The Hanoi morn was brite and sunny but heavy, the moisture laden air perceptible ,as it’s first day of June , the trip to Indochina taking off with Archana, Doel and Arnav all vacating Mumbai after exams and the opportunity well grabbed …
The City ride , the Water puppet show, theVIETNAMESE coffee with local cookies was the right recipe for an unwind, on Day2morn.
This trip wud conclude our tryst with South East Asia since 2017...as the bucket list is all ticked off ....
The Na Boi international airport of Hanoi had serpentine Q s in the immigration desks but surprisingly fast disposal .... as we were picked up by Elegant Suites cab and thus began our Hanoi trip ...what was striking : was a clean city , took 30 mts to the fabled old quarters ....the Hoan Kiem Lake side , Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum , a plethora of Govt & Party offices dotted with cafes and Govt offices with The Red & Yellow starred flag of Vietnam ....
Vietnam I visited thru Kolkata dailies while meticlously following the War in the seventies ...I a primary school student ...the words Hanoi , Saigon , Ho Chi Minh, VietCong & VietMinh all so very familiar during that period ...generated immense interest since then ..
Now having had to step on this soil was an inevitable come tru ....So there were Goosebumps as our Taxi slid past the monuments , the people relaxing on the lawns and whoosh passing in Honda bikes on the street ..."Finally made it" was the feel!!!
Doel was equally excited as it tallied with her history discourses in her past Male'academics, as a child ,a huge fan of Lenin, now witnessing the edifices of Vietnamese Communism ...
strolling after a coffee brk just before the start of the Water puppet show , I entered Sinh Travels where an experienced Senior lady formulated our Day 3 plan to Ninh Binh & Day 4 plan to Halong bay as due to paucity of time in Male' couldn't quite plan it out earlier ...the package in Luxury Bus transfer was attractive and I lost no time in booking as time was short for a 12 day comprehensive itinerary North to South Vietnam along the Reunification Railway line route was jam packed : with cities , towns to be visited , hence lost no time as Hanoi was a 4 nite stay...having recovered after the Journey of Day 1 @ Elegant suites which provided ample space and great facilities ....Communication issues were sorted by Google translator & people were more than willing to help as we visited LP Bank for currency swap ...there was definitely an air of helpfulness towards the foreigner ...this fortified my feelings further towards S E asia for definitely the Countries which we visited Thailand , Indonesia , Malaysia , Cambodia , Far East Japan , China and now Vietnam as populous places but orderly ...Having risen like the Phoenix after the decimating war of the seventies Vietnam is fast up the ladder in terms of development ....The Mekong has shaped Indochina 4900Km , cascading from the Tibetan plateau and nourishing multiple countries of the region ....the paddy fields are endless , so are the Rice terraces in the region and a source of Economic development for many a country of the region ....Mekong Delta near Saigon the culmination of the labour of the Great River...not to spk of Mekong but countless rivers irrigating the catchment area ....River and her Civilization ...as Ninh Binh was visited : Tam Coc River , Limestone Karst topography , limestone caves , breathtaking escape into these in Sampan boat tour , amidst lushgreen paddies, & Hoa Lu complex of an ancient Capital of a dynasty & the establishment of the Viet Kingdom , all in Ninh Binh 10 th Century CE , the lotus laden ponds and a bicycle ride thru these villages hurtling you back to an era of yesteryears ..Ninhbinh from Hanoi is a gem in the itinerary and Sinh Travel lady had arranged the trip perfectly ....late evening arrival to Hanoi and early morn dep for Halong Bay area had to be consummated and truly Elegant Suites with its plush interiors gave us enough time to cool our heels and laze reminiscing what we had achieved so far ....!!
Halong Bay and Alina Cruise with breath taking Limestone formations on the sea slithered by as the day long cruise took us from point to point of interest , kayaking , swimming , on board sumptuous lunch , cave visits and TiTop island tour
What best cud it be to depart Hanoi by VNR :Vietnam national railways : reunification rail route to experience the Highlands & Coast all at one go, side by side such is the disposition of the Country , Highlands , paddy fields , coast ,all side by side as the train wud move on a MetreGauge & the train wud sway just like the MG trains of India of yesteryears ...
