Hanoi Potpourri

We’ve been to the infamous Train Street a couple of times now … during the day, standing at the gates as the train went by. Trains run periodically from 5:30 am until around 10:30pm … different lengths and directions. Originally, shopkeepers along the line would wind up their canopies and drag in their wares each time the train went by … now, however, it’s a tourist only thing. Eateries and bars vie for business, urging gaggles of spectators … most of whom are standing on the train tracks taking selfies … to perch on tiny stools, drinking beer and downing awful-looking plates of noodles or chips, while waiters dash nimbly back and forth. Standing is definitely not allowed, so if you haven’t found a seat, patrollers with loud whistles yell and herd you behind chained off areas. For our second attempt, kindergarten-sized chairs were procured, shoehorned in between a couple from Kent and a young single fellow. We looked on with interest as the couple both agreed this was the best food they’d had all week, while liberally dousing their insipid-looking fried noodles with a sea of soy sauce.

A clanking of gates and warning whistle indicated the imminent arrival of the train. Last minute stragglers were sternly shooed off the tracks, tables were whisked away and people’s knees pushed well back … the great moment had arrived. With headlights and horn blaring the huge locomotive rumbled down the rails mere feet away. Disappointingly, that’s all it was … a locomotive, no carriages. Still impressive, but a whole train would have been better. Seems they do this between the regularly scheduled trains to keep the tourists (and bar owners) happy! Oh well, it had to be done. https://ca.video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=train+street+hanoi+youtube&type=E210CA876G0#id=58&vid=77663dbde54eea9facbf88aa60fdbb56&action=view

The Water Puppet Show – a must see. Traditional story-telling with puppets operated from behind bamboo screens (on long poles under water) with live musicians and singers …. think British Pantomine set in water. Absolutely delightful. https://ca.video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=AwrOqbLqF8FpWwABbu0WFQx.;_ylu=c2VjA3NlYXJjaAR2dGlkAw–;_ylc=X1MDMjExNDcyMTA0NgRfcgMyBGZyA21jYWZlZQRmcjIDcDpzLHY6dixtOnNiLHJnbjp0b3AEZ3ByaWQDYXdhY1pLNF9TOUNXVk1odVJnUUtfQQRuX3JzbHQDMARuX3N1Z2cDMARvcmlnaW4DY2EudmlkZW8uc2VhcmNoLnlhaG9vLmNvbQRwb3MDMARwcXN0cgMEcHFzdHJsAzAEcXN0cmwDNDcEcXVlcnkDd2F0ZXIlMjBwdXBwZXQlMjBzaG93JTIwaGFub2klMkMlMjBmdW5ueSUyMG11c2ljaWFuJTIwcHVwcGV0cwR0X3N0bXADMTc3NDI2MjgzOA–?p=water+puppet+show+hanoi%2C+funny+musician+puppets&ei=UTF-8&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av%2Cm%3Asb%2Crgn%3Atop&fr=mcafee&type=E210CA876G0#id=4&vid=6f1edd8eb28812f3f8cac61812174b10&action=view

Apologies for the long video link, but this one has the best bit at the 10:22 mark – hilarious musicians. The husband and wife seated in front of us immediately held up both phones (including floppy cases) and would have videotaped the entire show … blocking our view completely – had we not politely pointed out that we were hoping to see the live show – not their recording. Husband continued … but off to the side. I hope the person making the above recording was more considerate.

Over coffee one morning, Glen discovered to his dismay that a front tooth crown had come loose. Yoiks! We have medical insurance, but this is probably not one of the things they cover. Still, best to phone and enquire. Nope, just as we thought. Having your teeth knocked out is one thing, but not this. We phoned our ever helpful landlady, La. She said “No problem”, and gave us the number of her #2 dentist, who works on Sundays! We have an appointment at 2:00 pm. How’s that for service.

With time to kill a walk to the lake and nearby Taoist Temple fitted the bill. Then relaxed with a cup of tea overlooking the lake and the swan pedal boats. The wind would increase sometimes, blowing the swans, like sails, to one side of the lake, needing considerable pedal power to return. Two swans of teenagers had a slow-motion ‘race’ … the girls were winning for a while to great cheers. Can you imagine the humiliation of boys losing … and in a swan yet!

Dentist was located … on the 7th floor. Beautiful, modern office, helpful staff. Everywhere in Vietnam one takes shoes off when entering a house … including here … so there was a tumble of sandals, sneakers, high heels, pumps and a pile of slip-ons for customers to use. Half an hour and $25.00 later, Glen was good as new.

Although the apartment has a washing machine (out in the patio), our one attempt at operating it didn’t go quite so well. Instructions in English … check, detergent added … check, temperature selected … check … pushed Start. Two minutes later the power went off! Not even faucets in the apartment worked (thankfully it didn’t happen while showering!). Poked my head out the patio door to see a hive of workers on ladders replacing all the electrical meters up and down the alley! What to do! Neighbour next door said he’d just put washing on as well. Apparently power should be back in half an hour. I had my doubts. An hour later, still nothing, so we went and had lunch. Our lovely landlady restarted the machine when she dropped off fresh towels, so the washing was done as we arrived back. Unfortunately, the outside drying area is tucked against a wall, under a plexiglass cover (in case of rain), but it doesn’t get any sun/wind … even after two days the clothes were still wet and now didn’t smell so fresh.

So, off to the laundromat … two bags of laundry and a book in hand. Open 24/7, self-serve … very convenient for travelers. Three young locals waiting for their machines to finish showed me the ropes. And as it happens there was a convenient coffee shop right across the way – what better than to sip coffee and watch the world go by while keeping an eye on our stuff.

Turning right instead of left at the alley entrance eventually led to a whole new area of the city … a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Train Street, traffic, tourists and thriving businesses. This is definitely NOT a tourist area. Bare fluorescent light fixtures in stark eateries …. washing dishes done street-side in big plastic bowls of water and stacked along the sidewalk … bikes in bits — whether repairing or disassembling — metal grinders cascading sparks across the sidewalk … plus some things hard to un-see being roasted on barbecues. But even here, there is very little evidence of homeless people on the streets.

Finally, the large outdoor market … one that operates from morning into the night. Most of the morning trading had been done, and some stall owners were taking the opportunity to doze on boxes or sacks of produce … although quite happy to make a sale. Oranges of every size and shade, including ripe bright green ones. Prices were given in kilos … although it was good to mention that what you’ve picked out probably doesn’t weigh that much … so then it was carefully placed on the scales <grin> We got three large oranges for about 27 cents, a lovely little pineapple for no more than a $1 and a big bag of sweet, fragrant lychees.

The busy bus station across the road seemed a likely spot to try out the local bus system. Figuring out the bus number, and where exactly to stand was a bit tricky. And you had to be quick … hesitate a second too long, and the bus would drive off at speed. There was a never-ending flow … as the numbers flashed by. Was that a 36? … no 86. Eventually a diminutive 126 hove into view … this should take us right past the apartment. Perfect.

The silk weaving village sounded interesting. Well away from the Old Quarter. At first everything seemed dead — just some shops selling silk clothing. Further along the sound of machinery … getting louder. We poked our heads in a doorway, and there were dozens of weaving machines working away furiously. A lady waved us in for a look and the noise was quite deafening — wouldn’t want to work here without ear protection. Each machine had a complicated punch card system for different patterns. All cloth was woven in white and then hand died or painted in a rainbow of vibrant colours. Gorgeous.

Came across a private garden with caged birds singing, a pond full of ‘booming’ frogs and three wartime jeeps. No house … nobody around … but all fenced in.