Food Glorious Food - Hanoi Day 2

Woke up bright and early the next morning. Looked out the hotel window and saw some interesting sights. Couldn’t resist taking a few shots.

We were surprised to find that the hotel actually offered free breakfast for guests (what a bargain –only RM700 per person for return air tickets plus 5 night stay….and we even got free breakfast!).

This is how the back lanes look like

As we exited the hotel, we spotted a stall selling piping hot noodles. Despite just having had our breakfast, we made ourselves comfortable and order 2 bowls to be shared between the 4 of us. That was our first taste of street food at Hanoi and believe me, it tasted better than the beef noodle we had at the café the night before.

We contacted Stephanie Nguyen (one of our students from Alfa International College) who was back home in Hanoi for a holiday. She agreed to meet us at the hotel at 11am. Meanwhile, we decided to walk around the Old Quarters to get ourselves acquainted with the place.

Checked out the market nearby. They were selling lots of fresh fish and vegetables. We were so fascinated by the charming buildings and came across more food. Decided to try out a kind of food that is similar to Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun. To call it delicious would be an understatement.

Most of lots are tall and narrow.

Couldn't resist trying out another delicacy. Similar to Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun.

Stephanie arrived at our hotel on time and she looked gorgeous in her outfit. She was staying at her mom’s 30 mins away with her two kids. Apparently, she grew up at the Old Quarters and the old place had been rented out.

We walked to Hoan Kiem Lake located nearby and crossed the bridge over to Ngoc Son Temple on the lake.

Stephanie is the one on the left with a hat on!

Then Stephanie brought us to a great place to eat – Quan An Ngon. There were so many variety of food served in that place that we were spoilt for choice! We walked around the stalls with the menu in our hands trying to match the descriptions to the actual dishes. With Stephanie’s help, we ordered as many varieties as we could possibly consume (by this time we were hungry and GREEDY at the sight of so much food).

After our hearty lunch, we decided to walk around to alleviate our guilt for being such gluttons. We came across many beautiful buildings such as the Opera House and quaint cafes.

As we were walking we saw a crowd at a field. They were watching a few young men trying to outperform each other in tap dancing. We watched in awe as they tapped their feet to the rhythm of the music. Wow!

Arrived at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum but couldn’t get in as we had missed the visiting hour. But we managed to visit his house on stilts and the one pillar pagoda.

Stephanie brought us to a café at the West Lake for coffee and cakes before sending us back to the hotel. Thanks Stephanie for your wonderful company!

Went back to the hotel to freshen up and then headed down for dinner in a nearby restaurant.

The interior and exterior of the hotel.

Food Glorious Food - Hanoi Day 1

Hanoi is definitely a HAVEN for food! The variety is unbelievable and the taste….sigh! I may have forgotten some of the sights but the taste of the food still lingers on. I am not referring to food served in cafes or fancy restaurants. On the contrary, it is the street food that beckons me for a second visit to Hanoi in the near future.

My colleagues and I booked the Air Asia free and easy package 6 months ahead of the trip in March 2007. So you can imagine the anticipation as the date grew closer. We arrived in the late evening of March 10^th, 2007. It was dark, wet and cold and we were caught by surprise by the whizzing motorbikes (we would soon find out that crossing the streets of Hanoi requires skills and the nerve of steel). Checked into the Hanoi Plaza Hotel located within the Old Quarters. A friendly hotel staff showed us to a restaurant for dinner as it was too late to explore the place and we were too hungry from our journey.

Meet my 3 friends – (from far left) – Ong, Chou and Koh. Yes, that’s me on the right.

We ordered the typical Vietnamese meal – Beef noodle soup. Yum.

Explored the place for a bit (actually we got lost trying to get back to the hotel) and returned to the hotel to unpack and retire for the night. Another thing, I was thrilled to find 3 PCs with internet connection at the hotel lobby coz that meant that I could email Jai during my stay in Hanoi.

Sugarcane drink with a twist of lime in Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 5 (Final Day)

Woke up at 6am-again! Walked towards the Central Market. Along the way, we saw an interesting building which houses a bar called Broken Bricks.

Stopped for breakfast in one of the coffeeshops. Had plain porridge with side dishes of pickled veg, chicken floss and salted egg. Yum!

Continued on our journey towards CM. Reached and walked around. Spotted a baby sleeping peacefully in a hammock. Asked for permission to take a shot of her. So cute.

You can find anything and everything in Central Market - meat, veg, snacks, clothes, pickles, hardware, kitchen utensils, souvenirs.....EVERYTHING!

Hmmmm...wonder if she was taking orders through her mobile phone!

We combed the entire market and bought more souvenirs. Stopped at a stall selling desserts. Tried 3 different kinds of hot desserts and packed 2 cold ones. Ooo la la…delicious!

Then we walked back to the quay. Drank our 2^nd sugarcane drink with a twist of lime.

This is how petrol is pumped in Phnom Penh!

Then headed to Art Street (St 178). Love the boutiques there. Went to the first one and fell in love with one of the bags but it cost USD18. That’s like more than RM60. Decided against buying it (but Jai went back to the store later to get it for me as a surprise gift! So sweet!)

Walked on and saw a few teenage boys working hard on their wood carvings. The owner greeted us and invited us into his shop. Saw a picture of him receiving an award in his shop. He must be a well-known sculptor and wood-carver in Cambodia.

Saw a few galleries selling paintings but was attracted to one gallery in particular which was located at the street corner. Asasax Art Gallery. Went into the gallery and I was immediately taken in by his paintings. So vibrant and bold. The colours and movements in the paintings were so captivating! He has another gallery in Siem Reap. I will definitely visit the gallery when we go to Siem Reap in Feb next year!

Had our lunch and delicious iced coffee. Headed back to the hotel to pack and freshen up before leaving for the airport.

On our way to the airport, we noticed that a building had been burnt to the ground. What a terrible sight.

Simple but modern airport!

We enjoyed every minute of our stay in Phnom Penh and we look forward to more Cambodian hospitality in our visit to Siem Reap in February next year. But meanwhile, we have 2 more trips to tackle - Medan in Sept and Chiang Mai in Jan '08! Oooo la la! Life is GREAT!