Hanoi: A Closer Look

We got a much more expansive look at Hanoi once our OAT tour began. Under the guidance of our tour leader, An, our group of fourteen set out in cyclos (3-wheeled bicycle rickshaws) for a short ride through the Old Quarter. The streets were relatively quiet because many businesses were still closed for the Tet celebration. 

We then traveled by bus to what must be the number one stop for any government-sanctioned tour group: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex. I’d already seen Uncle Ho’s image on countless occasions in the short time I’d been in Hanoi. It was on red flags, red T-shirts, posters, billboards, on the wall in the hotel lobby – a not so subtle reminder that despite its seemingly thriving capitalist sector, Vietnam is still a Communist country. 

The HCM Mausoleum complex was crowded with local visitors when we arrived. The Soviet-style mausoleum structure, the long row of red flags, and the marching soldiers in their crisp white uniforms attest to Ho’s status as a symbol of the government. On most days, people queue for hours to get a view of his embalmed body, which is returned annually to Russia for maintenance (a face lift, perhaps?) by experts. From what An told us, Ho himself never wanted such adulation. In fact, prior to his death, he left instructions for his cremation. Fortunately for me, the mausoleum was closed on the day of our visit so I didn’t have to deliver a personal greeting to Uncle Ho. 

  

Instead, we strolled the grounds of the complex, and saw the sprawling Presidential Palace, which the French governors of Vietnam occupied for several decades, and the modest traditional “stilt” house where Ho lived from 1958 until his death in 1969. 

Presidential Palace

Ho Chi Minh's stilt house 

Another interesting feature on the grounds of the complex was the One Pillar Pagoda. This small, elegant structure, dating back to the 11^thcentury, rises from a single pillar set in the center of a square lotus pond. It’s a popular pilgrimage site for the mostly Buddhist populace. 

Visitors to the One Pillar Pagoda

One afternoon during our stay in Hanoi, An introduced us to Vietnamese water puppetry, an art form that developed in the rice paddies of the Red River delta over 1000 years ago. In this traditional form of entertainment, the “stage” is a pool of murky water. The puppets have articulated joints and are attached to mechanisms made of string and long metal or bamboo rods. They are manipulated by a hidden puppet master who sits in waist-deep water behind a decorated screen. 

We visited the home workshop of a well-known water puppet maker, who is carrying on a family tradition that goes back for seven generations. He showed us around his cluttered workshop and explained the month-long process of creating a wooden water puppet. Each puppet, which lasts only 3-4 months, is beautifully decorated and unique. Today, water puppets are popular collector’s items in Vietnam.

After we admired the puppets, we saw a performance in the puppet maker’s home theater. The characters in the drama included dragons and water buffaloes as well as figures from Vietnamese folktales. 

At the conclusion of the show, the puppet master came out from behind the backdrop.

In addition to enjoying the show, it was interesting to see the puppet maker’s four-level house, which was typical of the cramped quarters occupied by many Hanoi families. Each floor was a single room. There was a very small kitchen area on the ground level, then the workshop on the next floor, the small theater on the third floor, and finally, a single bedroom for his family of four on the top level. 

And simply walking to and from the water puppet maker’s home was an eye-opening experience. An led us through narrow, twisting alleys where we got a first-hand look at the crowded conditions under which many of Hanoi’s 7.5 million people live. Because of the warm weather, doors that open directly onto the alleys are usually kept open, affording the families very little privacy. We saw people stretched out on low platforms, watching television. Others were sitting down to their evening meal just a few feet away from where we walked. I couldn’t help feeling that I was invading their personal space. 

No privacy in the alleys

I firmly believe that the best way to get to know a new city is to walk, walk and walk. Of course, that wasn’t always easy because of the traffic in Hanoi, but under An’s able direction, the members of our group were quickly learning how to cross the streets safely. He instructed us to stay tightly packed together (like “sticky rice”) and to walk at a slow and steady pace (don’t panic and stop in mid-stream!). Sure enough, his technique seemed to work. My confidence grew daily and I’m amazed that I didn’t witness any pedestrian accidents during our stay. 

