flight.
We arrived at Hanoi airport at 6.15 pm local time. It was a cool evening with
temperature at 24 degrees Centigrade. We were met by our local guide Mr Thein
Anh. He led us to a waiting vehicle and we hopped on for a one hour ride to a
local restaurant for dinner. We reached a dyke before the car turned into a
slip road which was below the dyke level. It was dark and the road was bumpy
before we reached Banana Flower restaurant. It was a newly built 3 storey
restaurant elegantly decorated which served authentic Vietnamese cuisine. There
were only 2 of us in the restaurant and it was as if my hubby had booked the
whole restaurant for us that anniversary evening. We slowly enjoyed the hot
seafood broth and other dishes like rice paper spring rolls, braised beef,
chicken, fish, etc. After the sumptuous feast, we were ferried to the Hanoi
Hotel half an hour ride away for an overnight stay. After checking in, we
decided to explore the area nearby. There were many stalls selling mooncake as
the Mid Autumn Festival was just 2 days away. The hotel was selling mooncake at
USD53.80 per box.! We also past cafes which lined the street. People were
drinking alfresco. Children were also seated around playing. It was about 9 pm.
The next morning, we had buffet breakfast at the hotel. We had a cubicle
overlooking the lake. There was pho which was Vietnamese beef noodle. I liked
the soup as it had a sweet herbal taste. It was also non-oily. They say the
soup took hours to brew which resulted in the delicious taste which tantalised
my taste buds.
The guide took us to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Presidential Palace
and the Temple of Literature. This is the temple where names of scholars who
passed the exams were carved in stone on the many stone tablets displayed.
Further in, there was a temple where Confucius statue stood and many came to
pay their respects. Confucius teachings spread from China to Vietnam in the
15th Century. The Presidential Palace was where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked
during his term as President.
After lunch, we were brought to the Dong Xuan market which is a wholesale
market. I bought a Louis Vuitton wallet for my sis Emily and a pair of shoes
and lots of hairclips for my daughter Bernadette. We also bought grounded
coffee powder for my in-laws and G3 3-in-1 coffee. Along the 3hr car ride back
to Hanoi, we bought some more snacks and tidbits for colleagues and relatives.
That night we stayed at Pearl Hotel. The next morning after breakfast, we took
a 15 min car ride to the Pier for our 5hr cruise along Halong Bay. There were only
2 of us on the boat. There were a boat captain, and a chef on board who also
doubled as a sales lady later on at the end of the cruise. It was a sunny
morning and the seagulls were flying by as the boat set sail. We went to the
upper deck to suntan and have a better view of the bay and to take some nice
shots. As we approached the first of thousands of islands, we were very
excited. The view of the islands was breath taking. The ambience was also
tranquil and the sea calm. I did my personal meditation right there in the
middle of the bay. We past fishing villages and fishing boats on which ladies
were selling some seafood and mini groceries. We also past the famous 2
cockerels which were 2 islands leaning against each other shaped like 2
cockerels. Soon lunch time approached. We were served many mouthwatering s
dishes like crabs, prawns, fish, spring rolls, vegetables and fruits. After
lunch, the lady brought out some bracelets and earrings for me to view. I
bought a pair of pearl bracelet and earrings which cost me US$37. We reached
the pier and bade farewell to beautiful Halong Bay.
After travelling back to Hanoi, we went for the water puppet show at the
theatre near Dong Xuan market. It was an interesting performance by the
puppeteers who manned the puppets from behind the stage which was filled with
water up to knee level. There was a dragon dance performance followed by kids
catching fish in the water. After the water puppet show, we went to Tara
restaurant to have buffet dinner. The atmosphere was celebratory as it was
mid-Autumn festival night. We tasted Vietnamese coffee. I found it too bitter
for me. I prefer the 3 in 1 Vietnamese coffee. We had bbq shishamo, squid,
prawns besides pho, and there was also a variety of desserts. We were brought
to the Halong hotel after dinner.
As it was our final night in Hanoi, we spent the night watching the mid-Autumn
festival programmes on TV and packing our luggage.
The next day, we took a flight home feeling tired but blissfully happy with
sweet memories of Vietnam.
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