Vietnam, Hanoi Day 0/1

A long awaited trip, Vietnam since last September. 3rd March took me away, on TigerAirways! We touched down at Hanoi about 8pm-ish (Vietnam time is always 1 hour slower than Singapore!) With our pick up service waving "Jasmine Huang", we scooted off to the famous Old Quarters of Hanoi, popular with backpackers! We took some time to get our Vietnam prepaid cards which cost us about 150,000 Dong. (USD$1 = 15000 Dong)

It was rather chilling in Hanoi, about 20 Degrees.

14 Bat Su Street, Old Quarter

Our humble Hanoi Guesthouse, which cost us about USD 7.50 per head per night with two computer station (one with skype which hangs quite often if you click or move too fast!), a counter (which Ha our friendly guesthouse staff, makes our breakfasts, make bookings, take tour bookings, watches soccer, making calls and makeshift office - behind the only counter), a fridge and a couple of furnitures for us to sit down and consume our mini breakfast! If you just want a place to sleep and put your heavy backpacks down, this is a recommended place! (Ha promised us that if we go back again, we will stay the nights for free!)

14 Bat Su Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi Guesthouse : Hot shower (which runs out quite quickly like a reservoir if you are the last one to bathe), A/C, TV with more shows than Singapore including HBO, Star Movies etc, a nice balcony for you to smoke and hang your panties. Power sockets are available, towels and bathroom slippers. Beds are cosy and blankets are sufficiently warm. Most importantly, clean and comfortable. Tours/Train/Plane tickets are available for booking in the guesthouse itself.

the kind of photo you have to take in front of your guesthouse.

48, Pho Hang Dong

Let me tell you this stall (in yours truly's opinion) serves the best pho in Hanoi. The soup base is just so tasty (no MSG believe it or not!) and so right for the weather. The soup is light with a little beef smell and nothing fishy. The beef slices are succulent and sufficient with the pho. Add alot of their Vietnam chilli sauce, fish sauce and vinegar! This is heaven, till now I still dream of eating this stall's pho. Turn left after leaving the guesthouse and walk straight and you will see this stall.

Till this point of time, I think I should let you know the horrible traffic they have there. Their major transportation is motorbikes, and only taxis are much seen on the streets. The traffic is like a war zone. Its either you die or they die but they will pretty much swerve to get around you. It is highly challenging as we did yelped a lot crossing the roads. (They dont really care about traffic rules) We got used in two days, and it helped ALOT in HCMC.. And in Vietnam, they horn alot. They horny sia.

As I was saying,

Sorry I was just being really pho-gelicious.
(Say pho like fur)

And at this point of time, my camera died on me. The lens sensor spoilt and I could not take pictures. My devastation ended when I ate the pho. But I was still upset.

Vietnamese eating pho at other streets filled with Pho stalls.

Busy traffic

West of Hoan Kiem Lake, St Joseph's Cathedral and Stone Lady Pagoda

Looks rather scary, we stumbled upon it after getting lost in Old Quarters trying to find the Hoan Kiem Lake. Unfortunately the night was getting late, MY FRIENDS were tired so we went back to the Guesthouse for a good night which turned out to be quite a nice night because I was rather visually raped by the girls.

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Morning came, the horn-ing never stopped and it woke us up! Morning Hanoi! Very cold in the morning, it was like nipple erecting cold and like goosebumps like everywhere and I meant it, EVERYWHERE!

Morning shot with the rest of the Old Quarters

Our breakfast which was made on the only counter.

Baguettes are the staple food of Vietnam and you will see it everywhere since French Colonization.

The Hoan Kiem Lake (The Lake of the Restored Sword)

Raffles-wannabe at The Hoan Kiem Lake

The Tortoise Towers and wannabes again.


Motorbikes and cyclos

Giving you the Vietnam Street

Buns which we never tried because one of them (lower shelf) it looks like da bian (shit)

"Wannabe Vietnamese Girl Carrying Pineapples Got Ripped Off For This Picture For 20,000 Dong And Had A Pack Of Pineapples."

Camwhore until need to pay money.

Public Undergarments Sellers.

