Hanoi Day 2

Day 2 started around 6am when I was jolted awake by Tiger's screams. I kept feeling uneasy about Tiger. I remember clearly Blinky was out of the bedroom when I closed the bedroom door, but I couldn't remember if Tiger was out too. He should have. I could see an image of him in the living room, but I could be wrong. It's not good to be wrong about such things.

I tried to go back to sleep. I must have flipped about for hours.

By 8am, 'Good Fren' was up and about. I got up too. We had breakfast in the hotel and made our way out towards Hanoi Towers, where the Capitaland office and Somerset Serviced Apartments are.

As it turns out Hanoi Towers were built on part of the site of Maison Centrale, i.e. a prison which the French had built to imprison locals.

Just outside the prison walls, there was some kind of street art and launch the night before.

'Good Fren' buying tix.

You see the trapezium in the top right corner? That's where Hanoi Towers are located now. Built over the male prisoners quarters. Only the lower portion of the prison remains.

This is the almond tree in the prison grounds which prisoners gathered around to pick up almond seeds to nourished themselves with, and to exchange information. You can see Hanoi Towers soaring above.

I didn't take any pictures of the prison quarters, re-enactment etc, simply because it's depressing. This beautiful city and country has a very painful and tragic past.

In recent years, Vietnam has opened its doors to MNCs, especially those from Asia, to help elevate its economic progress and quality of life. GLCs from Singapore such as Capitaland has gone in to build private housing... and has recently announced to be building lower end housing too. I think such endeavours are meaningful.

The South Koreans are here too. One sees Korean signs and meet South Koreans everywhere.

Somewhere inside Maison Centrale, my paranoia got to me. We decided to call our cleaning lady to help check on Blinky and Tiger. When we got through to her, she was buying fish at the wet market. =))

With a relieved heart, we began to explore Hanoi again... This time headed for the Old Quarters.

We walked past what looked like a hospital and these pics. Probably to warn people about the consequences of traffic accidents. If you click on the pic, you can even spot a crushed human head. I kept thinking about these pics everytime 'Good Fren' and I had to brave the roads of Hanoi. ARGH.

Apart from the gore, the design of Old Quarters is rather European. The scale, the layout of blocks, the trees, side walks etc.

The streets of Old Quarters are filled with activities. People walking, motorbikes rushing, pots boiling, children crying, animals feeding... The quintessential Live, Work, Play... for decades and centuries.

And then... the little shophouses give way and open up to a large square for Saint Joseph Cathedral.

This could well be in Barcelona. (This reminds me... I haven't completed the Barcelona entries... late for 2 years... =_=)

More street shopping...

There are many galleries in the Old Quarters. Never-ending exploration.

Fix your shoes while you have lunch next door.

The other residents of Hanoi...

Yes... A rooster by the streets

You see the little puppy at the bottom right? He was terrorising the kids, making them screaming in excitement. =))

So cute!!! 'Good Fren' made me wash my hand after stroking it, coz I'm allergic to stray cats... Even my own.

We were crossing the road when the street hawker forcibly transferred her stuff onto this tourist. Even her hat. It was hilarious.

The Old Quarters is full of quaint little cafes like this.

I want one!!

I should have bought a few of these. They are so cute.

Check out the 'Weasel' coffee. The label shows the weasel shitting.

Near Hoam Kiam Lake

Colonel Sanders!

Resting our legs by the lake.

We like this ice cream truck.

The great thing about Hoan Kiam Lake is that it's enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.

These kids were 'arranged' for photo-taking. Mother was fussing over them, smoothing their hair, arranging their clothes... It's so cute. Little boy in yellow was getting grumpy.

Can you imagine? After this pic, this bride changed her gown in full public view?! I didn't take a pic of that, but a small crowd gathered and took pics, while the groom looked on. Weird.

Finally! We reached our lunch destination. Madame Hien in Old Quarters.

As recommended by someone from the Singapore Embassy.

Madame Hien is located in a colonial bungalow with indoor and al fresco seats.

It's similar to the serviced food court we went to on Day 1.

We sat outside on a colourful table.

Enjoying the cool day... I'm such a tourist in my Vietnam cap. =))

And refreshing fresh juices...

