We walked around a bit, got a map from the travel information centre, and decided to explore a Cathedral which was situated opposite the other side of the Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword – not sure of the story though). Incidentally, there are over 20 lakes in Hanoi, and we only walked the banks of 2 of them I think. Even to enjoying local Vietnamese ice-cream. Yummy! Nice scenery, seemingly reflecting a relaxed setting.
As we were walking looking for the Cathedral, we entered through the side entrance, and I met the priest who kindly directed us to the Cathedral and gave us permission to enter the premises. And it was like “Wow!”. The Cathedral was magnificent to me, with stained glass work surrounding the interior. Now this is what I call a proper church design! Named after St. Joseph, the cathedral opened its doors for the first time during Christmas Day in 1886.Later, back at the hotel, we told our tour mates that we visited the Cathedral and about how beautiful it was. They subsequently requested from the tour guide for a trip to the cathedral, which he kindly obliged, with the rest laughing at us two guys who walked there earlier on. But seriously, you have free time in the morning, and you spend it shopping at the supermarket? Hmm.. different priorities for guys and girls I guess. Personally, I did not mind revisiting the Cathedral and would have loved to spend more time inside, but alas, upon reaching there, the front entrance was closed to the public. Probably getting ready for the daily masses to be held. Could only readmire from the exterior.
From there, we visited a few temples which I did not really appreciate, even to the Temple of Literature, which was Vietnam’s first national university. Also visited the external sights of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum which was closed on the day we went. As I was walking around trying to take pictures, I heard a loud “PEEEEEEP!!!” which was a guard trying to shoo me away from venturing too close to the restricted area. Strangely enough, there were signages being posted to “Keep Out”, but put too far apart that I didn’t see them at all. Really!!! And incidentally, I wasn’t the only one being “PEEEEEEPed!!!”. TC experienced a similar situation, and I almost laughed that it must be a Malaysian thingy for being ignorant about signs.
After all that, the girls requested a visit to the three-storey Dong Xuan Market, selling clothes and other what nots. I personally found it very stuffy inside, and had to walk outside for a bit to get some air. Whilst waiting around, encountered some local sights which was pretty interesting, where there was a van load of jam-packed people being transported as part of the local transportation. It’s amazing how they managed to packed so many people into that one van.
After that, it was a trip to the airport and onward back to home sweet home. Just some other interesting tidbits:a. The first hotel we stayed in had free internet access and flat screen TV, with super-dooper shower gadget comprising multiple sprays.
b. Motorcyles abound. Crossing the road is extremely hazardous, with one risking limbs and life, even at the zebra crossings.
c. Water is a scarce commodity. Lunch / dinner provided, but not water. For the H2O, either Vietnamese Dong or US Dollar would serve just as well to compensate.
d. Names like Halong and Thanglong had mythological roots meaning descending and ascending dragons.
e. Vietnamese word for rice is “kum”, and ice is “Da”. Two words which I picked up, especially when it came to getting the two items as part of my meal.
To be continued...? :)
1 comment:
WOW!! 5 posts on Hanoi. No wonder it took you so long to post them. Haha. TO be continued? You mean the gas stove story?? LOL.
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