After a few short hours sleep I was up and about again and I hit the streets about 6:30 to deliver Santa balloons to both the kids. One just next to my hotel room, the other at another hotel. It was great being out so early watching people having their morning pho before work, seated on their minature seats on the sidewalk. Just wonderful. Most everyone is having their morning Pho but every now and then I see a vendor preparing a baguette for someone. I would,really like to try one but very sceptical of the mushy pate looking stuff that goes in. No one seems to be able to tell me what the pate stuff is, so for the time being I will give it a miss. The bread is of the sweeter variety and that doesn't appeal either. Pho to start the day, definitely.
The traffic was a little gentler but still slightly manic with motorbikes coming towards me, darting quickly to the side, swerving, tooting all while I slowly cross the street. Despite driving whilst texting, talking or watching what is happening in the world they are also focussed on what is happening on the street. Our drivers could,learn a lot about driving skills and reactions from these guys.
A few quick calls home to say Merry Christmas and it was time for some sightseeing.
I caught a cab to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, a fabulous building to symbolise a huge white lotus, "built to satisfy the aspirations of the Vietnamese people to show their gratitude to the President" ( from the Museum brochure). The museum houses imformation about the President and about Vietnamese history and is extremely well done and worth a visit.
On the same area of land also sits the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where you can get a glimpse of his sarcophagus, which didn't interest me, particularly when I saw the queues waiting to go in. I did a wander of the surrounding area though and enjoyed the perfumed pagoda before I made my way home again.
Time for a wander with Amy and Matt before we met up with the Bainbridge clan and we all piled into cabs for a trip to Don's Bistro, our lunch venue on the edge of West Lake, a huge and gorgeous lake north west of where we were staying. Stunning views and a Canadian inspired Christmas lunch awaited. The lobster bisque was my favourite, although to me it tasted more like a squid reduction with bits of crab. The crunchy lacy garnish reminded me of sheep's stomach but once I got past that the bisque itself was very yum.
On our return we hopped out of the cab at the Dong Xian wholesale markets where we had a nosey. This is where the people with market stalls come to buy thier wares and like similar places in other places was a concentration of cheap nasty stuff at ridiculously low prices. At least this one there was room to manoeuvre and it was pretty clean, unlike its counterpart in HCMC. I think the nicest one was in Siem Reap.
Wandering on we watched the pavement goings on of this amazing city and eventually made it back to our hotels, unintentionally by the long route and taking in the sights as we went.
Time for a rest before I met up with Matt and Amy and we started a walk round Hoan Kiem Lake, this time without the crowds and euphoria of last night, but nevertheless a lovely stroll on a calm and balmy night.
We stopped on the way for a delicious Pho Bo that was well worth waiting for. Each mouthful filled my mouth with the heady taste of star anise, the freshness of the coriander and the mint, the sourness of the lime and all with a feint sweentess that just finished it off. The noodles (not too many) swum around the thin slices of what started off as raw beef in the hot broth that slowly changed the beef from its raw pink to its cooked state. Light, tasty, filling amd oh so very good.
We wander on completing our walk around the lake. The contrast between where we had spent the day in the Old Qaurter and where we were now on the fringe of the French Quarter was amazing, from the sublime to the ridiculous; the insanity had gone and was replaced by serene calm. The old and basic gone and replaced with chic elegance. I love it.
We watched groups of people doing aerobics, ballroom dancing and the cha cha, kids roller blading or skateboarding, little dogs running around; a gorgeous real life combination of sheer pleasure.
To finish the evening off we sat at Thuy Ta cafe, on the edge of lake Hoan Kiem, where I had originally met up with Elaine and Richard and enjoyed a coffee and ice cream The night was so still and we watched the reflections of the lights in the water. Magical, calming and a lovely way to end our Christmas Day in Hanoi. At one stage Matt spotted the surface of the lake breaking and we wondered if it was the huge turtle that is reported to reside there. We watched for a while but it didn't happen again.
Time for home and a read of my magazines before bed. I thought the espresso was going to keep me awake. I was wrong. My head hit the pillow and I do not remember anything else.
Merry Christmas from Hanoi, Vietnam...
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