Back in Hanoi after three years to find that the
city hasn't changed too much in that time - though the coloured lights bordering
Hoan Kiem Lake are new additions to the colour of the city which I'm sure
weren't there before! The mayhem of motorbikes, cars and pedestrians crowding
the narrow streets of the old town is as crazy as ever - maybe even more so....
It was a challenge navigating the major intersections to cross the street. You
can only cross your fingers and walk out into the traffic hoping it all manages
to manoeuvre around instead of over you.
However our first challenge was finding the mini bus to take us from the airport
to our hotel. Approached by taxi drivers offering fares of $30+ for the trip
(and knowing Hanoi has a bad reputation for dishonest taxi drivers and illegal
taxis) we eventually asked for help and were directed to the end of the
terminal. $3 each and an hour later we were dropped off at the door of our
hotel
(Hanoi Guesthouse approx $25 night booked on Agoda) in busy Ma May Street in the
centre of the old town. Minute room - not much wider than our bed - but clean,
plenty of hot water and strong wifi. Plus the friendly young staff all spoke
English. After the humidity and heat of Singapore earlier that day, the cold
night air came as a shock and we had to layer up before we went outside for
dinner.
We had made no sightseeing plans for the city as we had visited most of
the main attractions previously. We were only spending two nights here before
catching the night train to Sapa and onwards overland to China where we planned
to spend the next two months in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Guangxi. Then
another fortnight afterwards to travel overland from China to Cambodia where we
were meeting my sisters and Mother in Siem Reap for Easter.
Dinner that evening
was eaten to the soundtrack of motorcycles negotiating the narrow street outside
the restaurant. The weather was even colder next morning as we set off to
reacquaint ourselves with the city. Rows of shops selling brightly coloured
lacquer products, silk scarves, jade and silver jewellery, tours around Vietnam,
paintings and general tourist tat lined the streets near the hotel but the
further out you got away from the tourist trail the more local the shops
became. The old quarter of approximately 40 streets radiates from
Hoan Kiem Lake
and still today follows the original early 20th century street layout and is
full of dilapidated old houses. Each street specialised in a particular trade, a
tradition which is predominately still followed. One street sells only woollen
scarves and hats, another ladies underwear, another buttons and zips or tin
products, toys, funeral items or shoes.
All day we wondered, stopping for
regular coffees and cake. We figured the walking might counteract the added
calories!I wanted to visit the famous
Metrople Hotel which proved harder to find
then expected - not helped by the fact that we literally first walked right past
the front entrance without realising it. The 'long' route took us down a street
to an army barracks where we were promptly turned back by a couple of giggling
teenage soldiers on gate duty. We turned in the wrong direction at the end of
the street and had to walk around the perimeter of the whole barracks through a
fairly unattractive part of the city. Eventually we were rewarded with coffee at
the the first five star hotel in the city, opened in 1901, and with a colourful
history since. It has recently been renovated and the original fittings,
features and furniture retained where possible.
The foyer and lounge area, where
we were made to feel very welcome for the price of our coffee and beer ( AUD$12
- good value), was extremely plush. Jane Fonda, a long term guest during her
peace activist days of the 'American ' war and Joan Baez ( who entertained the
guests in the bunkers during the bomb attacks) are prominently mentioned in the
hotel's corridor of fame. The bunker was recently reopened for hotel guests only
to visit and whilst they were cleaning it out prior to the opening bottles of
Australian wine were found. They were left over from supplies the Australian
Embassy staff left there after they sheltered there during the war.We didn't do
anything else particularly exciting during our couple of days in the city as we
had visited everything of interest to us during previous visits.
However we
ambled a few times around Hoan Kiem Lake and spent a few very interesting hours
walking the streets near the perimeter of the old city - they were actually fun
and free of the many tourists thronging the the more central areas. We ended up
at the wholesale market, Dong Xuan, in a large covered building. This market
specialised in cheap clothing, shoes and bed linen which overflowed from the
stalls inside. The aisles were only a couple of feet wide and smallholders were
packing large bags with items as people purchased them. Porters were then
carrying these enormous bundles above their heads as they pushed down the aisles
to motorbike delivery men waiting outside. We had an entertaining half hour
watching them load a couple of these sacks on the back go bikes before they
drove (very carefully...) away. It was quite an experience and one of the
busiest markets of that type we had ever seen. We spent our last afternoon
sitting in a cafe reading before going to the station to catch an
overnight
sleeper train to Sapa.
Hanoi has changed a lot in the last 12 years since we
first visited the city. The streets certainly are much busier with most of the
bicycles being replaced by cars and motorcycles. The old city centre certainly
will give you a reasonable insight into life there as the locals go about their
daily business but tourism has made a big impact on the feel of the place. The
streets are lined with shops selling souvenirs but the footpaths are covered in
small family run food eateries where you perch of a tiny plastic stool whilst
the owner grills or fries up a snack for you to enjoy. You can still buy fresh
beer by the glass for 5,000 dong (25 cents though it was only 2,000 dong last
time were here) and join the locals on the street corner each evening to watch
the world go by.KFC has a presence though the Big Mac has yet to appear under
the 'golden arches'...