As Ninh Binh , Halong Bay were tough itineraries booked 4 berth AC compartment for a day long Journey to Hue : North Central Vietnam , the Imperial capital 700 km away ..
the late evening arrival again at Hue Rly stn quickly ushered out by Samset Manor Penthouse driver where we were lodged for two nites ...Hue appeared laid back , comparitively sparse fewer highrises as compared to Hanoi , an Imperial city of Grandeur ....in fact the last dynasty flourished here : Ngyuen Dynasty to be specific with their iconic structures and lay out of the Citadel , the Hue Imperial city , Thien Mu Pagoda , the perfume river royal tombs , Khai Dinh Tomb & Tu Duc Tomb Unesco Heritage scattered & dotted with history makes HUE a must visit ....the Tu Duc campus where Emperor used to use it as a getaway far from the Citadel area is one of quietitude and pure poetry...still in its pristine beauty of gardens , terraces , lakes , secluded , with the aroma of incense rife in the air an altogether ethereal place for the Emperor to retire ....The orient in full bloom so is the lotus & lotus ponds ubiquitous ...
The Citadel Of Hue represents the seat of the Last Vietnamese dynasty the Ngyuen ...a sprawling campus influenced by Paris with a Palace of Versaille look alike palace :the Governmental seat ...its one huge complex , reminding me of the Forbidden City Beijing which we had visited in 2018.....Bu ddhism and traces of Hinduism influenced the region and its people .....Citadel was tough itinerary as its huge but Doel the bird flew in its corridors & labyrinths with me in tow ....her enthusiasm is infectious , a bundle of energy & curiosity...!!.....Shiv Shakthi is an Indian restaurant here & our tired legs found a suitable refuge in the Lunch hrs ....
Samset Manor provided us a penthouse , the city glowed underneath , girdled by hills, Hue the Imperial city , as we braced for an interesting journey to Danang & Hoi An down further South thru the Hai van pass , picturesque rail route from Hue to Danang city our nxt destination ....replete with tunnels with glimpses of the sea , beaches , cliffs the MetreGauge Rail route is 3hr long pure delight as we swayed and sometimes inched our way uphill to Danang city.....dumping our luggages in Nomad stay a transit home we headed towards THE CITY which had great shoreline , beautiful hotels overlooking the beach , and off we proceeded to Hoi An the traditional laid back in time The Lantern City , the Coconut boat ride on the idyllic Thu bon River@ Bay Mau Coconut Forest (Cam Thanh Village)Hoi An's famous coconut boat (basket boat) tours in a Huge sprawling Mangrove labyrinth & is located in the estuary where the Thu Bon River intersects with the De Vong (Co Co) River and the Cua Dai River..The Boatmen wud perform antics with their Bamboo and palm leaves of a round boat much like the Boats in Tunghabhadra Hampi ...the coconuts are unique growing in the mangroves ...the ride to Hoi An post this enroute enriching experience & we are back in 19 th century setting of quaint colorful small residences , shops & Lanterns adorning them and their Town ... its a no entry for this particular street for vehicles as we stroll down its path , French Colonial structures & sweet Coconut water to savour amidst the unrelenting Tropical June Sun !!!....Ganesha was the perfect rest point for us as the restaurant provided us in Hoi An the perfect Desi meal we were looking for ....as we bade byes the nxt day the sea farers since childhood Arnav , Doel with me hurtled down again by the Night train sleeping comfortably for Nha Trang a sea side Coastal town of beauty ...Muong Thanh was our apartment 31 st floor overlooking the bay and a popular beach with activities of Kayaking , snorkelling ....but definitely the City limits highlights was the Cham dynasty Temple of Vietnams Hindu past King SatyaVarman & HariVarman , the Po Nagar temple is Bhagvathi depicted : Thien Y Thanh Mau in Vietnamese is the Goddess ....Mukhalingas ...Shivalingas adorning the well restored Temple of 8th Century AD !!!!...The French Colonial past well established in Nha Trang Cathedral !!.....The Yasoda Restaurant served hot Curries and we were pleasantly surprised...Hurtling down further south on the Reunification MG track our nxt destination was Saigon : Ho Chi Minh City ....The Mekong delta
It had to end up here as the War remnant Museum told us all of the sixties & Seventies ...rang familiar bell of childhood , an avid reader of Kolkata dailies , revisited ...!!!...Glad the fmly came here as history is indelible ....Wht a turnaround for the Nation now : The South East Asian Tiger..... a thriving lively city with the last minute shopping in Ben Thanh Mkt before our late Eve departure for Mumbai ....!!!
