The second day in Hanoi was a
long one- we started back at the lake with the Jade Temple,
hoping to get a little sight-seeing in before the rain. It worked- we had a beautiful visit to the
little island and then walked along the shore taking in the sites and statues
in the park. We made our way back to the
Cathedral area, when the skies opened up and it just POURED. We rode out the storm in a Highland Coffee, Vietnam’s version
of Starbucks. Their frozen coffee drinks are delicious.
After the rain lessened, we ventured out into the drizzle to
see some of the streets in the Old Quarter. The “silk” street provided some good shopping,
and we even found a shop that sold old propaganda posters, which were
fascinating to look through. I wish
everyone who studied history had a chance to go to the places where events
happened. It’s been fascinating seeing
the Vietnam’s
perspective of the “American War.” If I
had more time, I’d head to the war museum, but given our limited days, the
streets are a better place to learn about life here.
We were fading pretty quickly by lunch time, but found a
great Indian restaurant called Namaste Hanoi from a Trip Advisor recommendation.
It was one of the best meals of the
trip- delicious chicken, garlicky naan. Just the thing to perk us up again for more
exploring.
fter lunch we looked for Buddhas statues and saw a few
temples. We’d both dressed for hot
weather so going inside wasn’t an option (bare shoulders and all) but we could
see a lot of people visiting for the full moon. It’s good luck to burn money at the local
temple.
Our next stop was the Hom market, the second floor of which
was just all fabric sellers. It was
incredible- I think they have anything you could ever want to buy. I picked up some black and white silk
blend. Not sure what I’ll do with it,
but it’ll be a good souvenier.
From there we headed north toward the Opera house. Walking is a challenge in the city- sidewalks
are more for cafes and parking motorbikes than walking. Most people seem to ride here. You have to constantly be thinking and
weaving around obstacles when you walk. Crossing the street is insane. Someone in Laos told us that you have to just
wait for a break and then stare down oncoming traffic when walking. It works pretty well, but that doesn’t mean
you don’t have a few near-collisions!
The Opera house was a beautiful yellow and white building
with, hey, another Highland Coffee next door. The heat index was up in the 120 range again,
so sitting in the shade with frozen coffee sounded good. Caffeine and ice are always good on a hot day. Our final destination was another long walk-
a street called Ma May known for its architecture and lacquer shops.
Ma May street was incredibly crowded, and I was about at my
limit so wasn’t in the best of mood when we got there. We shopped some, found the meeting point for
our tour the next day, and tried some weasel coffee which wasn’t as gross as it
should have been. Of course I spilled it
all over myself. Given that it was the
end of the day and ladies with bamboo hanging baskets kept trying to put them
on my shoulders, I was done. My friend
helped me find a new shirt to buy so I wasn’t quite such a slob, and then we
found a cab back. It drove down the
street that was setting up for the weekend market, which meant it took forever
to get to the hotel. Dinner was in the
restaurant there that night- not great, and slow, but convenient. I was glad to be leaving Hanoi tomorrow.
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