Lovely... Just as good as Bobby Chinn's.

This pomelo prawn salad is unforgettable. 'Good Fren' spoke of it again and again. It is light and yet flavourful. The prawns were so fresh... It tastes like the prawns I used to eat as a child.

Ok, this is the best pho I've had so far. Beef is tender, the noodles are slippery like cheong fun, the soup is tasty... Everything is perfect. I can have this everyday.

And the crazy bun cha!!! 'Good Fren' craves for this. It looks like of Korean eh?

Last but not least, the yummy dessert.... with a generous scoop of coconut ice cream... Mmmmm...

Bursting with joy AGAIN!! All in less than 24 hours!! HELP!!!
Let's walk it off!! QUICKLY!

We didn't make it very far, before heading back to the hotel. Too warm... Too full... Too Zzzzzzz...

BUT! We kept to our schedule... We made it to our massage appointment at La Siesta Spa at Hotel Elegance in time.

The holding room.

Hey!! 'Good Fren' trying to mimic the bust.

Check out the massage room.

The plastic sheets were used to warp us up with after our coffee and honey scrub. After which, we had 1.5 hours of herbal massage. Mmmmm...

Not the best massage I've ever had, but it's pretty good still. Vietnamese massages are a little mild for me. I prefer slightly painful ones... Masochist!

After about 3 hours, we stumbled out onto the crazy streets of Hanoi. The sun was retiring for the day... We need to 赶路. We need to be at our next appointment!!

After walking for about 5 minutes, we found the Green Tangerine. A much recommended restaurant from various online sources.

Once you go through those doors, you leave behind the rowdy streets and enter a cosy garden full of quaint corners and diners.

Love the grilled door.

This is 'Good Fren' after a request for a smile.

The decor of Green Tangerine is eclectic and definitely more distracting than that of Restaurant Bobby Chinn. The client mix is... mixed... We definitely saw a table of Singaporeans, quite a few tables of Japanese, many whites, and no locals.

But what about the food?? That's the main act.

Unfortunately, we have to announce that the Green Tangerine is overrated.

Forgettable.

This beef carpaccio with Camembert was about the best of the entire meal.

We have no idea how this got onto the menu. It's supposed to be crab, red and green peppers, tomatoes blazed in Cognac presented in a "mille-feuille" cake. The biscuit thing tasted like soggy Ritz biscuits.

My fish dish... Steamed Ca Gua with condensed passion fruit sauce. This is definitely 'fusion confusion'. All form but no substance.

'Good Fren's king prawns in mango and rum were very fresh... But everything else is just wrong.

Even dessert was all form but little substance. Only the creme brulee was decent.

Maybe the head chef was on leave that night... coz it's really quite bad.

Nonetheless, we continued with our happy trip... And started to walk again... This time, to Dong Xuan Night Market, a linear 400m market in the streets of Hanoi.

Now we know where all the locals on motorbikes are zipping towards! It's freaking crowded!!

Enjoying an icy dessert

Love these pop up paper cuttings. There is even a Merlion at the top of the pic!

Girlies buying patched bunnies.

What is a night market without BBQ skewers?!

The crowd just goes on and on and on.

There are people living just next to this night market?!

Ok, there is this thing which Coca-Cola does at the Night Market. It has multiple 'Coke stations' from which people can buy coke and drink on the spot. And these stations are like meeting points, where groups gather, drink and chat.

If you make it to the end of the 400m, you will find the sit-down food stalls, where many locals are enjoying steamboat.

The energy of this place is simply infectious. It felt like Singapore in the 1970s/80s, but with stalls selling iPhone covers. You get the picture.

After that, 'Good Fren' and I walked back to the hotel. We took about 20 minutes. And totally crashed... I couldn't even keep my eyes open while Britney Spears was prancing around on Glee 2.
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Cultural Observation:

'Good Fren' and I felt a little weird when we gave each other little pecks on the cheek on the streets of Hanoi, because we don't see the locals doing it. And of course, we didn't want to be rude.

Later, we found out from a Singaporean friend with a Vietnamese wife that, in general, Vietnamese do not kiss in public, though the younger generation may be less concerned.