NOVEMBER 13 - NOVEMBER 22 : MONTREAL-SINGAPORE-THAILAND-LAOS-VIETNAM

November 13: Departure early morning from Montreal to Singapore via Detroit and Tokyo by Northwest airlines. Special fare (1040 can$ return including taxes). Simple but good service. Quite old planes. Very good timing for connections.

November 14: Arrival at midnight to Singapore. Stay in airport until November 15, 11 AM. Nice airport. Free internet .

November 15: Departure at 11 AM from Singapore for Bangkok, Thailand by air Asia (http://www.airasia.com/). Very good airline. Singapore-Bangkok: 65 can$. Arrival at the new Suvarnabhumi airport Very big airport. From outside snake or dragon shape. Sometimes take long time to get the luggages.

Suvarnabhumi airport. Bangkok, Thailand (picture not taken by me)

By airport bus (5 canadian dollars) to downtown Bangkok (Silom). Very heavy traffic.

MRT

Connected with subway (MRT) to Hua Lamphong, central railway station.

Hua Lamphong, central railway station Bangkok

I Bought a ticket to Nong Khai (North east of Thailand) by the 20:45 train. Afternoon: relaxing in Bangkok, walking around, eating my favorite dish: pork legs, bought SIM mobile telephone card, re-connecting with some friends.

With rice and garlic....yummy pork legs

Night of November 15: 13 hours in sleeping train (15 can$) from Bangkok to Nong Khai.

Thai train. Bangkok-Nong khai

Thai sleeping train. Bangkok-Nong khai

November 16: Arrival to Nong Khai, breakfast in front of the train station. At least my 8th breakfast there. The waiter remembered that I don’t like mayonnaise in my omelette sandwich.

Nong Khai railway station and the typical Thai Tuk tuk.

By tuk tuk (75 cents) to the Thai border and bus (30 cents) crossing the friendship bridge to Laos. Visa on arrival. Surprise: The cost of the visa for Canadian is 42 US$ for one month stay instead of 30 for 14 days. For Chinese: 20, for American 35 and Indian 40 !!. Canadian are the richest hehe. After paying another entrance fee of 30 cents I am in Laos. By Tuk Tuk to Vientiane 24 km for 7.5 can$

Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, built in the 1990s,


Car disinfection prior arrival to Laos

November 16-22: Vientiane. Since it’s my 8th visit to Laos, spent relaxed week in Vientiane. Staying in the same hotel close to Mekong river (20 can$/night).

Vientiane is relatively small city but with nice places, small bistrots, restaurants…very nice quiet people. While making my visa to Vietnam (50 us$ 3 working days) walking around, visiting friends, enjoying sunsets on the Mekong, eating papaya salad, rib pork, Chicken BBQ, sticky rice and off course with Beer Lao . Very popular also in Laos are the very hot herbal saunas (steam bath, for one Canadian dollar). Lao disco with Thai and Lao music and disco rythms are also very lively.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vientiane
Vientiane (Viangchan) is the capital city of Laos, situated in the Mekong Valley. The estimated population of the city is 200,000 while the number of people living in the Vientiane metropolitan area (the entire Vientiane Prefecture and parts of Vientiane Province) is believed to be over 730,000. Vientiane is located at 17°58' North, 102°36' East
The great Laotian epic, the Phra Lak Phra Lam, claims that Prince Thattaradtha founded the city when he left the legendary Lao kingdom of Muong Inthapatha Maha Nakhone because he was denied the throne in favor of his younger brother. Thattaradtha originally founded a city called Maha Thani Si Phan Phao on the western banks of the Mekong River; this city was told to have later become today's Udon Thani, Thailand. One day, a seven-headed Naga told Thattaradtha to start a new city on the eastern bank of the river opposite Maha Thani Si Phan Phao. The prince called this city Chanthabuly Si Sattanakhanahud; which was told to be the predecessor of modern Vientiane.
Contrary to the Phra Lak Phra Lam, most historians believe Vientiane was an early Khmer settlement centered around a Hindu temple, which the Pha That Luang would later replace. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the time when the Lao and Thai people are believed to have entered Southeast Asia from Southern China, the few remaining Khmers in the area were either killed, removed, or assimilated into the Lao civilization, which would soon overtake the area.
In 1354, when Fa Ngum founded the kingdom of Lan Xang (One thousand elephant), Vientiane became an important administrative city, even though it was not made the capital. King Setthathirath officially established it as the capital of Lan Xang in 1560. When Lan Xang fell apart in 1707, it became an independent kingdom. In 1779, it was conquered by the Siamese general Phraya Chakri and made a vassal of Siam.
When King Anouvong raised an unsuccessful rebellion, it was obliterated by Siamese armies in 1827. It eventually passed to French rule in 1893. It became the capital of the French protectorate of Laos in 1899.
The name of the city is derived from Pāli, the literary language of Theravada Buddhism, and its original meaning was "The king's grove of sandalwood", this tree being prized for its fragrance in classical India. It is also believed that the original name of Vientiane (Viangchan) means "City of the Moon" in the native Lao language. Modern Lao pronunciation and orthography do not clearly reflect the Pali etymology. The romanized spelling "Vientiane" is of French origin, and reflects the difficulty the French had in pronouncing the hard "ch" syllable of the Lao word; a common English-based spelling is "Viangchan", or occasionally "Wiangchan".
Therafter some scenes of Vientiane.

