Old, Cold, Low and Slow Hanoi

Just came back from a 5-day vacation in Hanoi with three soulmates. Our first time there. How was it? Seems like stepping back in time. Took a 4 hour rewinding flight and got a feel of how Kuala Lumpur may have looked like 50 years ago. Here's a photo to prove it. Interesting isn't it? Yes, this photo was taken on 4 May 2007. Not 1957. While this nostalgic charm of Hanoi seems to stay vividly in my tourist mind, there are other lasting impressions I have of Hanoi too.

Here are some I will never forget:

COLD RAIN
The first day we arrived, we were greeted with bone chilling rain. The next day, it rained whole day. We traced our way around wet tattered roads with one hand holding a damped map and the other, a hotel loaned umbrella. We weren't too crazy about the rain but the cold air-conditioned breeze was a cool surprise. Old female vendors wasted no time in peddling thin blue plastic rain coats at every turns.

LOW STOOL
The low stools are a common sight. Especially noodle stalls by the road. Seems as though someone came along and introduce a whole new way of squatting by resting their Vietnamese bums on this short legged stool. I was in a narrow CD shop and I found this stools most useful while combing through their pirated wares.

HONKING
The honking of cars, trucks and motorbikes never cease. Practically every 10 seconds. Its as if anyone who's anyone with a horn is having fun with it regardless! It was irritating on the first day. Annoying on the second but once I got used to it, it was charmingly funny in its own Hanoi way.

MOTORCYCLES
Hordes of them. Most apparent when one is trying to cross a road. They come from everywhere. Left right centre. This makes crossing roads in Hanoi a nightmare. If you don't see them, you'll hear them. But you won't bump into them. That's because they have these skillful ways of maneuvering away from your ginger path.

SLOW CART
While we were on the way back from Halong Bay, this van that ferried us crawled as if some cows were pulling it from the front. What should take no longer than one hour to hit Hanoi but took three and half hour instead! This doesn't help when my bladder was coming up full. I thought the driver was the only slow coach. When I looked around, every other vehicles were cruising like bollock carts! Damn! I almost peed in my pants!

ICE-CREAM CROWD
I have never seen an ice-cream parlour so crowded with people. Looks to me like the crowd was waiting to get into a cinema. Yes a cinema crowd! Could it be that this post-communist town only just recently open its door to allow fellow comrades to enjoy decadent western ice-cream? Mind you, the ice-cream doesn't even come with fancy branded wrappers. The takeaway counter was swamped with teens. See photo to believe. After I savoured a few of those extra-sweet morsels off the spoon, I wondered what's the big deal.

My account above doesn't sum up the relaxing yet quaint vacation I had. Hanoi does have a few surprises to offer like the laughable Water Puppet Show, the breathtaking Halong Bay and even thick bitter Vietnamese coffee sipping by the lake. But I am not here to sell Hanoi. Just recollecting the initial impressions. I did have a great time, more so with great company, however I wouldn't go back to Hanoi again in the remainder half of my life time.

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