Amazing Trip: Vietnam: Halong Bay & Hanoi

Halong Bay

Our first stop in Vietnam was beautiful Halong Bay, on the North coast. There are 3,000 or more of these "karst formations", basically limestone islands rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. We took an overnight boat trip on a Chinese junk boat to explore the waters, caves, hidden lagoons, and floating villages of this UNESCO World Heritage cite.

Halong Bay. "Fighting cocks" islands on the left, Chinese Junk boat on the right.

Halong Bay

Halong Bay

Halong Bay

all the boats docking to visit a popular cave

A cave inside one of the karst formations, a VERY popular attraction. Funny how it's all lit up like a Disney attraction.

Floating village in Halong Bay.
Families live out here on basic houseboats or floating raft-houses; they fish, or sell drinks and snacks to tourist boats. The children don't often go to school, unless they have enough money to go to boarding school. They have to buy drinking water, and their waste is periodically picked up (though we did see lots of trash floating by one village).

sunset at Halong Bay

Christian & Darby Affeldt, honeymooners.
All of the above photos are courtesy of them, our new friends from the boat trip, who shared their pictures after our camera was stolen.

Hanoi

Thap Rua (tortoise tower), the emblem of Hanoi, in the southern part of Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake is the "liquid heart" of the Old Quarter.

Streets in the Old Quarter are narrow & maze-like, the sidewalks are used as extensions of shops, food carts with tiny portable stools and tables, and motorbike parking. Pedestrians then must walk in the bit of street, amongst motorbikes and "cyclos" (foot pedaled taxis) weaving in and out and the occasional taxi or car.

We were pretty overwhelmed by Hanoi, even though most people say they like it better than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south because Hanoi is a slower, quieter city. Perhaps it was because we'd just come from super chill Luang Prabang, or perhaps it was because we had a cell phone and camera pick-pocketed the first night, or perhaps it was just having to constantly be wary of scams and rip-offs.

In many ways, Hanoi was quite a treat. It was such an interesting glimpse of the contradictions and juxtapositions in contemporary Vietnam. You can eat delicious, steaming hot Pho (noodle soup) on the street for $1.50, or spend $15-$40 (and up) on a Vietnamese or French meal in a posh cafe. You can see traditional water puppet theatre, ancient temples and visit the historic prison. In this still communist country, capitalism flourishes: you can buy practically anything, including communist propaganda on t-shirts and posters. All in all, we did really enjoy our time in Hanoi, but found it a stressful city. I think it's just a matter of perspective.

Old Quarter, Hanoi.

Epitome of Hanoi: high-rise behind older residences with roof gardens and shops below, motorbikes whizzing past.

Most of the buildings we saw throughout Vietnam were very narrow, at least half the width of a typical shotgun-style house in the US. Some extended really high vertically.

Some cool building or temple complex in Hanoi.

Market in the Old Quarter.

Lots of little fruits and candied treats at the market.

Water Puppet Theatre.
Water puppetry originated in North Vietnam, by rice farmers putting on shows in their rice paddies.

The live orchestra for the water puppet show. They were really good, playing fascinating Vietnamese instruments, and wearing traditional costume.

Water puppets!

Water puppets!

St. Joseph Cathedral (Catholic). Unfortunately we couldn't go in, because it's only open when they're having mass. Supposedly inside it's like stepping into Medieval Europe!

Hoa Lo Prison Museum. aka "Hanoi Hilton" where the French kept Vietnamese political prisoners, and later, the Viet Cong kept prisoners of war, including Senator John McCain.

A recreation of a roomful of Vietnamese prisoners of the French.

The French guillotine at Hoa Lo prison.

Chickens shelter themselves under a motorbike on the sidewalk. Only in Southeast Asia! This is an appropriate symbol for a middle-income country.

The Temple of Literature, 11th century, Vietnam's first university. A peaceful oasis in the bustling city.

Confucian alter inside the Temple of Literature.

I found a water puppet to play with at a vendor's shop at the Temple of Literature. If you pull the string at the back, the water buffalo's head moves side to side.

Inside the grounds of the Temple of Literature, flower beds full of words and designs.

Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. Normally, you can go inside and see his embalmed corpse. Unfortunately, it was in Russia for yearly maintenance, so we didn't get the pleasure.

Ho Chi Minh Museum.