0304 Vietnam – Van Mieu

It was a raining day on the first day we reached Hanoi. We had to sit in the restaurant for a moment until the rain stop. None of us came out together with rain coat. We left it in our luggage at the hotel store room. About half an hour later, the rain stopped. We went back to the hotel to take our rain coat and proceeded to our next journey, Temple of Literature (Van Mieu). Temple of Literature is a temple of Confucius in Vietnam. This is one of the most ancient buildings.

Since it is located about 7km from our hotel, we have to look up a transport to move us there. Taking taxi at Hanoi is very expensive. Sometime they may charge you more especially to the tourist if you are not alert on the standard rate per trip. Instead of taking taxi, we choose another alternative. We took SE HOMME. Se Hoome is a service like taxi but using motorbike. At Hanoi, a motorbike can carry up to 3 adults. Motorbikes at Hanoi in term of size and function are same as other countries. The seats of the motorbikes are basically designed to carry 2 persons. However, Vietnamese are able to make it to carry extra passengers. 4 of us squeeze on two Se Homme. I seat together with Leong. I was the last person and Leong sat between the driver and me. Part of my “back” was hanging outside the motorbike. I had to hold Leong shoulder to preventing myself by falling down from the motorbike. We didn’t wear any helmet. In Hanoi, if you walk around at the city, you will find something very interesting, the function of the traffic light. Traffic lights at Hanoi are just a reference for the road user. You can choose to follow or just break the rule. The Se Homme driver drove his motorbike like no other people sitting behind him. He overtook a car in front of him without consider any car come from opposite direction. At that moment, I felt I need to top up my insurance premium. We paid 30000 VHD (1.75USD) for the service. Initially, we though the price was very cheap. Later we found out that they actually over charge us. For a short distance within about 7 km, 20000 VHD for 2 persons is much more enough.

We arrived at Temple of Literature about 3:00 p.m. It was a raining day. There were not many people visiting this temple. We bought the ticket. The entrance fee per person was 5000 VHD. On top of the entrance, you can see the name of the temple door, Van Mieu Men (Temple of Literature Entrance). Surprisingly it was written in Chinese Character. The entrance consist three doors, Main door, left door (左門) and right door (右門). Although the design of the temple quite similar with the Chinese temple, one thing I found interesting were no dragon carving on top of the roof. The only things on top of roof were the symbol of nature element. Dragons only appear on the roof at one of the worship building. Once you entered the temple, you will found there are a lot of Poinsettias at the road side. The surrounding area was well kept. The temple was divided into few zones. In old day, only specified people can enter into the temple. We saw some turtle’s statues called Dr Stelea carried a list of the name. These were the name of people who score the highest in the government exam long time ago. The temple was served as a University at that moment. This was the place to educate the scholar to help the government to rule the country. In the middle of the temple, there was a pond. After the pond, we reached to a building with some statue inside. The arrangement of the worship place was quite similar to the Chinese temple. However some item that use to worship the God were different that Chinese temple. For example the dragon shape was different than Chinese dragon. Most of the Vietnamese cannot understand Chinese characters. However the Chinese character was used in the temple. Vietnamese will label next to the Chinese character. When you read carefully the Vietnamese, you will found that the sound of the Vietnamese was close to the Mandarin.

At one of the building, there was a traditional music performance. I loved the way they play the instrument. It was great performance. The whole performance took about 20 minutes. Their musical instrument was made by bamboo. You should pay a visit at this section when you visit this temple. Beside the temple, there is a big bell and a big drum outside the temple.

Before we came out from the temple, I saw a group of university student wearing Vietnamese traditional suite. They also visit the temple. When we tried to take their picture, they made a post for us to take the picture. Wow, they looked great and sweet.

The detail of the temple can refer to the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Literature

Figure 1: Entrance of the Temple

Figure 2: The Right Entrance of the Temple

Figure 3: Gatepost couplet at the Entrance of the Temple

Figure 4: The Entrance of the other zone

Figure 5: Close out of the Entrance

Figure 6: Pond in front of the temple. You have to walk around the pond to get into the next entrance

 

Figure 7: Flowers Carving on the Column at the Entrance

Figure 8: Small effigies placed under a tree

Figure 9:  Notice board at Vien Mieu

Figure 10: Doctor Stelea at the Temple. Actually it is Turtles (Wu Kui). The is a Monument on top of the Dr Stelea.

 

Figure 11: On top of the monument, it was carved with the name of the person who achieve the top in the government exam.

 

Figure 12: The roof of the Temple.

 

Figure 13: Another view of the Roof. The shape of the carves were quite unique.

Figure 14: The gatepost couplet: 教垂萬世仰無窮

 

Figure 15:The dragon carving was different than ordinary Chinese dragon.

