Category: Hanoi

Foodventures: Foodtrippin’ in Hanoi, Vietnam

My original impression of Vietnamese food consisted mainly of spring rolls and pho. Aside from udon, I’ve always had a lukewarm response to anything noodles or pancit, which explained my lack of interest in trying out pho. But when I was in Vietnam, and I got the chance to have a taste of authentic Vietnamese food, I had no hesitations whatsoever. And what do you know, I actually ended up appreciating Vietnamese food more than I expected.

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Exploring Hanoi, Vietnam (and why you should visit)

I used to feel strange hearing and reading about people in other parts of the world welcoming summertime around June every year, considering that is when the rainy season begins in my country. But the climate is messed up right now, so the heat (ignoring the fact that the downpours are becoming more frequent during the daytime) kinda makes me feel like it’s still summer out here. Certainly, it is as hot as the time we were out an about, exploring Hanoi, Vietnam.

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Hanoi, Vietnam: The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

It’s close to the midway point of the year, you guys. How’s 2017 been treating you so far? I just came off a couple of weeks of trips and seminars, and I honestly still feel sleep-deprived for some reason. I’m currently wading through thousands of photos from the activities over the past couple of weeks, and it’s actually overwhelming, considering how much backlog I still have from my previous adventures. I guess that means I should get on with them,albeit slowly, eh? So here’s another one. My visit to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi, Vietnam.

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Hanoi, Vietnam: The Temple of Literature

Growing up, I’ve always had a soft spot for literature. I was a sucker for stories and I lapped them up when I had the chance, reading whatever I can get my hands on. At that time, I loved it as much as I loathed Maths. (The fact that I ended up in a profession involving numbers is beside the point.) The library is the closest thing that we can have to a place-dedicated-to-literature. I swear, if my country had something that’s also called a “temple of literature”, you’d have probably found me there. Worshipping. Daily.

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Hanoi, Vietnam: The One-Pillar Pagoda & The Ho Chi Minh Museum

I’ve always seen museums as the best place for a crash course. Like, say, you don’t know much about a person, place, or incident, (and you don’t feel like going through tons of narrative or listening to a lecturer go on for hours about it), then GO TO A MUSEUM. I’d be honest, though, and say that museum visits are low on my list of things to do, especially when visiting a new place. But curiosity wins out in the end, and this one in particular was conveniently located, so I thought it made sense to check out Ho Chi Minh Museum.  Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: The One-Pillar Pagoda & The Ho Chi Minh Museum” →

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Hanoi, Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & The House-on-Stilts

OK. Things are getting way too summery, so let’s buckle down a bit. According to CNN’s 2012 ranking on the “Top 10 Ugliest Buildings in the World“, sixth on the list is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam. I wonder what they based the ranking on, since I was going through the list, and I wondered if I had to have some technical know-how on architecture and construction, because most of them looked pretty OK to me. That ranking did not seem to have an effect really, since it hardly made a dent on the high level of interest that the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum generated – and continues to generate – to this day.  Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & The House-on-Stilts” →

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Hanoi, Vietnam: Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple

Say “Baguio City” and “Burnham Park” isn’t likely to be mentioned far behind and, along with it, Burnham Lake. These two have become practically staples for anyone visiting Baguio City, especially for the first time. The same thing goes for the nearby town of La Trinidad; if you are in the area, you just have to check out the Strawberry Fields in Km. 6. Well, what about Hanoi? That staple would be Hoan Kiem Lake and, by default, the Ngoc Son Temple.  Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple” →

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Hanoi, Vietnam: The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

You don’t have to be an “artist” to be able to appreciate “art”, considering how there seems to be hundreds of art forms out there. So you can’t carry a tune? You have two left feet? That doesn’t mean you can’t tell a very good performance from a ho-hum one. That means you don’t have to be a puppeteer – or a puppet – to appreciate the art of puppeteering. Or making puppets carry out a theatrical performance.  Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre” →

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Hanoi, Vietnam: The Hoa Lo Prison (Maison Centrale)

A word of warning: if you’re visiting Vietnam to get a glimpse of its culture and history, let me tell you, IT IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. If you’re thinking of having a vacation that’s all peach-and-roses and sunshine-and-rainbows, then you’ve come to the wrong place. You see, behind the rustic beauty and understated elegance, there’s like an air of heaviness surrounding the place. You can try to stick only to the glitzy and bright areas, but there’s always that shadow following you. So to get rid of that elephant in the room, you should just face it head-on and stare it in the face. Like we did, when we checked out Maison Centrale, also known as the Hoa Lo Prison.

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Hanoi, Vietnam: The St. Joseph’s Cathedral

Finally getting around to continuing my Vietnam travel series, which was put on hold because of RL. Out here in my little corner of the world, it gets colder and colder. When the temperature drops to a chilly 7.4 degrees Celsius, I tend to forget that I am living in a tropical country. But between this chill and the scorching, burning and sweat-inducing heat of summer, you know what I’d pick, right?

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Cruising Halong Bay in Vietnam (Pt. 1): With Kayaks… and Monkeys

Sometimes, it is good to plunge into a new experience without any expectations. Or, even if you do, only with very little of it. That way, the surprises will be more than pleasant, you’d hardly note the disappointments (if there are some), and you’ll just be along for the ride. To be honest, Vietnam was nowhere on my “vague” list of places that I would like to visit, but as early as 2015, when my BFFs were making plans for us to go on a trip together to a place NONE of us have ever been to before, they said “Vietnam”. And I said, “Sure thing. Let’s do it.”

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