Tapp's Travels

We have been sensibly relaxed in the city.  We know we can get run over any time we want by an endless stream of motorbikes, cars trucks and buses.  The best way to do this is to try using a pedestrian crossing.  Literally, no one stops or even attempts to give way to people crossing in these designated areas.  Instead, the best strategy for successful survival, is to watch for a little old lady walking across the street far away from any zebra crossing and get in as close behind her as possible.  This often means wading through vegetation in the central reservation as we follow our guide.  But at least we get to do what the chicken wanted to do (get to the other side).  The other way to a longer life is to stay in the weekend-largely-vehicle-free zone round our lake and avoid the depths of the historic quarter!

However, today’s plan is to visit the Museum of History.  This is located in the “traffic zone”.  Close to the Opera House.  Where exactly, we are not sure.  On the road to the Opera, we passed several ladies selling fruit and vegetables from their traditional-style balancing baskets …

We found an interesting silver-leaved-tree in a tiny green space …

We crossed two streets with a little old lady on a very busy intersection following signs to the museum.  Only to discover that the main building is “temporarily closed” … “but that the smaller annex (building 2) is still open for business”.  For our convenience, that’s back across the two streets over which we’ve just chased an old lady!  Attached to the fence around our target property, we passed an al fresco barber shop for one.

It was available without a booking, but as the museum shuts in about an hour, I didn’t have the time for a hair do!  To be fair, I didn’t really have the hair for the task either!

The museum entry fee was a little over one pound each.  Very reasonable.  And if we run out of time the ticket will still be valid in the afternoon (probably).  The tour starts with pre-historic information and rapidly moves forward in time.  Each room has a summary board outside in Vietnamese,  English and French.  Very useful in setting the scene.  As I recall, this floor took us through the early “recent” history.  Telling us about the succession of ruling powers.  The Japanese (kicked out after their defeat in WWII), The French who seemed to rule with an iron rod, the guillotine and fancy French architecture.  Then the communists in the North.  There were bits of trouble with Laos in the north and with Cambodia further south.  Then the big trouble started between the North and the South.  Then the museum closed for lunch!

We walked northwards – through the French Quarter – where we discovered an old monument – a recently renovated fountain.  Situated in a tiny garden area officially called the Dien Hong Park.  However, because of the unique feature of four toads spraying water around, people often call it the “Toad Flower Garden”.

After 121 years of existence, (and at least one renovation!) the oldest fountain of Hanoi still retains its beauty.

The Martyr’s Monument was erected at the northern end of the lake as a memorial for those who died fighting for Vietnam’s independence.  It depicts two men, one holding a torch and the other holding a gun, and a woman with a sword to show how, regardless of gender, everyone was involved in the Vietnam War equally.

Nearby, there was a sign advertising a sky bar on the eighth floor of La Sinfonia Del Rey Hotel.  This we need to visit!

Sadly, the roof is shut till evening, but coffees are available on the 7th floor.  From there, when no one was looking, we snuck up the spiral staircase to check out the view from the sky bar …

On the way back to the museum,  I was sublimely ignorant of the fact that we were walking beside a Guiness World Record!  A mosaic, nearly four kilometres long!  Mounted on the wall of the Red River dyke.  It was created to mark Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary in 2010 and showcases Vietnam’s history, culture, and folklore using traditional Bat Trang ceramic tiles.  (We are due to visit Bat Trang in a few days time.)  We just didn’t see it behind six lanes of traffic and 17 lanes of parked motorbikes!

However, we did snatch a quick photo as we drove past it in our bus a few days later …

Our tickets did get us back into the museum, but the downstairs exhibits were less easy to follow.  Mainly about the American War, as it’s known locally.  There were no summary boards, so every photo had it’s own explanation.  I’m sure that the US of A did some serious damage, but I got the feeling that we were presented with a slightly biased view.  Whatever, it was a stark reminder that developed nations should avoid war wherever and whenever.

Tomorrow is another day!  And tomorrow we join our cruise on the Red River, several other smaller rivers, and Halong Bay.  Walking back to the Silk Path Boutique Hotel for the last time, we passed a farewell committee in pink flowing gowns strung out on the lakeside all trying to get a photo with us in the background.

There are lots of exciting stories to follow.  I know because I’m already almost a week behind!