From Hoan Kiem Lake to St. Joseph’s Cathedral

Hanoi, vietnam March 31st, 2008


Continuation from:-
From The Airport
Busiest Town on Earth
Lost In Old Movie Like Town
Braving the Cold on Scenic Seascape
Natural or Man-Made Beach?
Blue Lagoon
Chambers and the Mini Dicky

27th January 2008
==============

Once we got back to the highway, our 2 days of calmness and tranquility on Halong Bay seems ages ago. Its a world apart. The traffic was so crazy and the honking of cars was driving me up the wall.

ponpon
Honk honk honk!

It was a 3 hour plus drive back to Old Quarter. Naturally we pulled a stopped at yet another crafts workshop. Time to pee. *wakaka! Hop back on. Lets go!

workshop
Naked women and lions

I noticed that graves were scattered on the paddy fields. Initially when i saw the tombs, i thought it was those small monument where people pray and put joss sticks on. It’s so weird that the paddy fields are doubled as cemeteries.

cemetary
Cemeteries…Boo!

Carying our heavy backpacks, we scour Old Quarter for a room to stay. Our stay in previous guest house (on first night) was a nightmare. I practically died freezing.

trafficjam
Where got room??!!!!!

I had no idea it was so difficult to get rooms at Old Quarter. It wasn’t even peaked season. Every hotel or guest house was fully booked and occupied.

We were getting desperate. It was either get a room or sleep on the streets watching big fat rats running around.

traditionalbarber
Traditional barber on the street. How cool is that?!

Finally we found a hotel with room to spare. One thing i learned from this experience is to always plan ahead. You’ll never know how desperate we were. We had nowhere to go *whack head!

Thank god we found a room! It cost us USD20 for it (air-con, heater and even internet access in our room). Initially it cost USD25. We insisted on not paying a dollar more than 20 and we got the room… minus the breakfast -_-”.

internetaccess
Internet woo hoo!

We put down our baggages and head out for a walk before the night fall.

hoakiemlake
Hoan Kiem Lake

The Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city. Situated in the middle of Hanoi, it is the heart of the city. The atmosphere at the lake is totally different. Its very relaxing and its obviously is a location where the locals come for some leisure time. Locals especially youngsters and couples would come out to the lake side for an evening stroll. *can see couple smooching also hehe.

hoakiempark
No smooching here… yet

redbridge
Hoan Kiem’s Huc red bridge

At the northeast corner on a small island of the lake is the Ngoc Son Temple also known as “Jade Mountain”. Here is where Vietnam’s famous scholars and intellectuals are worshiped.

nguocsontemple
Beautiful red Ngoc Son

You have to walk through the Three-Passage Gate or Tam Quan and across the Flood of Morning Sunlight Bridge or The Huc to reach the temple. The island temple opens onto a small courtyard. Foreigners flocked the temple.

josstickwithinreddoor
Joss sticks (Left), Red door (Right)

There (in fact in most temples in Hanoi), present 3 religions. Locals worships Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism altogether. There are separate altars for each religious statues.

Vietnamese are very religious you know.

praying
Confucianism? Taoism? Buddhism?

One of the main attraction of the temple’s pagoda is the 6-ft-long stuffed tortoise in a glass casing. According to legendary mythology, the giant reptile that helped in the defeat of the the northern Ming aggressor back in the 15th century.

grandmaster
Giant tortoise a legend to behold

In memory of the victory of Vietnamese against the Ming China, the emperor built the Tortoise Tower which now stands majestically in the middle of the lake.

island
Tortoise Tower… sory blur a lil’ hahaha

When we were done at the Ngoc Son temple, the sky was already dark.

city
Shoplots nearby the lake

The streets near Hoan Kiem lake is very different from those within the center of Old Quarter. It’s much more modern with Western delis, up scaled boutiques and cafe’s and less congested. I even spotted traffic lights… although not much motorist take any notice of it -_-”. So, be careful even at the traffic light junctions. You might get run over… ALOT.

airasia
Air asia!

Just for the record, Nine West was having a 70% sale. I mean like darn cheap-clearance-sale that type. *whyTF am i so poor. Discount liao also cannot afford…

ninewest
Nine west having discount ler…

As we walked down the street to the T junction, i saw the most magnificent sight. The St. Joseph’s Cathedral! I had no idea that it was near the Hoan Kiem Lake at all. Stumbling across this historical monument was the best thing that could ever happen.