Lan Xang avenue.

The national memorial, Patuxay to celebrate the independence struggle built in the 1960

Lan Xang avenue and presidential palace

Cultural hall



Nice old houses

Fountain place but without water......


Bars and restaurants

Orchid hotel facing the Mekong river where I use to stay

Old stupa in Vientiane



Pha That Luang (Paa T-had Lu-uang) (Great Stupa in Laos) is a Buddhist temple in Vientiane, Laos. It was built in the 16th century on the ruins of an earlier 13th century Khmer temple, which the Lao believe was in turn built on a 3rd century Indian temple built by Buddhist missionaries from the Mauryan Empire who were sent by the Emperor Ashoka. Relics of The Buddha are said to be contained here. Pha That Luang was destroyed by the Thai invasion in the 19th century, then later restored to its original design. The architecture of the temple includes many references to Lao culture and identity, and so has become a symbol of Lao nationalism






Temples in Vientiane

Buddha Park 25 km from Vientiane near Friendship bridge

In a cultural village, close to the friendship bridge. Reconstitution of the different cultures in Laos.

In a zoo, quite far from Vientiane.


Herbal temple saunas

Chatting with Monks

Morning market

Inside morning market

need a ride?



Sunset near the Mekong river

Evening near Mekong river: Dinner is ready

French Baguette very popular in Laos

Street restaurants

Beer Lao is a must.....

Some late night dessert?

Breakfast time....

The following section is not related to the present trip and complement informations on different other Laos regions

In Vang Vien.
Located between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, Vang Vien village is a peaceful stop that makes a traveller discovering another face of Laos. In spite of a borning tourism and all the substructures that go with it, the place still keeps a great charm and remains quite authentic. This charming village is situated at the heart of a flat valley, circled by abrupt mountains raising from nowhere. The surroundings quickly takes a visitor into an incredible natural dream. Passing the fields covering a flat plain and sinuous tracks in a deep jungle, an adventurous traveller will have the occasion to visit one of the numerous caves that make all the great reputation of the place. The substructures to explorate those caves are more than basic and the discovery is closer to archeology rather than an easy experience.

Sunset activities in Vang Vien

After Vang Vien. On the way to Luang Prabang

.

Local people in villages.

