It is very hard for me to visualise Hanoi as the capital of Vietnam since Ho Chi Minh City is so much flashier and metropolitan. Hanoi functions as the political nerve centre for the country and is therefore more conservative in comparison to its flashy sister city.
The night I arrived in Hanoi and drove through the city to get to the hotel, I was surprised to see that there were NO BARS in the city centre. Where does the locals go to have fun then?
Later, through a chat with a hotelier, I learnt that all restaurants and bars have to close by midnight and the police will patrol the streets to make sure the shops were closed. One will not be penalised for strolling down the streets in the dead of the night, but since there is nothing to do after midnight, few would bother to head out.
No wonder the streets were all dark and quiet.
Moreover, as I had learnt, the people of Hanoi are very family-driven and would prefer to stay home with their families in their free time. Socialising is rare.
This trip is really awfully brief. I arrived in the night, so I lost a day to tour the city. I had only one full day to explore Hanoi and had to fly back to Singapore the following morning.
My host planned a visit to the Bat Trang pottery village right after lunch. If I had a choice, I would not want to waste my short stay looking at pottery. Those things hardly interest me.
The visit to Bat Trang was slated to last for two hours. We were dropped off at one of the biggest pottery factory in the village and were supposed to explore the various pottery shops that dot the little dusty village.
Alas, I was in and out of the pottery factory within 10 minutes! So I had to spend the rest of the time walking down the streets under the scorching sun. I was utterly miserable.
But I cannot be more miserable than this little kitty.
That was the first time I've seen a cat being put on a leash.
Knowing that dogs are commonly eaten in Vietnam, I can only hope that this cat was not meant to be dinner for the family.
After the tour bus came to rescue us from Bat Trang, we headed back into the city for a tour of the Old Quarters on a cyclo. The cyclo is like a trishaw, except the passenger sat in front of the rider.
The ride through the insane Hanoi roads was a nightmare. Cars and motorcycles came and went in all directions and none kept to their lanes.
Every time a bus or car came rambling towards me, I found myself thinking that I will die in Hanoi. But at the last second, the cyclo rider will nimbly swing us out of its way, and I will heave a sigh of relief and thank all the Gods in the world.
Despite worrying incessantly about my safety throughout the cyclo ride, I managed to steady my hands enough to grab some shots of the Old Quarters.
The cyclo ride occured close to dinner time. Food vendors lined the roads with their wares. There were even make-shift stalls along the roads selling cooked noodles with chicken and duck meats. The locals will just sit by the dusty roads to eat, as lorries and buses roar past.
I'm glad that their tummies are all well-acquainted with dust and germs.
I also caught sight of the beautiful Hanoi Opera House, which stood rather out of place among the dilapidated shophouses and mess of electric cables running overhead.
After the cyclo ride, we were brought to a market within the Old Quarters. The market reeked of sewer waters and there were filthy puddles from stalls selling seafood and meats. Heck, I was dying to return to the comfort of my hotel room and wash off all the sweat and dust!
But that did not happen. After the market, we had to walk a loooong walk to a famous restaurant that sold grilled fish. According to the tour guide, Cha Ca La Vong is a must-go for every visitor to Hanoi. It sold the best grilled fish in Vietnam and have been in business since 1871.
It brought so much fame to Hanoi that the street where the shop was located was named after it - Cha Ca Street.
The two storey eatery was jam-packed with diners. The air-conditioned upper floor was hardly cooling. Imagine being hot, sweaty and sticky. And imagine eating a dinner you had to cook yourself over a charcoal stove.
The waiter brought out a little stove with a pan containing chunks of local fish in an oily yellow gravy seasoned with ginger and saffron (and other ingredients, I'm sure). He then tossed in a generous amount of veg and stirred the contents.
Then he sternly instructed us on the art of eating Cha Ca (grilled fish in Vietnamese). First, put some cooked rice noodles in our bowl. Second, dress the cooked rice noodles with the grilled fish and its gravy. Third, add roasted peanuts. Fourth, add soy sauce and cut chillies. And lastly, stir everything well before eating.
I thought it tasted only so-so. And I cannot help but wonder if the fish was caught from the muddy rivers that weave within Hanoi like veins. Eww.
Maybe Cha Ca would have tasted much better if I was allowed to dine in a clean and comfortable state.
It's a pity that my first visit to Hanoi was like this. It would take a lot of convincing for me to return.
0 blistering yaks:
Post a Comment