Personally i have a thing for old cathedrals… even though i’m not a Christian myself. To me, they are just the most romantic architecture ever built. Very very Gothic.

cathederal
Old gothic St. Joseph

Towering over the surrounding shops, St. Joseph’s Cathedral was actually built by the French during the nineteenth century replacing the demolished Bai Thien pagoda. St. Joseph’s Cathedral is the largest congregation in Hanoi and the north of Vietnam. It’s a timeless piece lost in the modern-day era.

cathederal2
Spectacular St. Joseph

The courtyard in front of the church was packed with a procession of motorbikes, bicycle cabs people and beggars waiting at the fence. Standing on the top platform of the 2 stairs leading to the building, with so many people looking on, we kind of felt like a rock-star ready for a night of rocking concert. *wakaka!

outsidecathederal
Motorist and people ready for mass

I was there when the wooden doors of the cathedral opened to allow the masses in. It was scary! People flocked… i mean stampede into the building, pushing and elbowing on the way. In a matter of minutes the building was full. There are plastic stools available at the side of the building but you have to push your way through.

I seriously recommend the live broadcast on LCD screen outside of the building. You’ll breathe better *wakaka!

insidecathederal
Holy evening mass…i mean like wow!

Before we retire for the night, we went to have a look at the famous Dong Xuan market. After all, it is Vietnam’s oldest and largest market. Won’t miss it for the world.

nightmarket
Setting up stalls

The market opens quite late, so when we arrived at about 7pm the peddlers just started to set up tents. The tents occupied almost the whole street so if you’re looking for something you’ll most probably find it here. The market offers offers goods of all sorts from fresh produce, household appliances to women accessories and more.

nightgrocery
Groceries anyone?

Much like our Petaling Street in Malaysia, there are hundreds of stalls selling fake branded stuffs. Gucci? Prada? You can find it here. It’s definitely cheaper than Malaysia though.

shoepeddler
Shoe peddler

I hold on tight to my backpack coz the street was swarming with people. I mean REALLY. Walking from the start till the end of the market was not an easy task.

Tired and hungry… and a lil’ bit dizzy from looking at stuff at the market, we had dinner at Hang Bo street where we got conned by a 10 year old kid.

hanoimamak
Old Quarter food. Yummylicious!!

The boy was playing with some foreigner next to us. He was darn adorable. Like celebrity kid adorable ok.

Boy: Hello, buy from me?
*offered us some chewing gum.
EatAllYouCanShung: You speak English?
Boy: Yes.
*hugged his body tightly as though he was shivering
Me: Me: Very cold? Me too! Brrr….
Boy: Yes
*Colgate smile
EatAllYouCanShung: How much?
Boy: 2,500 don.
EatAllYouCanShung: I only have 1USD. Do you have change?
Boy: Yes
Me: You have change right?
Boy: Yes yes!
EatAllYouCanShung: Ok. Here you go.

He took his money and off he went to the next table then he disappeared. Where’s the change ler…

To be continued at:-
Mad Rush > 3 Hours, 6 Destinations
Jalan Jalan Cari Makan in Old Quarter, Hanoi
Last Stroll in Old Quarter

**** ——- ****

Note:
All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8.



Chambers and the Mini Dicky

Hanoi, vietnam March 15th, 2008


Continuation from:-
From The Airport
Busiest Town on Earth
Lost In Old Movie Like Town
Braving the Cold on Scenic Seascape
Natural or Man-Made Beach?
Blue Lagoon

Ps:// I told you my trip to Hanoi was a long long 5 days trip. So much things to see and too much memorable moments to mention in 1 post *wakaka!

27th January 2008
===============

The next morning, we woke up… err… at least i woke up before dawn. I open the bedroom windows. It was dark and calm outside. Ahh… my so called life at sea.

sunrise
Taking in the fresh air… pondering about life

We had breakfast and headed to our next destination… Hang Sung Sot.

captain
I love this guy. Captain of our junk

Hang Sung Sot meaning “Caves of the Surprises” has many surprises awaiting us.

sungsotcave
Hang Sung Sot

The cave was quite high up. There are steps leading towards it.

upupnaway
Stairway to heaven?

