Part 17: Hanoi, Vietnam

National Theater performance in the Nhà Hát Cải Lương Theater, Hanoi Vietnam.

We left the comfort of our Dalat home for our last trek in Vietnam (for now): 4 days in Hanoi, with plans to meet up with our new friend Züm (see Dalat #1.) Between managing and cooking in her restaurant, as well as performing in the National Theater, she is a very busy lady. We only hoped to steal a little bit of her time and get to know her better. Little did we know what incredible things she had in store for us... We also were delighted to find out that she had been called up to do a performance during our stay, which I was secretly hoping for, but didn't dare to believe would actually come true. Woo hoo!

We really didn't know anything about Hanoi, except that our friends all loved it. Considering that it sometimes has the worst air pollution in the world, we were imagining a massive metropolis. While we didn't get to explore extensively, what we found were wide, tree-canopied streets lined with old, French colonial buildings and broad, hexagonal-tiled sidewalks. It was wisely recommended that we stay in the Truc Bach neighborhood, which was a little oasis all its own. It's a tiny island near the shore of Ho Tay Lake, and a relatively quiet spot in the busy city. With narrow, bridge-covered canals strung with lanterns, and long walks around the shores of the misty lake, we absolutely loved it. Best of all, just across the small bridge to the rest of the city, about a block away, was Züm's restaurant: "Mex Mix" - a haven of authentic Mexican and global cuisine. We wandered over to the restaurant after checking into our place, and met Züm and Gloria, a member of the staff. We discovered that Zũm truly has the best margaritas in Hanoi (much to my demise, haha. In my defense, I was far from the first to succumb to her talents.) David stayed to enjoy a lovely dinner of salmon and clams in a saké and sesame oil broth, while I "went to bed early."

The next day Züm took us to a delicious Phó spot for breakfast, and then through her favorite botanical garden. From there we went past the old ambassadors' district and the presidential residence. We strolled around the serene Nhà Vǎn Hóa temple, a beautiful spot on its own little island, on the way to Ho B52 (B52 Lake). Here lie the proudly memorialized remains of a B-52 shot down from war, wheels and crumpled fuselage sticking up from what remains of the already small lake. We tried the famous egg coffee, which was apparently invented there. As a huge bonus, Zűm had arranged for us to meet one of the only local living survivors of "Operation Linebacker" - Nixon's intense bombing campaign at the end of the Vietnam war. Züm translated for us in his home-turned-museum, as he told us his incredible story of witnessing the bombings from a tiny air-raid shelter as a 12 year old boy. We felt so lucky to experience this living history, that we would never have access to on our own.

From there, we wandered through the most crowded "main thoroughfare" I've ever seen. The balconies above were so close on either side they nearly touched. It was dim in the daylight, and claustrophobic at 9:30 am. I can't imagine it when it actually got busy! Zũm then dropped us off at the Ho Chi Minh museum, so she could get to rehersal for her upcoming performance. We explored the impressive museum and mausoleum grounds, then went to MexMix for awesome tacos and molé for lunch.

That evening we went to the old quarter, to watch the night-life waking up. We sat at the crowded café tables outside the theater to watch the mad choreography of crowds -vs- traffic for a while. Then it was on to "train street," which just plain defied belief. This was Social Darwinism at its very best, and quintessential Vietnam (Safety Third!). The open-sided, busy bars in this neighborhood are all built up as close as absolutely possible to the train tracks, similar to our slow train excursion through the neighborhoods of Dalat (see previous post). The main difference was the speed of the trains - here they came regularly cruising through at a decent clip. The further down the line you went, the more people were sitting directly on the tracks - sometimes with bar tables straddling the rails - scurrying out of the way with the ebb and flow of the trains. We picked our way along the edge of the tracks until we found a way down to the main street, and finally stopped for much deserved cream puffs at Beard Papa on our way home.

The next morning, Züm took us to another of her favorite neighborhood breakfast places. We couldn't have found it ourselves if we tried. There was no sign, and no indication of food - just a roll-up door where we walked in and had amazing freshly made banh cuon: incredibly thin sheets of steamed rice-batter crepés carefully wrapped around pork and mushroom filling, with tons of fresh herb garnishes, and a fish sauce for dipping. It was grerat to have such expertise on the subject of where and what to eat!