Royal palace complex in Luang Prabang

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luang_Prabang
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang, is a city located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River about 425 km north of Vientiane, and the capital of Louangphrabang Province. The current population of the city is about 22,000.
The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is also notable as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Contents Muang Sua was the old name of Luang Prabang following its conquest in 698 A.D. by a Tai prince, Khun Lo, who seized his opportunity when Nan-chao was engaged elsewhere. Khun Lo had been awarded the town by his father, Khun Borom, who is associated with the Lao legend of the creation of the world, which the Lao share with the Shan and other peoples of the region. Khun Lo established a dynasty whose fifteen rulers reigned over an independent Muang Sua for the better part of a century.
In the second half of the 8th century, Nan-chao intervened frequently in the affairs of the principalities of the middle Mekong Valley, resulting in the occupation of Muang Sua in 709. Nan-chao princes or administrators replaced the aristocracy of Tai overlords. Dates of the occupation are not known, but it probably ended well before the northward expansion of the Khmer empire under Indravarman I (r. 877-89) and extended as far as the territories of Sipsong Panna on the upper Mekong.
In the meantime, the Khmers founded an outpost at Xay Fong near Vientiane, and Champa expanded again in southern Laos, maintaining its presence on the banks of the Mekong until 1070. Chanthaphanit, the local ruler of Xay Fong, moved north to Muang Sua and was accepted peacefully as ruler after the departure of the Nan-chao administrators. Chanthaphanit and his son had long reigns, during which the town became known by the Tai name Xieng Dong Xieng Thong. The dynasty eventually became involved in the squabbles of a number of principalities. Khun Chuang, a warlike ruler who may have been a Kammu (alternate spellings include Khamu and Khmu) tribesman, extended his territory as a result of the warring of these principalities and probably ruled from 1128 to 1169. Under Khun Chuang, a single family ruled over a far-flung territory and reinstituted the Siamese administrative system of the 7th century. At some point, Theravada Buddhism was subsumed by Mahayana Buddhism.
Xieng Dong Xieng Thong experienced a brief period of Khmer suzerainty under Jayavarman VII from 1185 to 1191. By 1180 the Sipsong Panna had regained their independence from the Khmers, however, and in 1238 an internal uprising in the Khmer outpost of Sukhothai expelled the Khmer overlords.
Xieng Dong Xieng Thong in 1353 became the capital of Lan Xang. The capital was moved in 1560 by King Setthathirath I to Vien Chang, which remains the capital today.
In 1707, Lan Xang fell apart and Luang Prabang became the capital of the independent Luang Prabang kingdom. When France annexed Laos, the French recognized Luang Prabang as the royal residence of Laos. Eventually, the ruler of Luang Prabang bacame synonymous with the figurehead of the French Protectorate of Laos. When Laos achieved independence, the king of Luang Prabang, Sisavang Vong, became the head of state for the Kingdom of Laos.

Nice french-style old houses in Luang Prabang

In Luang Prabang

Early morning in Luang Prabang.

On the Mekong river from Luang Prabang. You can go to Thailand (Chiang Khong ) on a slow boat. 2 days trip, 12 hours each day, night in half way in a small village on the Mekong. On the way very close to Luang Prabang you can stop at Pak Ou caves http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak_Ou_Caves
Near Pak Ou (mouth of the Ou river) the Tham Ting (lower cave) and the Tham Theung (upper cave) are not too far from Luang Prabang, Laos. They are a magnificent group of caves that are only accessible by boat, about two hours upstream from the center of Luang Prabang, and have recently became more well known and frequented by tourists. The caves are noted for their impressive Buddhist and Lao style sculptures carved into the cave walls, and hundreds of discarded Buddhist figures laid out over the floors and wall shelves. They were put there as their owners did not wish to destroy them, so a difficult journey is made to the caves to place their unwanted statue there.

