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Hanoi - Day 1



This is the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum ......  the first stop on arrival at Hanoi on 23rd Dec., temperature was around 15 deg C at about 10.00 am. There was security check at the entrance before we were allowed in to view the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh.




French styled building within the grounds of the mausoleum, now mainly used when foreign dignatories visit Hanoi or for other official functions.


This was the humble residence of Ho Chi Minh



Changing of Guards at the Mausoleum grounds


This is part of the city, note the motorbikes and the women selling their wares.  In Vietnam, the ladies work, while the men live a very relaxed life and enjoy their morning coffee after sending their wives off to work!  The men will loiter around and have their tea or coffee by the roadside, sitting on low stools and our tour guide said that, that was the international community centre, no need to read morning newspapers!  The women folk will be very proud if someone were to comment that their husbands look prosperous which goes to show that their wives are very capable and take good care of their spouse!   Oh, something interesting, our tour guide told us that if you were to marry a slim and pretty young lady who weighs around 50 kg, you'll need to give a dowry of Rm18,000.00 and if the lady is more than 50 kg, you needn't give so much!  No wonder the Vietnamese ladies are so slim!  Wonder how true it is....


Sugarcane seems to be in abundance ..... this was taken around the Old Quarters.  There were 36 lanes in this area called the Old Quarters and in the olden days each lane called 'Hang' used to have shops that sell only one type of product, be it footware, clothes, etc., but not anymore.  Presently you can find a lot of different goods on sale in any of these lanes.



Jackfruit seems to be in season, saw a lot of vendors on bicycles on the roadside, selling jackfruit.  They just parked their bicycles by the roadside, admist the  hustle and bustle  of  the heavy traffic.  Seems that traffic or rather motorbike jams are the daily norm in Hanoi


Flower shops and vendors are everywhere, due to French influence, giving flowers is very common.  Vietnamese give flowers on all occasions and this is a lucrative trade in Hanoi.  Flower shops close the latest, only at 11pm while the other shops will normally close by about 7pm.



A shop selling handicraft in one of the streets at Old Quarters.


A grocery shop along the street at Old Quarters.

Stay tuned for more pictures of Hanoi and Halong Bay.....
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Comments

  1. Angie's RecipesDecember 30, 2009 at 2:55 AM

    Never been to Vietnam...... the traditions of Vietnamese marriage sound interesting and fun. There must be a story behind it...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ravenous CoupleDecember 30, 2009 at 7:38 AM

    you're right.. you find mostly men at the cafes for hours on end...how do they have so much free time???

    ReplyDelete
  3. Elin ChiaDecember 30, 2009 at 9:36 AM

    Hi Cheah...Wishing you and family a blessed and a Happy New Year! Thanks for sharing your trip to Hanoi. Things are cheap there it seems so I gather you would have done a lot of shopping and eating there. Looking forward to your sharing on their food :))

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sokehah cheahDecember 30, 2009 at 2:36 PM

    Hi
    Angie
    It's nostalgic when I visit Hanoi, just like M'sia about 50 years ago, same as in Saigon. But it's an eye opener for my children.

    Ravenous Couple
    Because the men don't have to work, they only do BIG things and they are given pocket money by their wives, at least that was what our tour guide told us.

    Elin
    Thanks. Things are not that cheap, you need to haggle and they want your USD or even ringgit. Didn't take much photos on the food that we had because we had to share a table with other fellow M'sians and it's not nice to tell them not to eat first until we have taken photos. Didn't dare to attempt the food at the roadside stalls, very dusty. Our guide said that if you eat by the roadside, you'll get extra peppper! The quality of the things on sale is not so good, most of them from China, it's more or less the same as in other Asean countries. Only managed to get a silk table runner and 3 silk ties.

    ReplyDelete
  5. penny aka jeroxieDecember 30, 2009 at 3:06 PM

    I will love to go to Vietnam. Been to most asian countries except Vietnam and Cambodia. Thanks for sharing lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Divina PeDecember 30, 2009 at 3:27 PM

    That's an interesting trip with interesting information about Vietnam and their culture. Looking forward for more.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sokehah cheahDecember 30, 2009 at 4:58 PM

    Hi
    Penny and Divina
    Will be posting more pictures. Glad that you like them.

    ReplyDelete

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