Hanoi
pagoda
We have only been in Hanoi half a week but have already begun to feel at home amidst the traffic and new sights and sounds. Hanoi has a population of between 2.5 million and 6.5 million depending on how wide an area one includes.
We worked in the MCC office Wednesday – Friday and then spent Saturday roaming a small part of the city—mainly what is called the “Old Quarter.” We enjoyed a cup of “egg coffee” which is coffee with beaten egg and sweetened condensed milk. Delicious. We visited a shop of handicrafts from the Mekong Delta. They displayed beautiful quilts and some unique bicycles made from bamboo. Along another street were many shops with bright red decorations for the coming Tet (New Year) holiday.
We enjoyed a break along a lake eating a chocolate croissant and a citron tart. There was an exercise course beside the lake which was in use. We attended a Water Puppet show where all the puppets “swam” in the water and were manipulated from behind. The show was accompanied by traditional musicians.
The traffic is crowded with many, many motorcycles who sometimes—and sometimes not—follow stop lights. They weave through cars, buses, and people quite gracefully. When we walk we need to watch all directions but just keep moving. We watched at one large traffic circle as cars and motorcycles were streaming in all directions. A bridal couple stood calmly in the midst of all having their photos taken!
We had supper at a small street restaurant and watched the cook roll small sheets of dough around meat and greens. We then dipped these rolls in a sweet vinegar sauce and ate them. Yum!
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- many motorcycles
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- brooms for sale!
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- dishes for sale
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- wires everywhere!
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- egg coffee
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- enjoying egg coffee
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- young people are the same everywhere
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- beautiful quilt
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- bamboo bicycle
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- lunch
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- pagoda
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- card playing
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- ancient gate to the city
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- decorations for Tet
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- flowers
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- biscuit (cookies) stand
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- cleaning fish
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- carrying pineapple
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- street scene
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- St Joseph’s Cathedral (1886)
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- time for a break
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- Turtle Tower in lake
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- exercising by lake
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- Water Puppet Theatre stage
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- musicians
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- puppets planting rice
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- puppets
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- puppeteers
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- street buildings
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- street vendor
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- pagoda
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- street buildings
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- traffic
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- bridal couple in middle of street
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- entry to pagoda
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- making noodle rolls
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- eating!
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- reflections on water
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- pagoda
January 26th, 2015 at 11:00 am
Love your blogs. These had especially bright colors. I think I would enjoy the whole experience, however, I would want the lady doing the roll-ups to wear plastic gloves or to see her wash or sterilize her hands. Be careful what you eat.
January 26th, 2015 at 7:28 pm
It seems sanitary conditions are not what we see in the US; however, we are getting all the “good” bacteria in our bodies so that we seldom get sick!