The small hike was definitely worth it. The view from up there is spectacular.

lookingthru
Through the foliage

Sung Sot cave has 2 chambers. The chambers are lighted up with colorful dramatic lights. The stalagmites and stalactites carved a breathtaking scene in the cave.

cave3
Huge chamber

The state of the cave was impressive. They did a great job maintaining it. There were man-made pathway for tourist. The more popular features in the cave are showcased to visitors with effective lighting. Small penguin shaped bins are everywhere so i guess littering is a no-no.

cave1
Wow factor

Just look at the ceiling. Looks like an egg container LOL. Cool huh?

ceiling
Beautiful ceiling

Observing the chambers i can’t help but get the feeling that the chamber is slowly engulfing me.

cave2
Castle

Within the cave, there are rock formations in the form of animals. The tortoise shaped rock was the most popular. It is said that a person’s longevity will be extended by touching the tortoise’s head. Naturally, believer or not i touched it *wakaka. So did most of the visitor. It works better if you throw in some $$$ :P.

tortoise
Long live tortoise

Then there was the crocodile shaped formation. Amazing huh?

croc
Grrrr!!!!

And just when i thought i saw it all… there was this… *muahahaha! What does it looks like?

dicky
Hello, lil’ bro

I suspect everyone knows about this mini-dicky. Even our guide and the Captain was trying to keep a straight face when we kept pointing at it. -_-” Orgasmic experience… (puns definitely intended)

viewfromabove
From the caves

hut
Scenic jetty

Alas it was time for us to leave. As we walked to the jetty we looked back one more time.

isletharbor
Our junk waiting for us

By the way, i saw this fat adorable pup on a small sampan. Awww….

riverpeddler
Fat pup

Being our last day on the bay, we asked the staff for one last drink of coffee (they have great coffee on the junk). I am going to miss their coffee the most *wakaka!

yummycoffee
Coffee or me?

I sat wrapped with the blanky for warmth on the deck end while we sailed back to shore.

letsgohome
Brrr… cold cold geh

fightingcock
Fighting cock rock formation

Although heavy-hearted, it was time for us to go. There are more adventure awaiting us in Old Quarter.

headinghome
Bye bye Halong Bay

To be continued at:-
From Hoan Kiem Lake to St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Mad Rush > 3 Hours, 6 Destinations
Jalan Jalan Cari Makan in Old Quarter, Hanoi
Last Stroll in Old Quarter

**** ——- ****

Note:
All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8.



Blue Lagoon

Hanoi, vietnam March 5th, 2008


Continuation from:-
From The Airport
Busiest Town on Earth
Lost In Old Movie Like Town
Braving the Cold on Scenic Seascape
Natural or Man-Made Beach?

26th January 2008
===============

After a short stop on the beach, it was time to leave.

machoman
Deputy captain and our beloved cook

Our next destination is to one of the exotic lagoons at Luon Cave area.

towardslagoon
Towards the hidden lagoon

The area around Luon Cave are one of the most frequently visit sites. During the warmer seasons there would be tons of people kayaking into the lagoon area since bigger boats would not be able to get into the cave.

kayaking
Crazy people still want to kayak in winter

Surprisingly, we saw some courageous tourists kayaking at this cold season too. *crazy people might catch pneumonia!

halongguide
Our handsome guide giving us a talk

The cave is a natural tunnel thrusts through a mountain’s foot which leads to the lagoon. The entrance itself gave a mysterious atmosphere. The cave serves like a shell protecting it’s precious pearl within it.

lagoon
Cool huh?

Normally, the lagoon tour will be in the afternoon when the tide is low and we leave before the tide comes in. When the tides are high the water will rise sealing off the entire lagoon cave entrance. Many kayakers end up spending a night in the lagoon coz they didn’t know better. That’s pretty creepy since the whole lagoon will be in the dark since there will be no opening at all. *imagine what creatures would be in there with you… better get out before the evening comes!

