It
was more of a self-interested gut feeling when I decided for Hanoi as our next
holiday trip (my wife preferred basking in the sun somewhere on the beach, with
all that heat and sweat, which is not my cup of coffee, hence the word I). I’m
more of a winter culture enthusiast, which makes more sense because there is no
winter here in Malaysia. So it was a good sense to book our flight for Hanoi on
the 12th of January, somewhat in the middle of its winter term.
There were six of us, myself, my mom, my wife, Adam, Raiyyan and my youngest
brother. And before I continue I just need to say that don’t believe everything
your travel agent says. Our travel agent convincingly told us that the
temperature over there at that particular time was the same as Cameron
Highland’s. I hereby would like to declare that it was not. Not even close. Enough
with the prelude.
DAY 1
The
plane safely touched down at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport approximately
0800hrs local time. Nothing interesting happened on the flight except when the
air hostess made two specific announcements to remind the guests not to take
the life jackets along with them (err.. yes, sadly it happened quite frequently
to this particular commercial airline). The immigration and customs procedures
were surprisingly smooth despite their officers being outright rigid. Herry Hung, our guide met us at the airport
and quickly took us to the van as it was freezing. He was in his mid thirties,
neatly dressed and was trying at his very best to be polite (not that he’s not,
but I sensed that he wasn't sure of the friendship boundary that is tolerated between
a Vietnamese tour guide and Malaysian tourist affiliation). As we drove to our
first destination which was the renowned Mao’s Silk Farm, he briefly explained
the itinerary that was prepared for us and also some interesting facts about
Vietnam/Hanoi’s culture and history. Some of the well known facts are:-
1. Ha Noi means “City inside rivers”
2. Also sometimes is called ‘City of lakes’
3. The
houses in Hanoi are super narrow because property tax is based on the width of
the building
4. Ho Chi
Minh’s body is preserved and exhibited at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi
The
trip to the Silk Farm was brief because it wasn't something that peculiar to be
exact, at least not for me. I've seen silkworms, I've seen their cocoons, I
know what they eat (Mulberry leaves), their conservative weaving technique and
machines are more or less the same as anywhere else in the Asian region. Plus I
had to watch over the kids while the ladies did some quick shopping (the real
reason for visiting there I guess).
 |
| The weaving machine at close up |
 |
| The same machine from another angle |
 |
| The weather did not slow them down |
 |
| Just chilling outside the shop |
 |
| The locals right across the street, also chilling it down |
Next
we visited the Al Noor Mosque which is the one and only mosque in Hanoi city.
Herry mentioned that of nearly 300
devotees gathering for Jumaat prayer in the mosque of more than hundred years
old, only 55 are Vietnamese, the remaining are officials from the embassies of
Muslims countries in Hanoi, which explained why halal food are very much scarce
here. It was interesting to get a glimpse of how the Muslim community preserves
in the socialist republic nation.
 |
| Masjid Al Noor |
The rest of the day was made free for us to rest
and rejuvenate. We stayed at the Boss Hotel somewhere in the bustling streets
of Hoan Kiem District. The room was neat, the staffs were friendly and helpful
and there were no bad experience encountered during our stay there. I would
recommend this hotel but just bear in mind that their restaurant do not serve
halal food.
Later that night Lily, my mom and myself did get a chance to shop
for souvenirs at the nearby night market (opens weekends only) and experience
bargaining with the local traders. It was fun and contrary to popular belief, a
lot of Vietnamese there can understand and speak English, at least with
moderate comprehension.
We
had our lunch at The Red House Restaurant and dinner at The Cosiana Hotel which
I was told is owned by a Malaysian. Both provide halal foods. We were served
with Malaysian local dishes which according to my wife was exceptionally
delicious, even better than back home (the weather did contribute significant
influence to our appetite, I think).
 |
| Inside the Red House Restaurant |
 |
| Our First lunch |
Coming soon, Day 2. Until then. - Ariffin
