Last hours in Hanoi

Get a late start to my final day of Hanoi Vietnam. I Want to visit the Ho chi Minh house and sights in the vicinity but I miss the opening hours since they are limited. I end up just wandering around town instead.

One thing I forgot to mention previously is the Hanoi pedestrian street crossing. It takes courage and special skills to cross the street in Hanoi. It seems so intimidating at first but once you do your first couple street crossings then you never want to go back to your old ways. Hanoi is busy. So many people, so many cars, so many motor bikes; plus bicycles and carts on the road. The traffic appears to stop for no one. There are some intersections with cross signals but in most cases you need to do the Hanoi cross. To cross the street you just walk out into the street and maintain a consistent speed. Vehicles and bikes will move around you. If you hesitate or stop mid-way that is when problems occur. It took me a while to get it but I eventually developed the skill.

Example of crossing in busy traffic. See the two men that walk across on the right.

Example of busy traffic. I am in my uber waiting forever in traffic.

More images from around Hanoi

I happen to come across a game of shuttlecock? while walking by a park.

Visiting Pasteur Street Brewing for a flight

Monsoon Music Festival

The walking streets are alive at night. The previous weekend I watched a boxing match from the street at a distance. Tonight I watch an act from the Monsoon Music Festival. I love finding free concerts when I travel.

Beer street

I try my hand at beer street. This is supposed to be the place to try local beers. I didn’t stay out long but I got to experience a little bit of local night life. As I sat outside a bar at a cafe table I watch the constant street vendors and shoe cleaners (will clean your shoes for a fee while you sip your beverages at the bar).

My visit to Hanoi has come to an end. I fly to Hue tomorrow. Even with all the time I spent here, I missed so much. I’ll be back someday.

Vietnamese Women’s Museum

During my visit to Hanoi Vietnam I came across the Vietnamese Women’s Museum (VWM). The museum has a wealth of information about the lives of Vietnamese women.

First off, it is very nice to get an air conditioned break from the heat. Secondly, there is not a crowd at the museum. Yea me!

I first see a very informative exhibit on marriage and patrilineal (men make the decisions) vs matrilineal (elder women make the decisions) societies in Vietnam. There is a mix of both in Vietnam, mostly depending on what region the group lives. I learn about the varying customs that different groups follow.

I love the exhibit on marriage and birth traditions.

I enjoy the demonstrations of tools and cooking methods.

Mother Goddess

One of the temporary exhibitions is a mother goddess exhibit. It describes the practice and rituals of worshiping mother goddess by traditional Vietnamese.

This exhibit reminded me slightly of Candomblé, the afro-Portuguese religion where worshipers would take on the personas of deities in a trance-like state (I witnessed a ceremony when visiting Brazil many years ago).

The third dame: Third mother goddess in white robe

Women during the Vietnam war.

Another floor has an exhibit on how important women were during the Vietnam war.

Women were instrumental in creating human bridges that would make it possible to carry wounded across waterways when it was flooded.

Vietnamese women were skilled in sneaking private documents behind enemy lines. There is an exhibit on the ways women used to sneak documents. Women would walk around unnoticed during the war and were often employed in this capacity.

Textiles

A final impressive exhibit is the display of the different attire of Vietnam. I love seeing the different colors and styles throughout different regions.

Very nice way to spend an afternoon.

Hermès In Motion

People who know me know I have very little interest in high fashion. I sometimes crave nicer things but I don’t usually see the cost benefit for spending a ton of money on an item I can get more affordably without a label. For this reason I am surprised I am so happy to come upon a Hermès exhibit outside the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, Vietnam this past October. (October 25)

The actual exhibit is called In Motion and features Hermès designed items to travel and motion. This exhibit is right up my alley with bikes, roller skates, picnic gear, and hidden flasks. It is very enjoyable to see all fancy things related to travel.

Early 20th Century flask. There is a demonstration video on its use.

Hermès In Motion is a high fashion event that is just my style. It is a nice little air conditioned exhibit that was definitely worth the hour or so.

More Hanoi

I am back in Hanoi. I have moved hotels to experience a different part of town and to save some money. The streets are smaller here. The hotel is satisfactory but my only complaint is the weird placement of the bathroom inside an existing room box. It makes me think the bathroom was added later. There is some mildew smell but that is typical in budget hotels in southeast Asia. Usually those smells bother me but I find myself more likely to just go with the flow here. When did I become so easy going, lol?

My room has some snacks to purchase. The universe must hate me because look what I am offered – squid chips!

More train street

I once again walk by train street. I see they are getting more lax with their security since people are actually walking onto the tracks to get pictures. I wonder if in time they will re-open the coffee shops and cafes?

Temple Of Literature

I am heading to the temple of literature. The temple of literature was built in the 11th century as a university dedicated to Confucius. One of the highlights are the Bia Da (Stone Stelae) standing stone slabs used to commemorate graduates.