Plain of jars in the North of Laos

The Plain of Jars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_of_Jars is a large group of historic cultural sites in Laos containing thousands of stone jars, which lie scattered throughout the Xieng Khouang plain in the Laotian Highlands at the northern end of the Annamese Cordillera, the principal mountain range of Indochina. In the context of the Vietnam War and the Secret War, the Plain of Jars typically refers to the entire Xieng Khouang plain rather than the cultural sites themselves.
Archaeologists believe that the jars were used 1,500–2,000 years ago, by an ancient Mon-Khmer race whose culture is now totally unknown. Most of the excavated material has been dated to around 500 BC–800 AD. Anthropologists and archeologists have theorized that the jars may have been used as funeral urns or perhaps storage for food.
Lao stories and legends claim that there was a race of giants who once inhabited the area. Local legend tells of an ancient king called Khun Cheung, who fought a long, victorious battle against his enemy. He supposedly created the jars to brew and store huge amounts of lao lao rice wine to celebrate his victory.
The first westerner to survey, study and catalogue the Plain of Jars was a French archaeologist, Madeleine Colani of the École française d'Extrême Orient in the 1930s. She excavated the area of jars with her team and found a nearby cave with human remains, including burned bones and ash. Her work is still the most comprehensive although there have been other excavations.
An American bomb damaged the cave during the Vietnam War, when the Pathet Lao used it as a stronghold — the surrounding area still has trench systems and bomb craters. The land is littered with metal shrapnel. The town of Xieng Khouang was utterly destroyed during the fighting between the Pathet Lao and American backed anti-communist troops. A new town was built in the mid 1970s, known to foreigners as Phonsavan.
There are total of more than 400 sites across the whole Plain of Jars that centers on the area of Xieng Khouang. They range from Khorat Plateau in Thailand in the south, through Laos and to North Cachar Hills in northern India. Archaeologists have found more similar burials in India. The jars appear to be laid in a linear path that was probably a trade route.
The jars are made of sedimentary rock, usually sandstone, but also granite, conglomerate or calcified coral. They are angular or round and some have disks that could be lids. They can weigh up to 14 short tons (13 metric tons) and range from 3 to 10 feet (1-3 meters) in height,
The jars lay in clusters. The largest one near the town of Phonsavan, known as Site 1, contains over 250 jars of varying sizes. The jars now lie amidst thousands of unexploded bombs left behind by the Secret War in Laos in the 1960s. The large quantity of UXOs (unexploded ordnances) in the area means that only Sites 1, 2 and 3 are open to visitors—the others are considered too dangerous.
The bones, beads, bronze and iron tools and other artifacts that Colani discovered led her to believe that the jars were funerary urns. They have all since been dispersed, many to France. Her archaeological accounts have been published in the form of two large volumes, The Megaliths of Upper Laos. They still remain the primary source of the area.
Although the jars are the best-known and most visible aspect of the plains, researchers there have also discovered and photographed stone carvings. These include very tall, thin slabs of stone. The method used to create the thin slabs of stone without fracturing them is unknown.
Madeleine Colani speculated that the plains of jars connected a caravan route from northern India, for which there is much evidence.
Colani also found a natural double chimneyed cave at the site of the largest jar field, with evidence of smoke accumulation by the chimneys, similar to a primitive kiln. She believed that it was a crematorium and speculated that the jars were used to deposit cremated human remains. Later excavations have found more human remains and also unburned bones.
Because the found bodies have been dated to various periods, it is possible that the place had been used as a burial ground also in later periods, using the contemporary customs.
This theory is the most popular, although there are various other theories.
Some refer to local tradition that states that the jars were molded, by using natural materials such as clay, sand, sugar, and animal products in a type of stone mix. This leads some to believe the cave Colani found was actually a kiln, and that the huge jars were molded there and are not of imported stone. Considering that many jars are made of substances like granite, archaeologists do not accept this idea.
Another explanation for the jar's use is for collecting monsoon rainwater for the caravan travellers along their journey in a time where rain may have been only seasonal and water not readily available on the easiest foot traveled path. Rainwater could then be boiled, even if stagnant, to become potable again, a practice long understood in Eastern Eurasia. The trade caravans that were camping around these jars and could have placed beads inside jars as an offering, to accompany prayers for rain or they might simply have been lost items.

