A Letter From Vietnam

A letter from Vietnam by Jackie Halliday 
26 Feb 2010

What an amazing city is Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City! We arrived just after Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year so the city was still adorned with decorations. The predominant colour was yellow, pot plants of yellow chrysanthemums, marigolds and yellow apricot trees all in blossom in shop fronts, homes and hotel lobbies. Pink and yellow lanterns in all the trees added to the festive air. The French colonial influence is still evident in buildings such as the Opera House, City Hall and the Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as the tamarind tree-lined avenues. Today these same avenues are clogged with thousands of motorbikes.

Saigon is a city of 8 million people, 6 million of whom have motorbikes! The ratio of motorbikes to cars is about 200 to 1. There seems to be one road rule – look out for your self! Although they do stop for red lights, pedestrian crossings are largely ignored, which makes crossing the roads interesting. The best strategy is to walk slowly and steadily and what ever you do, do not go backwards, and the cars and bikes will all weave around you. Motorbikes are used a s a main means of transport for goods as well as people. We have seen families of four with very young children on a bike, a man carry about a dozen trays of eggs on the back. Bikes can be hired like a taxi and you can just jump on and be taken to where you want to go. We even saw a man who was the third pillion passenger reading a book as he driven along!

Vietnamese food is delicious. My three favourites are Pho Bo, beef noodle soup, fresh spring rolls with pork and shrimps and Goi Ga, chicken salad. In New Zealand this is usually made with shredded cabbage but it really needs green papaya as the base.

Early in the morning women can be seen setting up small street restaurants complete with stove, ingredients, crockery and cutlery, as well as tables and chairs. These are usually of the plastic variety and the size of which we would see in a kindergarten. Most of this equipment arrived on the back of a motorbike. These mini eateries provide workers with breakfast, lunch and dinner and the same women can be seen late at night scrupulously cleaning up or preparing vegetables for the next day.

Because it is so hot, about 35 degrees C, we have become addicted to Vietnamese coffee, usually iced. To have it white a dollop of condensed milk is added. Fresh milk is scarce so flat whites are not an option. The trouble is we are drinking them like milk shakes!

We have just arrived in Hoi An and are staying with friends in the old historic part of the town.

Letter from Hoi An - a magical town
02 March 2010

Although Hoi An is an ancient trading town with narrow, unpaved streets it is now beset by the ubiqitous motorbike. As in Saigon they are used as the main means of transport and for carrying goods. Taxis are the only cars and they are few and far between. Bicycles are more common here which lends a village atmosphere. However all must compete for the same space which leads to some close calls.

We are staying in a private house in the old quarter, on Phan Boi Chau which backs on to the on the Thu Bon river, giving a welcome cooling breeze in the evening. Judith and Thong are our hosts. The old quarter has UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status making modern adaptions particularly difficult. Any renovation has to be passed by the Cultural Committee and has to conform to strict guidelines. Judith and Thong have done superb job of renovating and adding to, an old house and shop.


The Lunar New Year, and the first night with a full moon, saw great celebrations long into the evening on our first night here. Crowded streets, coloured lanterns in trees, on bridges, across streets; music on street corners, dragons and tigers afloat on the river, families dressed in their finery all added to the festive air.


A highlight of our stay has been a session at the Morning Glory Cooking School www.hoianhospitality.com.. It began with a visit to the local market. Here we saw all the essential ingredients fresh from the producers. We made all my favourites mentioned in the previous letter plus Banh Xeo, Vietnamese Crispy Pancakes with Dipping Sauce. Because there are no dairy products in Vietnam, the batter is made with soaked and blended mung beans and rice, with a little coconut cream added. A shrimp and a piece of pork are fried first, the batter is added and a small pile of bean sprouts popped on top. When these are transparent the pancake is folded in half. The finished pancake is cut and rolled in lettuce leaves (Saigon) or rice paper (Hoi An). In all we made six dishes, scrumptious!

The local market is particularly busy with the fish section opening at 2am. Because we are on the river and just along from the market, we hear the fishing boats arrive. These are followed by produce boats, and, at 5am loudspeakers deliver the daily news, party political broadcasts and music throughout the the town. There are no radio stations and this is how citizens are warned of impending floods each year in September.

However, being up early has two bonuses: one you get to see the maginficent sunrise and two you can go for a walk in the cool of the early morning. The sun appears above the horizon as a vibrant red-orange disc. Interestingly, when we try to photograph it, it appears white with a thin ring of orange. The reflection in the river stays true to colour and we were lucky to capture some passing sampans (here they are called wise eye boats as there are two eyes painted on either side of the bow).

The coolest place we have found is lounging on a deck chair at the beach, Cua Dai, after a much-needed swim. It is only a $4 taxi ride away. Tomorrow we are heading for Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. We were looking forward to cooler weather as we travel north but are advised that the temperatures are just as hot in Hanoi and Halong Bay!

Hue: the old Imperial capital
08 March 2010

Impressions of Hue; pagodas, palaces, more French colonial architecture and the heat-38 degrees! Hue is also known as the city of scholars with five universities.