Once fortified, we walked in the gentle rain to Yen Phu temple, along the shores of West Lake, and then on to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. It was huge, and spectacular even in the rain. The giant walls and gates still show damage from French cannon fire in 1882, and the complex includes a military bunker from the Vietnam war. There was a beautiful temple compound on the grounds, as well as many exhibits. The remains of much of the palace itself were an enormous architectural dig, viewed from a raised catwalk. It was fascinating to be in an active site, with a few workers toiling patiently in the dust as we walked around - but the most amazing thing was Züm's patience as she generously waited for us to ogle everything!

By now it was getting close to when Züm needed to open the restaurant, but on the way home we had one more very special stop. Fortunately for us, it was one of the rare days when the Chùa Thân Quang temple was open to visitors. Inside is the largest single-pour bronze Buddha in Vietnam, at 3.95 meters tall. It is one of the best examples from the traditional Ngu Xa bronze casting artisan village, that was historically centered in the area of our neighborhood. Each of the various smithing families took consecutive turns pouring the molten bronze to make the statue. Yet another fascinating part of Zum's story is that her family were among the craftspeople to create this beautiful Amitabha Buddha.

Later that evening David and I set out to explore a bit. We found a cool, low-key lounge playing great jazz records and making great cocktails, and then continued along the shore of the lake to the aptly named "Stand-up bar" for snacks and a beverage. Eventually we slowly wandered home, drinking in the warm, quiet night and the beautiful lights on the water, reflecting on our amazing day.

Our next day started with Cho Dong Xuan: Hanoi's largest indoor market - a huge marble building the size of a train station, full of goods and vendors everywhere. It felt like the whole world was stacked on pallets wrapped in plastic, waiting to be sold. Beyond that, we passed the remains of the 1749 city gate, and wandered the streets of the old quarter neighborhood, which are still named after the goods sold on each one. It was the usual fascinating array of order amongst chaos, weaving through the scooters, trucks, vendors, cats, and crowds. But the most fascinating part was just following in Züm's wake, watching as she elegantly and effortlessly floated through it all with her dancer's grace and poise. Somehow she never lost track of us, expertly shepherding us like a mother hen with her chicks.

We stopped at a beautiful ceramics gallery of local artists, with tons of imaginative and modern pieces. In the back was a stunning display of huge glass lanterns, with bronze bases and beautifully painted chimneys, and a large replica (available for public use) of an ancient stone xylophone. After that we explored along Hang Buom street and had brunch at delicious soup spot, which we had all to ourselves. Then we saw the Hang Trong Temple, the Lý Thái Tô statue (founder of the Lý Dynasty, 1009 - 1225), St. Josephs Cathedral, had more yummy snacks, went window shopping, stopped in a local artisan's collective for hand woven handicrafts, and then coffee on the rooftop of an ancient house. We also stopped for craft beers in there somewhere. I hate to generalize, but I truly can't do justice to it all. I know I'm leaving things out - we are still in awe of the super rock star treatment she gave us!

After all of that, we still had Zum's theater performance to attend. She went to get into costume, and we occupied ourselves until it was time for the show. The Nhà Hát Cải Lương Theater where she performs specializes in traditional Vietnamese opera. Tickets included a tour of the venue, which took us under the stage to see some set pieces, with costumed actors posing for photos. We went through the costume department, and briefly watched the performers getting into make-up in the dressing room. Then the show began... The costumes and backdrops were so beautiful, and we really enjoyed the traditional music and singing. I'm not being partial in that Zūm gave the best performance. It was so much fun to see her character and spirit manifest on stage in her charming villain role. And like the best of villains, she got all of the laughs in the show. With some brief English descriptions between acts, we understood much of the plot, even though the dialogue was all in Vietnamese. My western sensibilities expected a saving grace at the end of the story, but this was a bleak and unvarnished tragedy, with a very dramatic ending. After the curtain call, the cast posed with audience members for photos. It was such a generous and inclusive experience.

After the show, we had the best farewell ever, as Züm and some of her troupe graciously allowed us to join them for dinner. Züm lent her expertise making hot pot (because she makes it better than the restaurant), while we did our best to get to know our companions: two of the musicians, the musical director, and his wife. The table filled up with food, and we spent hours eating, drinking, making jokes and doing our best to communicate. We had a great time making fun of ourselves for being generally clueless, and they were so generous to include us in their evening, and let us be the flies on the wall. As always, Züm was an excellent translator for us, while navigating the hot pot at the same time. It was one of the most memorable experiences we had on our whole trip so far.

We eventually needed to let our new friends have their fun without spectators - and to get ready for our early departure the next morning. We can't thank Züm enough for our action-packed 4 days, and look forward to further adventures with her! Hard as it was to leave Vietnam, our next country was calling - the beautiful island of Formosa. Next stop... Taiwan!