I walk back to the main building (Đại Thành Sanctuary). I am not in fully modest attire so I am given a robe to wear for modesty. It is definitely not in an american size. It barely fits me. It is hot out and this extra covering makes me sweat more but it is what I have to do to sight-see around here.

In that same complex I visit a very interesting Hermès exhibit and for that I’ll create a separate post.

Later today I visit the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. I’ll create a separate post for that as well.

After a long day of sightseeing I am craving western comforts. A couple on my junk boat cruise recommends 4P pizza. It is a Vietnam pizza chain. I am very satisfied with my pizza, mozzarella salad and wine. Since my visit is close to Halloween all of the staff is dressed like witches. It is a fun little escape with some comfort food for the night.

I grow fonder of Hanoi the more time I spend here.

More later…..

Yen Duc Village

As part of my junk boat cruise package they offer an optional Vietnamese home-stay experience. Because my travel taste tends to favor local experience I decide to take advantage of the package. After I am picked up from my cruise I am taken to the Yen Duc village to experience Vietnamese life for a short while.

Many cruise vans stop by the village I am visiting for a water puppet show only. I ride with the group to the village but I am watching the puppet show the next day before I get picked up to return to Hanoi.

Instead I am taken to my room by electric cart. Usually there are more guests but tonight I am the only one. It is awkward because all the attention is on me but also I can cater the experience to exactly what I want.

My host takes me to my huge room. I relax there a bit after some welcome tea.

I am visiting during rainy season so we wait for the showers to end before going out for a bike ride around the village. I don’t bring my phone or camera on the ride for fear of rain so I get no pictures of that experience.

First stop is a local lady who has a 190 year old house. She lives mostly alone due to losing her husband years ago and her kids live out of town. She tells me of the family reunions that happen every ten years. She also explains the alters and offerings and how they worship a dead patriarch of many generations ago. She shows me her amazing family tree that now numbers more than 200 from a single ancestor , even going back when multiple wives were common. We talk about her garden and her house. Some of the plants in her garden I have grown in Florida in the past (my home). She is very nice.

Rice Harvesting

Next I learn how to produce rice. After harvesting rice has 2 layers to remove (brown rice just has one, the hull, removed). White rice is the same grain but has the hull, bran layer, and cereal germ removed.

A circular machine is used remove the outer layer shell, or hull.

Then rice is put into baskets to shake to remove the shell. It is an art. You shake and twirl to separate and use a jerk motion to knock the shell pieces out of the basket.

Then remove the second layer by bashing using a large mallet thing. It is a workout.

Finally I shake again to remove the rest of the bran and germ. It is an art. It is also hard work. I didn’t realize how much went into producing rice (and I didn’t even get to see it harvested). Rice is sold so cheaply all over the world and it takes so much manual labor to produce it.

Farm Fishing

After learning about rice we take bike ride to go fishing. In the village they do farm fishing in ponds. They grow the fish in ponds and use a basket method to catch the fish when it is time to cook it. I get a demonstration by the local fisherman. He plunges a wicker basket into the water in different areas in order to try to entrap a fish. This motion is done quickly all over the pond. Now it is my turn I walk into the muddy pond with water pants. I try and try and try but I couldn’t catch a fish of my own with the basket. I am assisted with catching one but I do have to stick my hand in and grab it put it in the basket. I hope this is something I would be able to master in time because right now my survival skills are lacking.

After fishing we ride back, there is finally great weather and I have great views of the rice fields.

When we return I get to roll my own dessert. Sugar cube, mung beans, dough and sesame. I can’t wait to try it later. I make a note to research all the cooking of mung beans. I forgot that I used to like them.

I go back to my room and cleanup but notice a huge spider chilling on my shower curtain. I am from Florida and we have a fair share of spiders but I am still scared of it. When I arrive at the dinner table later I tell my host about my fear of the spider. A staff member (who is small and petite) happily goes into my room and removes the huge spider with her hands. I am in awe. It is probably no big deal to her but I am impressed.

Soon I am served dinner like a queen (sorry forgot photos). One of the highlights is the morning glory at that like sautéed spinach.

Breakfast

I mean to go for a bike ride on my own in the morning but decide to relax instead. I always try to take my downtime when I can because things can always feel so fast-paced when traveling.

In no time at all it is lunchtime. Squid is on the menu but I am able to “swallow them down”. Again it is not that I don’t like squid, I actually do, I just don’t want to eat it all the time. I wish I had written down everything else I consumed, because it is all cooked well.

Soon it is time for me to watch the water puppet show. While I wait for the puppet show I take one last walk around the area.

Water Puppet Show

The puppet show starts with some singers. They sing a lovely song while they float around.

Soon the performance begins. The puppeters are behind the screen and are very skilled at acting out scenes with the puppets. A band plays music beside the stage.

After the show ends I head back to Hanoi for a second visit. More on that later.