Friday, July 31, 2009

JaMi & BB - Hanoi Trip 2009, Day 1

Day1, 26/07/09, My flight is at 6.30am, LCCT. Means I need to wake up at 2.30am to get ready. Once again, i couldn't sleep well, was too kan cheong. By 3.30am, we are on our way to LCCT. Reached there before 5.00am, gathered and checked-in everything. Had our pre-prepared egg sandwich before check-in ourselves. I made some egg sandwich the nite before.

Board our plane AK870 on time, but we wait on the plane for nearly 1hour, just becos they are few passenger checked-in luggage but did not show up at last. For security purposes, we need to wait the staff to remove those luggage from plane.

Well, as long as it's for safety, i dun mind. But i had a stomachache during the time, i can only sit there patiently, until we take off and the safety belt sign is off then only can go toilet... TMD!



After 3 1/2hours, we reached Hanoi airport. We were masked up all the way.



It take more than 1/2 hour to wait for the luggage to transfered out to belt... really slow~~~




Wat i feel abt Vietnam? hmmm.... they have french+chinese influence. Some of the words sounds chinese. For instance, Hai Quan, means custom. This is actually sounds the same with mandarin.



After taken our luggage, we head to our hotel.



This is our hotel transfer...it took abt 45mins from airport to hotel.




This is our hotel, Asia Palace Hotel.




Checked-in, got our key, and head straight up to freshen up.



ah dear & I got Room#206, facing the main road.



I was shocked when i see 2 queen size bed...




Plus LCD TV...



This is bath room... quite small but it's clean!




After freshen up, we gathered and head to cari makan 1st lorrrr...food hunting... Pho Bo (beef noodle) of cos! The traffice in Hanoi is so damn bloody noisy, the motorist keep honking, i am not being kua-cheong but it is true that i can hear honking every second.



This is selling Pho, but seems not really suitable la...squad on a five feet way to eat? NO NO!!! especially with few elderly travelling with us.



So, we manage to found a shop selling pho and it's quite pack with patron. I guess it must be OK la...so, we decided to have our lunch here.



This guy is preparing his dunno-wat-pork-soup-noodle.



This is beef noodle, Pho Bo, yummy yummy...



This is Pho Bo!



We ordered side dish too... lala...nothing special but it's fresh!




Then, a must have coffee... the taste is so "kao" and thick, aroma is so~~~ GOOD!




Look at Lee Wen enjoying her cup of coffee...




Then, we settle our stomach, we walk another 2min, we come to Hoan Kiem Lake. A must visit spot cliam by others.



This lake is crowded by locals. The bridge is link to a temple.




The main entrance, behind is the bridge.



Yup, u need to buy ticket before visiting the temple on the other end. It's cost us 10,000 Dong per pax. Equivalent to RM2.00.



Took a group photo before going to temple.




This is the temple, there is a story behind related to sword. Which i dun really interested to know more la... as history and me no faith!



Caught a couple pak-towing... is this wat they normally do?




Nope, we are not visiting the red-lighht district... it's a temple... trust me...



We been to Hoan Kiem Lake. But seriously, i felt nothing much interest me. I even felt it's a waste of time to visit here.



Some explaination on the Ngoc Son temple. After this place, next itenery is Ho Chi Minh museum, mausoleum, and one pillar pagoda. But we have no idea how to go to the place. We tried to ask around but it seems no one could understand us, young or elderly, they speak very little english.
I even stop a taxi to ask abt the place but failed... at last, i found a SUV taxi parking on the roadside, i walk to the driver and tried all i can, sign language, action packed la... at last he knew where i want to go. We settle at 50k Dong =RM10 for one car, 8pax...
I think we got a good bargain. But then when we reach the place, and saw the meter shows, 34k Dong... &%^*#%^*I#%... kena conned! Nvm, we learnt our lesson.


Here, Ho Chi Minh Museum, ticket is 15k Dong per pax.



This is the famous Ho Chi Minh la! Wat is inside the museum? all the stuff related to this hero, history for Vietnam...etc.




Another group photo infront of museum.



This is the mausoleum, but too bad it is closed, after visiting hour. We could not see uncle Ho's face.




Then, we walk to nearby Ho Chi Minh Stilt house. Picture above is a palace for him but he refuse to stay, he rather to stay in a hut nearby. This palace only for him to meet up with VIPs. Another 15k Dong for the entry ticket.




This is his Stilt house... quite simple, down to earth type... Interior inside was rather simple.




We end our last itenery at one pillar pagoda, this place is FOC. The story behind this pagoda is... there is a king dream of God gave him a son, so, he build a pagoda to worship the god's blessing.



But, the sign board's story is totally different from wat i read online...hahahhaha



Again, we hired a taxi back to the hotel. This time we use meter. And only cost us 37k Dong.



Remember, hired a better taxi to be safe. We took a quick rest and headed out for dinner nearby. We ask our hotel personnel to recommend us some good & cheap loacl vietnamese food. After knowing the place, we go out to food hunt again.




Sometime, i wonder how the electrician fix their wired????!!?!?!



This is the place recommended by our hotel, #72 @ Ha May Road.




We simply ordered, pork rib, meat ball. Just to try out, mana-tau end up all say not enuff cos it's too delicious...hahahaha



Spring roll is a must lorrrr... this is seafood springroll, the taste is so so fresh! Very good stuff!



Take more vege when travelling, just to make sure more fibre taken into stomach for smoother process every morning! Kekekeke...



This is our main course, steamboat...it was good! trust me... I forgot to take picture for beer, called BIA HOI HANOI, it's only RM2 per glass of draft beer. It's so cheap...




After dinner, we went to Dong Xuan market which only open on Friday, saturday and sunday. Ladies found their basic instinct here.




They are bargaining, and i am pretty sure they will squeeze the boss kau-kau one! I couldn't stand the weather there, it's too humid, hot, with no wind blows... all of us sweat like mad... i couldn't stand standing waiting, FIL and I walk back to hotel to take a shower then take a rest. The sweating makes me no mood to shop or walk... Besides, i was too tired, not enuff sleep, i goto bed early. This is my 1st day in Hanoi... quite a boring one... looking forward next day's Halong Bay trip. Need to get up early, 8.00am starts our journey.

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