Two Days on a Round Tour Through Hanoi

From Hoi An, I then continued on the afternoon of March 6 with a flight to the north to Hanoi via Da Nang. The booked taxi to the airport was 30 minutes late, but no problem, as the flight also started with over an hour's delay. I have gotten used to occasional waiting, although the nerve-wracking potential in this regard only decreases slightly... So I arrived quite late at Hanoi airport. My taxi driver was already waiting with a name sign and brought me to the hotel in 35 minutes. I quickly declined the usual renegotiations regarding the fare and checked in. My hotel room looked nothing at all like the photos at booking, and it had nothing to do with my conception of 'Hotel and Spa,' but after some time, hot water worked, so I overlooked the inadequacies in the room and fell deeply into bed after a little round in my new neighborhood. It was quite noticeable that I had crossed the weather divide in Central Vietnam, as there was a comfortable temperature difference of about 15 to 20 degrees in Hanoi, which I find not so unpleasant for the few days in northern Vietnam... The next morning, I woke up unusually late, after 10:00 AM; after almost 10 hours of sleep; the empty batteries were therefore recharged. A bit more time went by before I set out for breakfast and a little wandering... I stayed quite centrally in the Old Town, so many attractions can still be reached on foot within a few kilometers. Thus, I strolled towards the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, as there was already some sight to see along the way. Everywhere along the narrow alleys and wider streets, there is hectic activity and constant honking. The horn has completely lost its warning signal effect for me here. Life takes place on the streets and sidewalks. On the sidewalks, there are mini-seating arrangements in front of the food stalls (everyone sits on mini-plastic chairs that are only used for children in Germany); all sorts of stuff is offered and sold, haircuts are given, and much more... but walking on the sidewalks is not possible without obstacles... I first made a slightly longer stop on Train Street and settled down for a drink, as the train should soon rush by. Here, you sit almost on the tracks at your table with just a few centimeters of distance. At some point, things get hectic; there is whistling and wild gesturing, some of the coffee tables are folded up, and then the train passes through. Shortly after, the tables are placed back on or near the tracks, and it continues leisurely with coffee or another drink... After that, I continued toward the government district with the numerous embassies, past the opulent party buildings of the comrades and various temples. After the security check, I saw the line in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and decided against getting in line (just like the next day). Instead, I took a longer look at the Mung Xuan an Lac Temple with its One Pillar Pagoda and strolled past the Ho Chi Minh Museum. I picked up a few things along the way, and slowly evening came, and a little hunger set in. So it was back to my hotel district in the Old Town. There I soon found a nice restaurant for dinner around the corner and a few meters further a place where there were 12 different local beers on tap. I had to try that - and later in the evening I came back again. In between, however, I first went to the rock night with live bands at 'Purple Blues.' The guys and gals on stage - and also the audience - were really into it. The man with the guitar also played some really good solos and then sat down at the bar during breaks to toast. I chatted briefly with him; he already saw himself as the real star of the evening... and he was probably right... It was well past midnight when I then shuffled back to the hotel... Accordingly, the next morning started with some sleeping in and a cozy breakfast until late morning before going on a tour. At first, I had my sights set on Hoan Kiem Lake. There is also the Huc Bridge, which leads to the Confucian Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple). From there, you also have a great view of the 'Turtle Tower' in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. In the early 15th century, during Chinese occupation, according to legend, a gigantic golden turtle living in the lake gave a poor fisherman a magical sword, which made him invincible. He used the magic sword to defeat the troops of the Ming Dynasty and became king in 1428. The turtles are greatly revered, and you can also see some smaller specimens on the lake... Afterward, I continued to the grounds of the Thang Long Citadel, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was the imperial court of several Vietnamese dynasties, among which Thang Long was the capital under various names between 1010 and 1802. On the vast grounds, there are many exhibitions and smaller museums; including the headquarters of the North Vietnamese general staff during the Vietnam War with its accompanying bunker system. There I spent a few hours. Then it went on to the Quan Thanh Temple. What struck me there was that the offerings in the temple mainly consisted of beer and whiskey. From there, I strolled further to the complex around the Tran Quoc Pagoda. The Tran Quoc Pagoda is considered the oldest temple in Vietnam, with a history dating back to the 6th century. Time was already advanced, and my step counter was almost in overdrive, so I retreated to my neighborhood for dinner and to wind down the evening, during which I once again followed the Dynamo game via VPN with a successful outcome (1:0 against Alemannia in Aachen)....