Vietnam: Day 5, Hanoi, Sights & Sounds!
Saying
Adieu to Ha long, a place ‘where the dragon descends’ is quite difficult to
spell out here. The place infused me with exceptional amount of positive energy
with its beautiful and peaceful vistas. It is not that I haven’t seen beautiful
places before but most of them are often marred by some man-made disturbance or
the memory of it, except perhaps most of Switzerland. Vietnam was also in the
throes of such a tortured past, but the entire community chose to move ahead
and build a peaceful home for their present. However, I believe it is
unquestionably imperative to remember the past, as those who don’t, are
condemned to repeat it.
The
Vietnamese have also paid tribute to each of their fallen martyrs, as they were
re-building their home. One such memorial is Hoa Lo Prison (Maison Centrale).
The unnerving stillness of various life-like prison re-constructions can evoke
a gamut of emotions subject to our views. The Vietnamese called the place Hoa
Lo (Hell’s Hole) and the American POWs sarcastically referred to it as Hanoi
Hilton. Although, the Americans would question the depiction of humane
treatment of American POWs, I don’t think they have any right to question it.
It was a gruesome place of torture and a stark reminder of the past as well as
a warning to all those who rally for war and retribution at the slightest
provocation! Recalling the memories of the place brings to my mind this beautifully
stark poem penned by Ocean Vuong, a Vietnamese-American poet.
Kissing
in Vietnamese By Ocean Vuong[i]
My grandmother
kisses
as if bombs are
bursting in the backyard,where mint and jasmine lace their perfumes
through the kitchen window,
as if somewhere, a body is falling apart
and flames are making their way back
through the intricacies of a young boy’s thigh,
as if to walk out the door, your torso
would dance from exit wounds.
When my grandmother kisses, there would be
no flashy smooching, no western music
of pursed lips, she kisses as if to breathe
you inside her, nose pressed to cheek
so that your scent is relearned
and your sweat pearls into drops of gold
inside her lungs, as if while she holds you
death also, is clutching your wrist.
My grandmother kisses as if history
never ended, as if somewhere
a body is still
falling apart.
I have a habit of
going off on a tangent catching a ride on every wisp of thought that strays
across my mind. I think my mind oscillates betwixt dancing in a trance and struck
Argus-eyed like a deer!
Anyhow, next on our
walking tour was the Vietnamese Women’s Museum[ii]
a modern museum showcasing the ‘his’tory, culture, fashion style of Vietnamese
women. It was interesting and quite informative with lot of videos and photo
essays. We continued ahead straight into the heart of French Quarter of Hanoi, to the Hanoi Opera House. It transports you instantly to the
old continent because of its French-inspired architecture. I have so far
watched only one opera show till date and I remember it quite vividly, although
not just for the performance! It was Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District[iii]
at the Geneva Opera House; thought-provoking, mesmerizing, and a complete
sensory delight! I was a studying back then and went there along with hundred
odd fellow students with sponsored tickets. In the middle of a particularly
poignant scene, there was a slip and a nip and one of us brilliant scholars
couldn’t contain their inner imp and let out a tiny giggle! For a moment there
was complete and utter silence as the stupefaction permeated our rows. And then
it happened! Our herd of distinguished monkeys couldn’t contain it anymore and
we all let out scattered squeals of amusement with the speed of toppling
dominoes until, one of the elderly ladies sitting ahead admonished us with a
stern shush! O Horror, horror, horror[iv]
of it!
 |
| @ Hanoi Opera House 2020 |
 |
| @ Geneva Opera House 2007 |
Coming
back to Vietnam, we moved on to Trang Tien Plaza overlooking the Hoan Kiem
lake from the French side. The Plaza is a high-end shopping mall complete with
all major luxury fashion brands. We just availed the washrooms and scampered! Then
we headed around the lake to the iconic red-painted bridge over the lake (Cau
The Huc / The Huc Bridge) and then across to Den Ngoc Son temple (Temple
of the Jade Mountain). We didn’t go inside this temple as there was an entry
fee. However, the place around the lake is quite tranquil and scenic and we rested
on one of the benches nearby.
 |
| Inside the Plaza |
After that, we zig-zagged across streets to the Ceramic
Mosaic Mural Road[v],
one of the longest of its kind. We covered only a short distance as the road
adjacent was quite busy and noisy and we didn’t want to crash into anything
while admiring the scenes along. The scenes are quite fascinating and varied
from modern art to children’s painting and depictions of Vietnamese culture and
history. The work culminates at the pier of Long Bien Bridge, another
historic construction in Hanoi, but overly congested with traffic around the
area[vi].
We walked across to Dong Xuan Market and adjoining streets and then made
our way back to the Hoan Kiem lake area after dinner for a pleasant night time
stroll.
 |
| Temples along the way |
 |
| Temples on the way |
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| Preparations for a concert near the Lake area |
 |
| Across the Jade Temple |
To be
continued…
P.S.
I suggest entirely skipping the walk to Ceramic Mosaic Mural, Long Bien Bridge,
Dong Xuan Market! Traffic is unsettling! Check out Sapa instead! We had
originally planned the walk this way, but we finished very early and hence had
lot of time on our hands. I suggest, you can take an overnight limousine bus
ride to check out Sapa and come back to Hanoi same day.
[v] We
had originally planned the walk this way but we finished very early and hence
had lot of time on our hands. I suggest, you can take an overnight limousine bus
ride to check out Sapa and come back to Hanoi same day.
[vi] I
suggest entirely skipping the walk to Ceramic Mosaic Mural, Long Bien Bridge, Dong
Xuan Market! Traffic is unsettling! Check out Sapa instead!
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