days 61 and 62 - A Merry Christmas from Hanoi

Wednesday, 25 December 2013

Merry Christmas to everyone reading this! We had a beautiful mild sunny day for Paul's Christmas on the 24th. We spent the morning exploring parts of the Old Quarter that we hadn't yet seen including a very colourful street selling every Christmas decoration imaginable. Christmas appears to be big business the world over. While out wandering, we walked past a hotel with a variety of scooters and motorbikes outside and noticed two bicycles parked in amongst them. We realised they were Tim and Tina's bikes, the friends we had made in Vieng Xai, Laos. A couple of hours later, sitting in a small restaurant on a street corner, Tim and Tina came into the same restaurant and we had a lovely time catching up on the past couple of weeks. We agreed to meet later that evening for drinks. 

(Colourful bird cages hang from a tree in the Old Quarter)

(Communism meets Capitalism - the star appearing on a coffee at a popular cafe)

(Colourful displays walking past)

(Hang Ma, or Christmas Street as we like to call it)

(Colourful Chinese lanterns)

(A pretty window display of dried fruits on Hang Buom, the street specialising in confectionaries)

(Strawberries available from this lady's bicycle)

(A Vietnamese Santa wandering the streets)

(A lunch time reunion with Tim and Tina)

That afternoon we strolled through more of the city before returning to the Old Quarter to meet Tina and Tim. The five of us went to a street renowned for offering draught beer, fresh off the keg, sold at really low prices to ensure it is all used up and ready to be replenished for the next night. We sat on little plastic tools around a low table, outside a hospital and were served cold beer in tankard glasses. The locals who run the operation seem to each have ownership over a small patch of pavement and as you approach, they all vie for your business trying to coerce you to one of their tables. We had a few drinks all together before Tina and Tim left to go to a concert. We then went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

(Enjoying the beer and the atmosphere in the Old Quarter)

After dinner, we were told that the locals were gathering down at the Lake to celebrate Christmas so we decided to head in that direction to see what was happening. It was an incredible sight to see so many people converging on the area. There were thousands of people and the hum of all the motorbike engines almost made the ground vibrate. There were people of all ages, street vendors selling all manner of food and drinks and people singing and dancing accompanied by acoustic guitars. We walked around the lake taking it all in, delighted to share the experience with the local people and to see this well known part of the city lit up so colourfully.

(The intersection at the north end of the Lake)

(Families with young children were among the crowds of people)

(Five on a motorbike scoot past)

(A man and woman perform a duet, accompanied by a guitar, while people danced around them)

We had a leisurely start on the morning of the 25th. At mid morning, we set out in the direction of St Joseph's Cathedral where Jim went to attend the Christmas mass. The congregation spilled out on to the grounds outside the Cathedral and as they sang the hymns, they could be heard in the surrounding streets. 

(A busy St Joseph's Cathedral)

We had a beautiful lunch at Green Mango and afterwards felt that fullness that is usually associated with Christmas indulgence. We made our Skype calls to family in the afternoon followed by a light (!) dinner with Tim and Tina. Tomorrow we will set off to Halong Bay for an overnight tour, returning to Hanoi on the evening of the 27th. Looking forward to seeing the famous Bay!

(Oh well, they got two out of three parts correct)

(We certainly didn't expect Turkey for Christmas in Hanoi)

(Merry Christmas!)