Impressions of Hanoi

This was the first stop of our 3 week North Vietnam trip. The only thing planned was the flight in and out of Hanoi. The plan was to explore some of the northern highlands, hang with the H'Mongs and soak in some of the culture. We also planned to do a bit of the beach and island hopping in the Ha Long Bay - and so the girls were going to miss a week of school and it was about time the princesses got a bit of dirt under the fingernails. But oboy, did they get thrown in the deep end! Hanoi was a blast, a bit of a mix between Bombay, Bangkok and Jakarta, but not like anything else. Great coffee, baguettes and Thit Cho (dog meat) - and no, we didn't have any!
Here are Mara and Tia at the start - the intense city hadn't yet hit them!

And here they are on our first walkabout.

We stayed in the Old Quarter - the oldest and liveliest part of the city. Electrifying! We start with a fistful of cigarettes!


I often wondered what those stenciled numbers were on the wall. I saw that everywhere. I'm working on a story woven around that.


These were plaques made for the cemetery headstones. Little stories of the lives people had lived. Cameo visuals! If you look closely, you'll see one on the Indian Bollywood actress, Aishwarya Rai - an advertising to promote the skill of the enamel and stoneware craftsman.

Early morning fan dance at the Hoan Kiem Lake.

And this bridge - almost like a movie set prop - to the island on the Hoan Kiem Lake.

This woman was selling some clear pink liquid in the bottle. It's all she had - that one bottle. I wonder what it was?

One of the millions of masked riders. It's as though everyone is on their way to a hold-up!

The girls at Bay Mau Lake.


Swan boats on the Bay Mau Lake.

Tia & Mo ride a swan!

Those are cocktail umbrellas they're holding!


Classic Fascist Deco at the Ho Chi Minh Museum.


Uncle Ho. Ho Chi Minh 1890 - 1969




At our favorite little café in Hanoi - The Hue Café on Hang Giay, Old Quarter. Café extraordinaire!

Mo is buying some sweet doughy bread thingies.

Mara & Tia with the owner of Hue Café!


Baguettes on the corner of Hang Chiew & Ngyuen Thien Thuat, Old Quarter.

Bonsai gardens on a bike.