 

Figure 16: some staff was discussing something at a corner

Figure 17: Students were attending a talk in the temple.

Figure 18: Students were listening to the lecture in the temple

Figure 19: Some statues  in the temple

Figure 20: Statue in front of a entrance of the temple

Figure 21: Big drum

Figure 22: Big Bell

Figure 23: Traditional music performance

Figure 24: The group of artists

Figure 25: This aunty good in playing this instruments

Figure 26: The close up of the instrument

Figure 27: Another close up.

p/s: i try to get the music record to show how she play the instrument

Figure 28: The statue in the temple

Figure 29:

Figure 30: The big bell

Figure 31: Group of Pretty Young Vietnamese Ladies

Figure 31: This group of young ladies i guess they were from an university.

0303 Vietnam – First Vietnamese Food at Hanoi

Coming out from the hotel after settled our Sapa and Ha long Bay trip was about 12:30p.m. Each one of us was hungry. We asked Mr Mark for the direction on some of the famous place for the food at Hanoi. We walked to a shop near by the Hang Quat road to have our first Vietnamese meal. It was located at the end of the Hang Quat road.  A long the road, you always can see a lot of people selling different things like flowers, foods, fruits and so on.

 

Photo1: On the Hang Quat Road, Vietnamese Selling the Flower

It is a double stories restaurant. The kitchen was located at ground floor and the dining room was on the first floor. The waiter serves us a set of English menu. It was good for us as none of us understand Vietnamese language.

I ordered a beef fried noodles with mineral water. My friends order chicken noodle (Pho Ga). We all felt excited as this is our first time at Vietnam (except Immy). While waiting our meals, we started taking photos around the restaurant. These were some of the picture we took from the restaurant.

 

Photo 2: Menu in the Restaurant

 

Photo 3: Some chili on the table with vinegar. Immy told me it was very spicy, to me it was not really spicy at all.

Photo 4: Standard Set on the Table. I guess most of the standard restaurant will have these sets of item.

Photo 5: A view from the restaurant on Hang Quat Road. People cycling.

 

Photo 6: this is the look of the hawker stall at vietnam. People used to seat in front of the shop lot and having their meal there.

 

Photo 7: A view of a shop with “Hong Kong” above the door

 

Photo 8: me and Gee Gee (Hui Gee – our Main organizer)

My comment on the first Vietnamese food was good. The vegetable was fresh as well as the beef. The noodle was not much different with Malaysian noodle but the way they cooked makes the noodle tasty. However the price was a bit expensive. My beef fried noodle was 26000D (about 1.6USD). One of the experience I learn from a friend we knew during our trip, always ask for local menu as most of the Vietnamese shop always have 2 different set menus. One menu is for local people and the other menu is for tourist. The menu for the tourist normally will charge higher than local people.

Photop 9: Chicken noodle (Pho Ga – Vietnamese pronounce as Fur Ga )

Photo 10: My delicious Meal

 

Photo 11: My delicious Meal

Photo 12: My delicious Meal – the vegetables were fresh

Photo 13: My delicious Meal.. tomatoes, celery, mushroom, onions..

0302 Vietnam – Arriving at Hanoi

Figure 1: Asia flight AK761at 6:30 a.m

 Figure 2: Noi Bai Airport

Our flight was depart by 6:30 a.m. and arrived at Noi Bai Airport by 10:00 a.m. After taking our luggage, we walked to the exit to find available transport that can transfer us from the airport to Hanoi city. At Noi Bai airport, there are various type of transport one can take to transfer between airport and Hanoi City. By taking a taxi, it will cost you about 10 USD to 15 USD.  If you are not sure the location of the place you want to go and you are in group of 4, it is advisable for you to take taxi. Beside taxi, one also can take Mini bus. Compare with Taxi, mini bus will cost 2 USD per person. Mini bus will transfer their passenger between Airport and Vietnam Airline Head office at Hanoi. If you travel alone, you can think of Mini bus. The problem of taking mini bus is the bus will only move when the bus is full. Sometime you need to wait for a moment until the bus full. The distance between airport and Vietnam Airline office is about 35km and it is about 45 minute driving time. We did some survey on the cost of transportation before we reach Hanoi. We managed to get 12 USD taxi fee from Airport to our preference hotel. Among four of us, each one of us paid only 3USD.  One thing you should always alert is the exchange rate. In Hanoi, one can buy things using USD or Vietnam Dong. However the seller may not using the latest exchange rate for the pricing. For example, they may use 17000 Dong = 1 USD instead of 17600 Dong = 1 USD (actual exchange rate). You should alert on this because you may overcharge or sometime you can get things even cheaper.

