Hanoi - A Photo Travelogue (Part 2)

The Water Puppet Show is a must-see when in Hanoi.  This statement is coming from someone who fell asleep during the show.  ;-)

North Face bags galore near Hoan Kiem Lake.  From overruns to class C, they're all here.  The ones they have in Ho Chi Minh seem more "authentic" though.

Happy faces

Happier faces

The view from my sister's apartment.  Is it just me or is it really smoggier in Manila?

We stayed at The Art Hotel in Hanoi's historic Old Quarters.  Amazing customer service.  This is far from 5-star (maybe not even close to 3) but the service here is very genuine and warm.  No other hotel comes close.  We were so surprised because on our last day, they even gave us a parting gift - a framed photo of us with the front desk person.  So simple but we were so touched.  

Make sure to buy North Face or Columbia jackets when in Hanoi.  Just make sure not to pay more than 900,000 VND (about P1,800)

Our suki.  Out of all the vendors near the lake, we chose to buy our loot from her because she was very friendly and not pushy.  Well, maybe a little pushy, but funny and not annoying at all.  Make sure to buy Crumpler camera bags from her. 

Students in traditional Vietnamese garb. (I know, I know.  Never chop off limbs and there's too much space overhead.) ;-)

The infamous Hanoi Hilton.  Hoa Lo Prison was where the Vietnamese used to house, interrogate and torture captured US servicemen.  Today, a portion of the prison serves as a museum where even the flight suit and parachute of one its more famous former prisoners - Senator John McCain is displayed.

Nina loves Vietnamese food.  For me, it's my least favorite.  They may look good but don't let that fool you.  We ate at the popular Green Tangerine and sadly, the only thing I liked was the ice cream. 

Banh Mi.  Introduced by the French, this is Vietnam's famous sandwich.  Often eaten with cold cuts and veggies, these sandwiches are available in street corner stalls and even in the most upscale restaurants.  Give me my pan de sal anytime!

The Vietnamese eat a lot of things.  We visited their famous one-dish restaurant - Cha Ca La Vong and found their "specialty" a bit greasy (not to mention expensive).  Yup, they only serve ONE dish - fried fish in turmeric with herbs.  In our of our tours, we heard that the true and authentic recipe for this dish calls for dog fat. Huh?!?!!!!.  We were assured though that the ones being served at CCLV are "westernized" and DO NOT have dog fat at all.   

Looks good, tastes eeeeeck.

Can't miss eating at Bobby Chinn's.  Our TV is almost always tuned to TLC and we are big fans.  Nina mentioned that his taste in food is very similar to ours (which is  good thing).  A bit pricey but definitely worth the visit.