The Dragon Pearl junk (one of the junk under Tropical Sails) was wrecked due to the high tide. They didn’t get out on time. I think no one was hurt but the junk is history.

lagoontunnel
Lagoon entrance

I was in awe at the magnificent beauty of the lagoon. Crystal turqoise and unpolluted water flowing calmly as we slowly maneuver our way in. Ahhh….

insidelagoon
OMG… crystal turqoise water

When the evening is near, we harbor our junk just outside the cave like all the other junks and boats. Our guide calls it the ’safe place’ coz the water is calm and we would be safe from hitting anything.

safeplace
Safe place

As the sky got darker, we went on the deck to admire the colorful lights from the boats nearby playing against the water.

nightview
Colorful lights

While the cook prepare our dinner, EatAllYouCanShung still have time to pretend macho in the freezing cold night -_-”.

nightwatch
Idiot on the deck

Read all about our BBQ dinner and how our named got carved on the miniature junk HERE.

coolcarving
Our name!

To be continued at:-
Chambers and the Mini Dicky
From Hoan Kiem Lake to St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Mad Rush > 3 Hours, 6 Destinations
Jalan Jalan Cari Makan in Old Quarter, Hanoi
Last Stroll in Old Quarter

**** ——- ****

Note:
All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8.



Natural or Man-Made Beach?

Hanoi, vietnam March 2nd, 2008


Continuation from:-
From The Airport
Busiest Town on Earth
Lost In Old Movie Like Town
Braving the Cold on Scenic Seascape

26th January 2008
===============

beachharbor
Can you spot a kungfu kick master in this picture?

Our next stop was on Soi Sim Islet. I’m not sure whether its a natural or a man-made beach. Our guide told EatAllYouCanShung that its a man-made one but i couldn’t find any information about it on the web. *oh well…

manmadebeach
Sim signboard

The sand on the beach doesn’t look like it’s natural sand but who knows? Our handsome and… ahem… knowledgeable guide warned us not to walk or run too deep into the water coz we’ll fall nose dive into the bay water.

*It’s suppose to be like this. Not sure it’s true or not but whatever lar LOL.

naturalvsmanmade
Natural beach vs. man-made beach

Nevertheless, after cruising on water after so many hours i was up for a change. It was just a small beach. No coconut palms, no bikinis, no resorts. I was really curious why we had stopped there coz it wasn’t a great place for sight seeing.

beachinbay
Yawn… just a beach wat

Ok. The only thing that were remotely interesting was the ‘thrash basket’ i saw on the beach.

I remembered seeing a picture of something similar in Lonely Planet. I looks like the two-meter-wide round baskets made of woven bamboo strips that locals in Na Thrang, Vietnam used to transport themselves to boats, only this is much more smaller.

floatingbasket
Trash basket?

That’s when i saw the arch and stairway leading up the hill to nowhere. Lots of ang mohs were admiring the arch and taking photograph of it so i took one too. *kiasu kiasu wakaka! For all the excitement going around, there MUST be something amazing up there.

arch
Are we in greece… hmmm… don’t think so

steps
Where does this lead to?

The stairway brought us to an amazing sight to behold. As i turn around at the final steps i saw this…

scenicview
Amazing

You could almost view the entire bay from here. The greyish and turquoise shadows of rock formations against the backdrop of the clear blue sky made it looks like something like an old Chinese art drawing. Very cool.

goinguphill
Further up?

I thought that was it but i was wrong. The stairway has ended but our climb had not. We had to hike further up the rocky hill. *holy shit!

viewfromtop
Almost there…

Not even half way on the hike, i was already huffing and puffing. Remember “I Almost Passed Out At Batu Caves? Well, i had another episode of black-outs. I felt really paiseh (embarrassed) coz even the ang moh ladies in their 40s and 50s breezed passed me. I might as well dig a hole and bury myself… -_-”

topofhill
Top of the hill

The blackouts and nausea was worth it though. Look at the scene. Speechless…

Ps:// Dear thanks for being patient. I am such a troublesome person. I need exercise ler…grrrrr….

baypeddlers
Selling snacks

sellingseashells
Kid peddlers

Before we left the site, i got myself a souvenir from the small girl on a sampan. She was selling sea shells. Oh, what the heck? The baby with her was adorable.

myshell
My shell souvenir

To be continued at:-
Blue Lagoon
Chambers and the Mini Dicky
From Hoan Kiem Lake to St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Mad Rush > 3 Hours, 6 Destinations
Jalan Jalan Cari Makan in Old Quarter, Hanoi
Last Stroll in Old Quarter

**** ——- ****

Note:
All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8.