The Plain of Jars remains one of the most dangerous archaeological sites in the world. Unexploded bombs, the results of massive US bombardment during the Secret War, still cause injuries every week. Visitors can safely visit only three sites, designated Jar Sites 1, 2 and 3, and they should follow signs still warning of unexploded bombs. Many ignore them.
Archaeologically speaking the area is mixed with original artifacts, artifacts of the intervening eras - Buddhist statues, colonial items - and large amounts of scrap metal from the bombs.
The Laotian caretakers of the Plain of Jars are currently applying for status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. UNESCO-Lao Plain of Jars Project surveys the area. Clearing of the UXO hazard will be necessary before many of the sites can be studied and turned into tourist attractions.
The Mines Advisory Group, a non-governmental organization, was hired to remove explosives in July 2004. As of July 2005, they have cleared most of the three aforementioned sites. They destroyed the week's cache of removed explosives every Friday. Their funding is at an end.
More recently, those from the Ministry of Information and Culture and from Australian universities, among others, have taken part in studies of the jars. One of them is a Belgian archaeologist, Julie Van Den Bergh, who as of September 2005 had worked there regularly for four years..

Heavy bombed area

Recuperation of american bombs by villagers.

Old Stupa in Xiangkhoang region.

Ancient city in Xiangkhoang.

Pakse,

The capital ofChampasak province is situated at the confluence of the Se river and the Mekong (Pakse means 'mouth of the Se') and is a busy trading town. Champasak (or Champasak, Lao ຈໍາປາສັກ)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champasak_Province is a province in the south-west Laos, at the boundary to Thailand and Cambodia. It is one of the three principalities that succeeded the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang. Population: 500,994 (2001 estimate). The river Mekong flows through the province. The capital of the province is Pakxe, but it takes its name from Champasak, the former capital of the Kingdom of Champasak.
The Khmer ruins of Wat Phu are located here.

Champasak can be reached from Thailand through the Chong Mek border crossing, at Vang Tao, from where the highway leads east towards the city of Pakxe. Crossing the border at Chong Mek is relatively straightforward, as there are large border posts on both sides of the border, as well as large outdoor markets. It is possible to obtain a Lao visa from this border post, and Thai baht is freely accepted for purchases on the Lao side of the border.

In Pakse

Sunset in Pakse

the Khong Pha Peng waterfall, “the Niagara of the East“, close to the Cambodian border

Wat Phou (Vat Phu)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phu
Ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the Mekong river in Champassak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it

remains today.

On one of the "4000 islands" on the Mekong river in Champassak province

View from the hotel.Sun rise on Mekong, 4000 island region, Champassak province

While waiting the bus in morning, Champassak province

NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 1: NORTH OF VIETNAM

November 22 Early evening. Departure to Hà Nội, by a co-shared flight Lao airline-air Vietnam. One hour flight, 129 US$

