HANOI
[Hoan Kiem Lake] In the heart of the city lies Hoan Kiem Lake (the Lake of the Restored Sword translated in English). This lake is the last haven for people trying to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. A bridge leads to a small pagoda on the Island of the Turtle in the center of the lake. The story that surrounds this mystical lake is a fascinating one. Sometime during the 15th century according to legend, the Tortoise who lived in the lake yielded a magical sword to a fisherman named Le Loi who because of this sword was able to raise up a huge peasant army and successfully repel the Ming armies from Vietnam. Once the Vietnamese were liberated, Le Loi returned the sword back to the Tortoise in the lake who supposedly still safeguards it to this day. This lake is a symbol and a reminder to the younger generations of the rebellious strength that can be found in the Vietnamese people.
While people-watching, my mom began to reminisce about her life 40 years ago when we saw several Vietnamese families all dressed in their Sunday best who had hired one of the many photographers on the bridge to take their family portraits for them. I didn't understand the significance until my mom explained to me that that was how she and her family took their annual family pictures when she was young and when owning personal cameras was still prohibitively expensive. Unable to afford a camera, she believed that was what those Vietnamese families were doing there.
North of the Lake is where you'll find Hanoi's Old Quarter, or more commonly known as the 36 Streets. A must see on any tourist's list, each street is actually named for a specific merchandise that the stores that line that street sells. It made comparative shopping/bargaining so much easier when all the stores were next to each other. The other must see that is uniquely Hanoi is their water puppet show (roi nuoc) performed daily at the Municipal Theatre situated directly east of the Lake.
[Ho Chi Minh] A man revered in Hanoi, his given name was Nyugen Tat Tan before he later changed it to Ho Chi Minh which means "he who enlightens", but most people in Hanoi simply refer to him as Bac Ho (or "Uncle Ho"). We spent the day walking in and around Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is located. Unfortunately, we weren't able to physically see Uncle Ho because during the last two months of every year, his body is sent to Moscow for its annual maintenance. Located near Ba Dinh Square, we visited Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Both places did a nice job of detailing the life and work of Uncle Ho. Interestingly, pictures of Lenin and Marx permeated throughout both museums which reflected the tremendous influence these two great thinkers had on Uncle Ho.
[Halong Bay] From Hanoi, it took us three hours to drive along the famous Red River to reach the beach city of Haiphong which is where most tourists depart from to Halong Bay.
Even though it was their rainy season, Haiphong had all the unfortunate characteristics and eerily reminded me of another Pattaya beach (Thailand) with its long coastal beachfront located a poor town, the construction of several beachfront hotels, and that which sees a large flow of tourists through town but doesn't yet have a niche to retain them.
Halong Bay didn't disappoint at all. The thousands of small islands that filled Halong Bay was still a magnificent site to see even with the overcast skies that followed us the entire boat trip. The caves (or grottos) that we explored were wonderfully carved by the meticulous work of the wind and the waves.