We came by car. A three hour drive from Hoi An over the Hai (high) Van pass. Very dramatic , a bit like the Rimutakas used to be. Unfortunately it was rather hazy so we couldn’t fully appreciate the view.

Hue is on the Perfume River, so called because its headwaters flow through wild ginger giving it a distinctive fragrance. It is a beautiful, wide river flowing through lush tropical vegetation with peanuts cultivated on the edge closer to the city.

After visiting the Thien Mu Pagoda we returned to the city by Dragon boat. This was a relaxing alternative to travelling by road. These boats have upturned prows with sheet metal shaped like a dragon’s head fixed to each side. The whole side of the boat is a painted dragon with a dramatic flourish of the tail at the stern. These also come in a multi hull version, on which families live at the rear, with the main deck being able to accommodate more passengers. We watched as a young mother rocked her baby to sleep in a round basket hanging from the roof. The dragon boats are brightly lit at night and provide a spectacular panorama on the river.

The citadel, home of the Imperial City, was a surprise here, reminding me of a mediaeval walled city, complete with moat. Designed by the French and built by the Vietnamese in the early nineteenth century, it housed the Nguyen Dynasty Kings when the capital was moved south from Hanoi until the last King abdicated in 1945. Unfortunately a lot of it was destroyed in the infamous Tet offensive in 1968. It is now being gradually rebuilt with funding as a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is a special entrance, in the form of a tunnel, built into the wall for the king’s elephants. The exit to the main square is smaller which forced the elephants to their knees! Nobody, including animals, could be higher than the king when he addressed the masses from his balcony!

We also visited the mausoleums of the fourth emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, Tu Duc and the second to last emperor Khai Dinh. Tu Duc’s tomb, although his body isn’t actually there, was built in a beautiful garden complex whereas to get to Khai Dinh’s we had to climb up an exhausting 127 steps to get to the sanctuary. It was well worth it as it the building is still in its original state. Architecturally it is a mix of European baroque and ornamental Vietnamese, with a Chinese touch. Colourful mosaics are made from what looks like broken crockery and beer bottles. The setting, in a wooded hillside on the outskirts of Hue was a peaceful contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city.

The best part of our stay here was the hotel swimming pool where we collapsed at the end of the day to cool off.

Hanoi: an international city
Just Left 15 March, 2010

We all loved Hanoi. It is so buzzy with a a real international feel. The people are so positive despite some of them having little reason to be so - in our terms. We've been staying in the Old Quarter which is very central. We love walking around the crowded streets even though it's a challenge avoiding motorbikes, both on the road and parked on the footpath. At meal times the pavements are turned into street restaurants with whole sections full of people eating breakfast, lunch or dinner. Shoe cleaners follow you trying to clean your sandals, and the shops are full of every product imaginable. Whole streets are devoted to certain trades dating back to the 5th century when the area was divided among 36 artisans guilds. So there is the shoe street, the bag street, the toy street etc. Ian has picked up an unusual Vietnamese musical instrument, a Dan Bau, to add to his collection. (photo above left -"A visit to the Maison Centrale, nicknamed by American POWs as the 'Hanoi Hilton', was a gruesome reminder of the not so positive aspects of French rule in Indochina.")

The weather turned cooler, a cold wind from the North, so we were grateful for our warmer clothes. We were surprised that Hanoi has even more of a French influence in the architecture and wide avenues. The French declared Hanoi to be the capital of Indochina in the 19th century, a merging of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Another legacy of the French is the bread. Made with rice flour, the baguettes are particularly delicious and crusty. In the mornings sellers are on every street corner and even along the motorway.

Close to the Old Quarter is the Hoan Kiem Lake, surrounded by a park which acts like Central Park in New York, as the main recreational and exercise area. Walkers and joggers abound and at certain times there are Tai Chi and aerobic sessions.

Hanoi is a meeting place of various philosophies and religions, Confucianism, Buddhism, Roman Catholicism, ancestral worship, socialism and capitalism all combine to create this incredible city. The Temple of Literature is not only Vietnam's main Confucian temple, but also its historical centre of learning.

(Photo to the left -A special house, replicating his simple village abode, was built for Ho Chi Minh in the city. It is in complete contrast to the grand edifice in which his body now lies")  There is reverence everywhere for the founder of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. His Mausoleum, an imposing grey structure is a must see. It's quite moving to line up with the locals and file reverently past his embalmed, slight, brightly lit body. The Mausoleum is closed every October and November while he is flown to Russia to be 'fixed up'. The Ho Chi Minh Museum is a surreal example of how a modern museum can use symbolism to tell a local story while relating it to international events and ideas. The use of the development of international art as a vehicle for political ideas was evident throughout the exhibits. While the museum focuses on 'Uncle Ho's' life from poor villager to the man who was pivotal in the reunification of the country, it doesn't tell you much about the man himself. Well worth a visit nevertheless.

