Day 2: Hanoi

Well, continue with the story. This morning on the second day, we take the flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. It reach Hanoi in time but it keeps flying around that city for about half hour. When we finally landed, the rain is very hard (that explain the delay of the landing) but my friends came on time to pick us up at the airport. We take lunch at Pho24, a restaurant that one of the chains is in Jakarta and I know how delicious the Pho is. I told them long time ago that I want to eat at Pho24 in the original country someday and out of sudden, I really come and eat there.

My friends, Tien and Binh, are friends that I met when I lived in Germany, 6 years ago (2002-2003). We went to the same scholarship programme (IT@Asia) that was sponsored by Germany government and organised by a non-profit organisation called CDG (Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft). I did not see Tien since then (that means 6 years long even though sometimes we meet virtually) while with Binh, I met him again when he came to Jakarta, Indonesia 3 years ago (2006). At that time, he attended an IT seminar in Jakarta and had a chance to stay at my house for couple of days and I became a good tourist guide for him.....according to my point of view, of course :)

After we check-in at Classic Street Hotel, we take a rest for a while and then jump out of the bed and go to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (HCMM) by a taxi with 7 seats (Mai Linh Taxi). I did not prepare myself with an umbrella which at the moment it is very needed. It's still raining and we can not make a good picture of the Mausoleum. There are several places nearby that we should visit too but it is not nice to spend time going around under the rain. This is only the second day and we still have a few days ahead. Becoming sick is not an option so we decide to go back to the hotel. Along the way to the hotel, we drop by at KFC to take away some rice and chicken as our dinner.

We go to see Thang Long Water Puppet Show. The location is very near to our hotel. We go there by walk. Along the way, there are plenty shops. It is very unique because one street is dedicated for one product type. For example: we walk along the street where all the shops selling shoes. No other products than the shoes. In another street, the shops are selling silver and so on. We buy some souvenirs at a shop which is adjacent to the Thang Long Theatre.

When we come in, there are so many tourists fulfilled the lobby. The previous show is not ended yet. We take the 9.15 pm show as Binh has reserved for us. It seems that no matter which show you choose, it is always fully booked.

The show takes around 45 minutes and it is pretty amazing. Eventhough it comes in Vietnamese, which we don't understand it at all, we enjoy the show. My children are very enthusiastic. They crane their neck to see what comes next. I have to give a warn, if you don't like culture and everything related to it, don't ever think to see this show. You will end-up sleeping and your snore perhaps will disturb somebody else next to you. It didn't happen to us because we love to see other people's culture. So, that night, we come back to the hotel feel amused and happy. At least, we had something to remember from this day, other than rain and feel tired.