Six hours in Hanoi - and how to make the most of them!

Sometimes it happens. You find yourself in a cool, new place you're dying to explore - maybe it's a layover, maybe it's a business trip - and you find yourself with very little time. I found myself in exactly this situation in Hanoi, Vietnam. 40 hours - but of that I'd be working at least 18, sleeping for 16, and trying to adjust to an eleven hour time difference.  How best to take advantage of the few hours I had to explore?
First - it can't be said enough - location is key. If you can stay within walking distance, or an easy cab ride, of a number of attractions, you have crossed your first hurdle. Hanoi is divided into neighbourhoods, and a convenient one for both business traveler and tourist is the French Quarter.
Here you will find wide, shady boulevards, French colonial architecture and sidewalks. Really - sidewalks - it doesn't take 6 hours to discover how rare these are in Vietnam. With an urban population of more than three million people, and twice as many motorbikes, a sidewalk is a luxury you will come to appreciate.
The French Quarter is also where you will find the infamous Hoa Lo Prison or "Hanoi Hilton", and the well regarded Museum of Vietnamese Women. Both open at 8am, so you may be able to
squeeze in a visit first thing in the morning. You should be able to comfortably cover both in two hours.

An alternative in the morning is a walk to Hoan Kiem Lake, just north of the French District. Morning is a particularly good time to explore, before the city heats up and the humidity becomes oppresive. Due to the pleasant weather, morning is also the time to see the local population out exercising. Impromptu badminton games in local parkettes and a trove of seniors doing push ups, yoga and aerobics around the lake. Admire Turtle Tower in the distance; it honours the magical turtle who guards the sword for which the lake is named. Continue around the lake and visit Ngoc Son Temple. Open early as well, pay a small entrance fee, cross the bridge and explore the picturesque Buddhist temple located on a small island. A short cab ride away, and also open at 8am, is the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh. Confirm first that it is not closed for maintenance, and remember to dress respectfully.
If you have some time midday, you may want to hire a cyclo for a tour. Either pick an organized tour or negotiate your own ride. An hour should cost you no more than $5. Your driver will show you some sights and you

can enjoy being a part of the crazy traffic rather than spending all your energy dodging it! An alternative is a scooter tour. Again, you can choose an organized tour, which will often include a lunch stop, or you can negotiate your own rates. It is amazing how much safer it feels on a scooter than trying to navigate around them!
So much to choose from in the evening - this will be a hard decision if your time is limited. Perhaps a performance at the beautiful, historic Hanoi Opera House, or a water puppet show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. Productions at the Opera House vary - symphonies, opera and ballet are all performed here. Water puppet shows, a unique tradition, are performed at 2pm and 8pm daily. Tickets are in high demand, and it pays to sit up close, so plan accordingly. Perhaps, instead, it's time to get in a little shopping and dinner. But first, you must try bia hoi or fresh beer! Dirt cheap, light and crisp, low in alcohol - so it's easy to throw  a few back quickly - bia hoi can be found all through the Old Quarter, just north of the French Quarter, on the east side of Hoan Kiem Lake. Made daily, without preservatives, bia hoi must be consumed the same day. The after work crowds are thickest between 5 and 6pm, but come any later and you may run the risk of an empty

keg.
So many choices for dinner, but if you've never had pho in Hanoi...pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup, made with loads of green onions and beef or chicken in a spicy broth is a must have. Wander through the shops and stalls of the Old Quarter. Buy anything from bras to televisions to tourist tchotchkes. Enjoy live music, impromptu street theater and endless opportunities to people watch. In a country where youth compose half the population, the streets are a lively extension of the home.
Remember the sidewalks in the French Quarter? You won't find any in the Old Quarter- and what space there is, is used to park motorcycles. It's not the parked ones you need to look out for however; there is no place that bikes may not try to go, so be vigilant. Vietnamese drivers do not give pedestrians the right

of way. When you decide to cross a street try to do so beside other people; give motorbikes room to move around you. And remember - he who hesitates is lost - or run over. Drivers will anticipate where you are going to go, so don't stop suddenly or make any unexpected moves.
Lastly, you must try ca phe trung. All Vietnamese coffee is delicious, but there is nothing like ca phe trung, or egg coffee, anywhere else in the world. It's not easy to find Cafe Giang, a hole in the wall joint located in the Old Quarter, but the recipe, created by the present owner's father in 1946, is the stuff of legends. Join throngs of Vietnamese people who come to sit, chat and sip the sweet marshmallowy yumminess which is ca phe trung.

Short but sweet - but better than nothing! Hanoi will leave you wanting more. The people are friendly, the weather is warm (okay - hot and wet - bring a rain poncho), and the food is delicious. For more travel tips on visiting Hanoi, contact Tour Guide Jack at tourguidejack@gmail.com, or visit TourGuideJack.com Next stop - Ho Chi Minh City!

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Read more at: http://www.vietnam-guide.com/hanoi/water-puppet-theatre.htm?cid=ch:OTH:001

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre.

Read more at: http://www.vietnam-guide.com/hanoi/water-puppet-theatre.htm?cid=ch:OTH:001