Decorative lights

Sidenote: Vietnamese are very organized. They have streets for Shoes, Bags, Clothes, Art decorations, Paints, Tombstone, Dry Food, Wet Food etc. Unlike Singapore, give you one bugis you are immediately overwhelmed by the rojak-ness of it. (Rojak = Malays Fruit Salad mixed with Peanut sauce) The Old City and 36 Streets.

Wet Market

Dry Food Market


Not kidding when I tell you there are streets for Tombstones. They have already erected one for Britney Spears. (SCREAMS LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!)



Wreaths.

Honestly, not trying to be bimbotic, but I didnt really know it was wreaths until we saw a wake with similar designs...

Fresh flowers too with Emily

Colours

This busy at 10am.


Ngoc Son Temple and Sunbeam Bridge


Sunbeam bridge


Beaming with Jasmine



3 idiots



Wannabes.


Still near The Hoan Kiem Lake


"Grateful"


Ok, not exactly.

Our first public toilet experience.

Dont say 'toilet'. Say, 'W.C'

Chilling with Vietnamese Coffee, the atas way.

It is way gao-er than gao gao gao gao gao, really thick with plenty of condensed milk. Shiok! I didnt finish it I was scared that I was unable to sleep at night since we are going on a train for the night!

Viceroy is my vice.

Chilling the Singaporean way

Fuzzy streets

Railway in the middle of the streets and homes

Majestic doors to .. I dont know.

Navigators and Loafer.

Tags: Bollywood, Tree, Indian, Loafer, West Lake

The other side of the world

Tran Quoc Pagoda with Julyn

Taking you in. One pillar Pagoda

Buddha wannabes

Bakeries.

Bakeries are largely found in Hanoi. Stop by any bakery for some good licking donuts, baguettes and more funky breads! (new term by spearmints)

On our way to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum Complex



Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum

Sidenote: I was trying to be funny here and the guards whistled at me and pointed their guns at me threatening to shoot as I was lying down on the restricted area(picture below). Ok I am kidding about the guns but they did chase me away with a string of Vietnamese words.

So not restricted

The Ho Chi Minh Museum

Vietnamese Beer

Sidenote: It is as light as Hoegaarden and it is cheap! 15,000 Dong, USD $1. No bad after taste.

We headed back to our Guesthouse to wash up and get ready for our overnight train to Laocai, Sapa.

Tran Quy Cap St, Train station

Vietnam Railways

Julyn

Ready for the ride

Sidenote: I collected my camera in the afternoon after dropping it in one of the camera shops located near the Hoan Kiem Lake. It cost me USD $60 to fix the lens sensor. I am still not sure if I got ripped off. For those who fear that their cameras would malfunction, dont worry, the people here will charge you overpriced prices but you will still be willing to hand it to them. We LL and BB. (Lanlan and Bo Bian)

All set

Sidenote: I lost my favourite grey american outfit tshirt in Hanoi guesthouse when we were back from Sapa. I am still very upset over it.

Having a moment with Spearmints.
Note: The very grumpy and dissatisfied face.

Ready to depart

Train attendant

Our deluxe class train bunk

Of course we did not book the deluxe class because we are on budget but heaven's on our side knowing that we have a longer train ride to catch, therefore he had our Guesthouse staff Ha forgotten all about our train ride and he had to book the deluxe class but charging us at the standard sleeper berth!

Deluxe: Clean, smells good, A/C, great wallpapers, comfy beds (not too hard or soft), all with bedsheets, blankets, reading lights, two power sockets.

Standard: Not sure.

Ready to sleep

Reflective night (towards Spearmints)

This is tiring, blogging about trips. And this is only day 1?! I have like 10 days worth of photos! This is totally photo overload! I kinda miss vietnam and like, pho too. Been wanting to eat it since last week. Anyway, work has been good today. I am working in the same department as my aunt and she is cool. (Xie Ling!) She is an associate consultant, super cool in ED hahahah!

Have been spending time with my spearmints after work as well! Not enough not enough! You hear me or not........... okay weekend is coming!

Lately I have been thinking about India and of course spearmints!

P/s: I think I have a new tag line for my travelogues. "Travel the Juju way." HAHAAHHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA