After our eventful mini adventure in arriving to this point, Hanoi was thankfully everything I expected and more. The hotel was located in the Old District, which was probably the most tourist orientated but therefore also the most accessible. We quickly planned our two full days to make sure we saw as much as possible, aiming to view the sites and sounds of Hanoi on Tuesday and then spend the majority of Wednesday in Halong Bay. Our flight back was mid afternoon on Thursday giving us time in the morning to catch anything we missed.
Setting out after breakfast we realised the best way to explore as much of the city as possible was through the cycle Rickshaws. While I usually prefer to see the city through walking, in hindsight I am very glad we chose the rickshaws, as it meant I wasn’t always a complete sweaty mess throughout the day.
Our first stop was Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum located in the heart of the capital. This well maintained building would usually contain the embalmed body of ‘Uncle Ho’ open to everyone, however his body was currently in Russia having another coat of embalming fluid applied. So when we were there, the doors were firmly shut. The building itself was a magnificent example of Civic Buildings with its well-defined proportions and tasteful surroundings.
In keeping with our poor planning of this trip, we didn’t realise that Hanoi would be celebrating its 1,003rd anniversary as the capital of Vietnam on the day we would be flying back. Furthermore, our arrival coincided with the death of a noted and well-loved General from the Vietnam War era. His death could be felt in the mood of all those around the Mausoleum and in the Hundreds of people lining up in the mid day sun to pay respects at another square. While we were riding the rickshaws, I spotted the line as it slowly snaked its way along the pavements of the city centre. If we joined the line we could easily be waiting four or five hours.
The next stop on our journey was the ‘One-Pillar Pagoda’. After the majesty of the Mausoleum I was a bit underwhelmed by this shrine, however walking around the surrounding green areas gave me a wonderful sense of peace.
Another place of note during our rickshaw ride was the ‘Temple of Literature’, which was essentially the oldest known University in Vietnam, dating several centuries. The orientation of this place was as a series of small Gardens separated large walls and entered through grand arches. One of these arches looked familiar and I later found out that it was the iconic symbol of Hanoi City, which I had seen in the 1,003rd Anniversary posters.
After several hours the heat was unbearable and we decided to end the rickshaw ride. The three of us unanimously decided to pay more than what was agreed, since these poor men were essentially pedaling us along the streets during the mid day sun. Before we went back to the hotel, we found a tourist agency and managed to book a day trip to Halong Bay for the next day.
After a short siesta, it was time to head back out and catch the world famous ‘Vietnamese Water Puppet Theatre Show’. Even though it was entirely in Vietnamese, the power of the message and the delicate music transcended all languages and was understood by all the (mainly foreign) audience. My personal favourite episode was the Fire Dance, whereby a puppet came out danced a bit, had his friend come out with a lit torch and in front of my eyes the puppets passed the torch to one another. Initially I was hell bent on figuring out how they operated the puppets, but I slowly succumbed to the charm and therefore enjoyed it immensely more.
After the show, we continued to walk through the streets at night sampling the many curious shops and their wares. Finally after exhausting our funds and our legs we found ourselves back in the room and getting ready for the next day.