Although the urban frenzy of Hanoi was fascinating, I was eager to get a look at the countryside. We made a short trip outside the city to visit the village of Bat Trang, which is known for its ceramic work. In fact, artists from Bat Trang created the nearly 4-mile long colorful mosaic mural that adorns the wall of the Red River dyke system in the heart of Hanoi. This immense public art project was created to celebrate Hanoi’s 1000-year anniversary. It is a sight to behold! 

Bat Trang’s tradition of porcelain and pottery making dates back to the 14^thcentury. We visited a ceramics studio, watched a master ceramic artist at work, and even took a turn at a potter’s wheel. No one created a masterpiece, but we had a lot of fun getting our hands covered with cool, wet clay on a hot day. After we washed up, we toured the market area where the local artists display their wares. Now that I’m back home, I’m reminded of Vietnam when I drink my morning coffee from the mug I purchased in Bat Trang. 

A master ceramic artist 

Making a ceramic mural starts on the floor. 

Finally, I can’t end this post about Hanoi without mentioning the wonderful food. The multi-course restaurant meals we enjoyed there were excellent, and served as a great introduction to Vietnamese cuisine. Aside from being delicious, every dish was presented beautifully. We had spring rolls as a starter course on several occasions. 

Looking back at the menus, I recall some of the memorable dishes: fish rolls with dill, stir-fried duck with basil and herbs, braised eggplant with tofu, mustard greens with snapper soup, grilled fish with galangal and fermented rice, and sticky rice with mango and coconut cream. 

One night, since we were all eager to try some authentic Vietnamese street food, An led us through swarms of people near Hoan Kiem Lake to a modest storefront on a side street where he ordered a bowl of bun ca, fish noodle soup, for each of us. Crouched on low plastic stools at a tiny table, hemmed in by parked motor scooters, we slurped our delicious soup and got a good sense of Hanoi’s bright and bustling nightlife. I should mention that the fish noodle soup cost about the equivalent of $2.50. 

 

Hanoi at night

On our own time, Barbara and I took a cooking class at Apron Up, a restaurant and cooking school in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Our instructor, a young woman named Nhi, assured us that we’d be able to prepare a full meal, including pho bo(beef noodle soup), fried spring rolls, papaya salad, grilled pork meatballs, and egg coffee. 

Our lesson began with a visit to a nearby market street to shop for ingredients. Nhi told us that city dwellers go to the market twice a day to buy their food, for one meal at a time. As we walked along the market street, we noticed a woman selling eggs of different colors and sizes. According to Nhi, these fertilized eggs are prized for the crunch and texture of bones and feathers inside the shell. The four people in our class unanimously declined to try this delicacy and concentrated on selecting a variety of fresh herbs (shiso, Vietnamese cilantro, coriander, lemon mint, lemon grass), vegetables, noodles, and meat that we needed for our recipes. 

Back in the kitchen, we worked diligently under Nhi’s direction and learned how to make a short-cut phobroth, how to roll rice paper and filling into neatly packaged spring rolls, and how to turn jicama and green papaya into thin shreds. The aromas in the kitchen, from bubbling broth, toasting spices, chopped garlic and lemon grass, were intoxicating. 

Toasting spices for the broth

The little tool for shredding papaya and jicama

Chilis, lemon grass, garlic, ginger, shallots

The freshest herbs and greens 

Noodles and mushrooms 

Frying the spring rolls

Egg coffee

With a little help from some of the school’s kitchen assistants, we were able to sit down to a delicious feast in a little over three hours. I honestly think it was the best Vietnamese meal I’ve ever eaten. The egg coffee, which tasted like a combination of a rich custard and dark coffee, made a perfect dessert. I came home with a recipe booklet and now we’ll have to see if I can recreate the flavors of Vietnam at home.

Our feast!