In contrast, the Museum of Ethnology, although only ten years old and an equally dramatic building architecturally, is obviously the poor relation in terms of funding and care. The exhibits tell story of Vietnam's many ethnic groups but in a way that would do a 1950s museum proud. Although interesting if you read every label, they are static and rather staid. There is a large outdoor exhibit area with examples of various ethnic buildings. At the time of our visit it was enlivened by the presentation of a water puppets show. The puppeteers stand in thigh deep water and control the puppets via strings and levers underwater. It was fascinating to see how ingenious the various characters can be in telling their story, from doing flips on ladders to lighting Catherine wheels.

The speciality dish of Hanoi is Bun Cha. Seasoned pork pieces are grilled over coals and served in a light tamarind-based soup/sauce. It is served with a large bowl of rice noodles topped with fresh herbs. Not sure whether to add the noodles to the soup or the soup to the noodles I opted for the latter, only to find out that it should have been the other way round. Oops! This was served at a fantastic not-for-profit restaurant called KOTO, Know One Teach One, www.koto.com.au where street kids and disadvantaged youth are taught vocational skills in the hospitality industry.

We left Hanoi with some regret. Although we had stayed for 4 nights there seemed to be so much that we hadn’t done and places we hadn’t been

Ha Long Bay: a dramatic seascape

I was really looking forward to our two-day trip from Hanoi to Halong Bay staying overnight on a junk. Like everyone I had seen the photos of the beautiful emerald seas with myriads of dramatic limestone islands jutting out of the sea. I had my togs all ready for swim but it was not to be. The weather turned quite cold with a northerly blowing down from China. Fortunately we were warned that his could happen so we packed our woollies as well. While it was quite windy the sea remained calm, much to the relief of some of us!

Our junk, QN 3826, was very comfortable, with all cabins having ensuite facilities. You could choose a seafood or non seafood menu and we certainly didn’t suffer from hunger! The local speciality is crab. The staff were very pleasant and helpful.

As you can see from the photos there was quite a haze and, with the overcast sky, the emerald sea was hard to find. Nevertheless it was well worth it. Sailing amongst the islands, passing through narrow channels between vertical rocky outcrops, and generally watching the boat life, was fascinating. Whole floating fishing villages were nestled in sheltered coves. We watched while two toddlers played confidently together on a floating platform, not a fence or adult in sight.


The first stop was a visit to the Hang Sung Sot cave, also known as the Surprise Cave, as every chamber entered was larger than the previous one. Incredible formations were lit with coloured lights.




After this, our fitness levels were tested by a climb to the top, over 400 steps, of Titop Island. Our stamina was rewarded with magnificent views of the surrounding islands, coves and boats. A swim would have been welcome if the weather was warmer. Titop is named after a Russian astronaut, Titov, who spent some time there in the 60s. There is a plaque commemorating this.


On the second day we were rowed through a tunnel to Monkey Island where we were fortunate to see lots of monkey families. They were drawn to the foreshore because of a lack of food in the forest. They fought over, and ate, mandarins just like children.




The Mekong Delta: a myriad of waterways

I omitted to write earlier about the Mekong Delta so here goes. From Saigon we did a day trip to the Mekong Delta. A new motorway has been built which considerable lessens the distance to travel. It was fantastic and I would thoroughly recommend it. Perhaps next time I would stay down there overnight. On this trip we were introduced to the term Happy House, a euphemism for toilets!

The drive itself through the countryside with all the paddy fields is so interesting. They extend as far as the eye can see. Some fields were being harvested as we passed by. The delta has three harvests a year while in the north there are only two. Every part of the rice plant is used. The husks are used for fuel in places as diverse as brick kilns and as a source of heat for woks popping rice (rice bubbles – remember those?) The rice was combined with river sand to increase the heat and was easily separated after the event. The popped rice is mixed with brown sugar, ginger and coconut milk to make into delicious ‘meusli’ bars. We watched the tricky process of making rice paper wrappers and saw them laid out to dry on bamboo racks above the water hyacinths.

After boarding a boat at Cai Be, our guide took us first to see the floating market and then we crossed the wide expanse of the Mekong River to An Binh and Binh Hoa Phuoc Islands. Throughout the delta are water hyacinth plants floating by and on the edge are large farms. We meandered along waterways through tropical jungles, well it seemed like that, to visit brick kilns, where women did most of the heavy work; we listened to traditional music and inspected market gardens and even had a sampan ride.

A lunch of elephant ear fish was a new experience. It was served whole, standing up on the plate held in place with prongs, looking at you. Hmm. The waitress demonstrated, using her rubber gloved hand, how to pull off wads of flesh to put in our rice paper wrapper! Nervously we followed suit. It was delicious. Here we met a group of cyclists, a number of whom were from Scandinavia. We couldn’t think of anything worse than cycling in 35 degree heat but they were thoroughly enjoying it. Perhaps the age difference of 30 years might have had something to do with it!

Wherever we stopped on this trip we were greeted with a plate of tropical fruit such as pineapple, lady finger bananas and watermelon, as well as a glass of jasmine tea. We were introduced to a new fruit called rambutans, with a red prickly skin similar to lychee in size and taste.
We arrived back in Saigon exhausted but entranced by a very special place.