 Figure 3: Taxi Rate

 Figure 4: Peace.. Capture inside the taxi

Tips at Airport:

·         Ask few quotation on the transport cost before you decided which one to go.

·         You should always alert on the exchange rate between USD with Vietnam Dong and your countries currency.

·         If any driver required you to pay the money first, ask for receive immediately after you paid.

   Figure 5: On the way to Hanoi… look at their Electric Post

 Figure 6: New Sign Board I learn (No U-turn for the Car)

About 10:30 a.m., we left the airport to Hanoi city. Their driver seat is located at left hand side inside the car.  While car is moving, the driver will keep pressing car horn to give a signal to the motorists and car to give way to them. The highway and the normal was noisy not because of the car moving but sound from the horn. In Vietnam, if you wish to rent a car or motorbike, make sure you are brave enough to handle your vehicle on the road as most of them not follow the rule. I still remember when I wanted to cross a road at a junction, the traffic light shown that pedestrian can cross the road but the motorbike still cross over the road until we cross the road without depending on the traffic like. Our conclusion on the rule of the road is all traffic lights are just a reference, to stop or to move over is up to you.

From airport, we went straight to the hotel. Before coming to Hanoi, we did some research on the budget hotel, and Little Hanoi was one of our choices. From the web site, we found out that a lot of people gave a good comment on this hotel.  From internet, you should able to able to get some good information on the accommodation either you want to go for luxury hotel or budget hotel. However my suggestion is not to book the hotel through internet or by phone. My friends had bad experience booking their hotel through internet. The room was difference with what they saw through internet. The staff told them that the room that they booked was taken by other people. The hotel staff changed their room to another room, and the quality was bad compare with the room they saw on internet. Therefore I suggest you can find the hotel when you reach at Hanoi but you need to list out those hotels that you interested.

Tips about Hotel:

Search hotel information from internet and read the commend from people who stayed there before

   Figure 7: Hanoi Glory Hotel

We reach little Hanoi Hotel but the hotel was full. The hotel staff brought us to another branch call Hotel Glory Hanoi. It was located at Hang Quat. We get the hotel room rental price and it is 15USD per room for 3 persons. Extra mattress we need to add 3USD. We also get the quotation for the trip at Sapa and Ha Long Bay. The good thing we have the itinerary is you can always negotiate with the tourist agency to get to the place you want at the good price. We manage to get Sapa package at 110USD which is included

• Bus transfer to and from Hotel to Railway Station
  
• Express to Lao Cai with 4 bed in a room (25USD per trip)
  
•  Bus to and from Lao Cai to Sapa (45minute to 1 hour  driving time)
  
• Breakfast at Royal Hotel, Lunch at Sapa valley, dinner and breakfast at home stay and lunch at last station before back to Sapa and dinner before get back to Lao Cai
  
• A tour guide that can speak in English.
  

For the Halong Bay package, we manage to get 60USD which is included

•  Morning breakfast after back from Sapa
  
• Bus to and from Ha long Bay (135km from Hanoi)
  
• Lunch, dinner and breakfast on boat
  
•  Accommodation on boat (passport needed)
  
• Ticket for cave
  
• Kayaking
  

Since we book the package from the same hotel, we could leave our luggage at the hotel even we didn’t rent the room on the first day and they allowed us to take a shower before left Hanoi to Lao Cai

Figure 8: Bargaining on the Package – Guy in white shirt..Mr Mark working as the travel Agency.

So total up the confirm payment for the first day are as followed:

Date	Time	Activities	Expenses per person
25/02	Morning	Arriving at Hanoi Airport	3 USD
	Afternoon
	Night	Leaving to Sapa	110 USD
26/02	Morning	Arriving at Lao Cai and reach Sapa
	Afternoon
	Night
27/02	Morning	Overnight at Sapa
	Afternoon
	Night	Leaving Lao Cai and back to Hanoi
28/02	Morning	Arriving Hanoi and leaving to Ha Long Bay	60USD
	Afternoon
	Night	Overnight at Ha Long Bay
01/02	Morning
	Afternoon	Return to Hanoi
	Night	Overnight at Hanoi	3 USD
02/02	Morning	Hanoi Trip
	Afternoon
	Night	Return to Hanoi	3 USD
03/03	Morning	Departing from Hanoi Airport
	Afternoon	Arriving at LCCT
	Night
		Total	169 USD

 

To be continued:

Kindly check the photo at y2chong.multiply.com.

Further Info:

Hanoi Glory Hotel

Add: 24 Hang Quat Str, Hoan Kiem Dist, Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel: (84-4) 8243423

Fax:(84-4) 8251519

Email: Info@hanoigloryhotel.vn

Website: http://www.hanoigloryhotel.com