Air Lao/Vietnam Vientiane-Hà Nội, flight

November 22-28: Its my 4th visit to Hà Nội,. So not too much touristic visits needed. Visiting the city and friends. Staying in a small hotel (20 us$) in the old quarter area not far from Hoan Kiem lake. Walking around, eating street specialities, waiting my visa for China (4 working days, 30 and 45 us$ for one or double entrance), visit to the army museum and attending the water puppet show.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanoi
Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội, Hán Tự) estimated population 3,145,300 (2005), is the capital of Vietnam. From 1010 until 1802, it was the political center of an independent Vietnam with a few brief interruptions. It was eclipsed by Huế during the Nguyen Dynasty as the capital of Vietnam, but served as the capital of French Indochina from 1887 to 1945. From 1945 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam.
The city is located on the right bank of the Red River. Hanoi is located at 21°2' North, 105°51' East, 1760 km (1094 mi) north of Ho Chi Minh
The area around modern Hanoi has been inhabited since at least 3000 BC. One of the first known permanent settlements is the Co Loa citadel founded around 200 BC.
Through history, Hanoi was known by many names, all of its name are Chinese language origin. During Chinese domination of Vietnam, it was known as Tống Bình and later Long Đỗ. In 866, it was turned into a citadel and was named Đại La.
In 1010, Lý Thái Tổ, the first ruler of the Lý Dynasty, moved the capital of Đại Việt ( the Great Viet, then the name of Vietnam) to the site of the Đại La Citadel. Claiming to have seen a dragon ascending the Red River, he renamed it Thăng Long (昇龍, Ascending dragon) - a name still used poetically to this day. It remained the capital of Vietnam until 1397, when the capital was moved to Thanh Hóa, also known as Tây Đô (Western Capital). Thăng Long then became Đông Đô (Eastern Capital).
In 1408, Vietnam was invaded by Chinese troops from the Ming Dynasty and Đông Đô was renamed Đông Quan ( Eastern Gateway) by the Chinese. In 1428, Vietnam was liberated from Chinese rule by Lê Lợi, the founder of the Le Dynasty and Đông Quan was renamed Đông Kinh (Eastern Capital - the name known to Europeans as Tonkin; and evidently, the same characters used for Tokyo). During the Tây Sơn Dynasty, it was named Bắc Thành (Northern Citadel). In 1802, when the Nguyễn Dynasty was established and then moved the capital down to present-day Huế, it was renamed Thăng Long (means "flying dragon"). However, the second syllable of the toponym is actually a homonym of the word long, and so, actually suggests “to flourish” as opposed to “dragon”. Therefore, the name would then have appeared as 昇隆, roughly to ascend and flourish. In 1831 the Nguyen Dynasty renamed it Hà Nội (can be translated as Between Rivers or River Interior) . Hanoi was occupied by the French in 1873 and passed to them ten years later. It became the capital of French Indochina after 1887.
The city was occupied by the Japanese in 1940, and liberated in 1945, when it became the seat of Vietnam's government. From 1946 to 1954, it was the scene of heavy fighting between the French and Viet Minh forces. At that point, the city became the capital of an independent North Vietnam.
During the Vietnam War Hanoi's transportation facilities were disrupted by the bombing of bridges and railways, which were, however, promptly repaired. Following the end of the war, Hanoi became the capital of Vietnam when North and South Vietnam were reunited on July 2, 1976.
Hanoi experiences the typical climate of northern Vietnam, where summers are hot and humid, and winters are relatively cool and dry. The summer months from May to September receive the majority of rainfall in the year (1,682 mm rainfall/ year). The winter months from November to March are relatively dry, although spring then often brings light rains. The minimum winter temperature in Hanoi can dip as low as 6–7°C (43°F), while summer can get as hot as 38–40 (100-104°F). Central heating is not common in Hanoi, and wind chills may make one feel rather cold in winter
As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered to be the cultural center of Vietnam, where every dynasty has left behind their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike.
Hanoi hosts more cultural sites than any city in Vietnam, including over 600 pagodas and temples.[4] Historians liken the life-giving Red River - its banks crowded with green rice paddies and farms - to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a cradle of civilization. Even when the nation's capital moved to Hue under the Nguyen dynasty in 1802, the city of Hanoi continued to flourish, especially after the French took control in 1888 and modeled the city's architecture to their tastes, lending an important aesthetic to the city's rich stylistic heritage. The city boasts more than 1,000 years of history, and that of the past few hundred years is marvelously preserved
Under the French's rule, as an administrative center for the French colony of Indochina, Hanoi was built with French colonial architecture style, many of which are still reserved: the tree-lined boulevards (e.g Phan Dinh Phung street), The Grand Opera House, The State Bank of Vietnam (formely The Bank of Indochina), The Presidential Palace (formerly Place of The Governor-General of French Indochina), The cathédrale St-Joseph, Hanoi University (formely University of Indochina), historic

Hanoi is also home to a number of museums, including the Vietnamese National History Museum, the National Museum of Ethnology, the National Museum of Fine Arts and the Revolution Museum .
The Old Quarter, near the scenic Hoan Kiem lake, has the original street layout and architecture of the old Hanoi. At the beginning of 20th century, the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street then comprised of merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is in general famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also. A night market (near Đồng Xuân market) in the heart of the district opens for business every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs, and food.
West Lake (Hồ Tây) is a popular place for people to hang out. It is the largest lake in Hanoi, and there are many temples to visit in the area. There are small boats for hire, and a floating restaurant which has been operating for a couple of decades.
When you talk to Hanoians, they will concede that most people you meet in Hanoi these days are from somewhere else. If you define a native Hanoian as someone who has been here for three generations or more, that number is likely to be very small as compared to the overall population of the city. Even in the Old Quarter, where commerce started hundreds years ago and was mostly a family business, many of the street-front stores nowadays are owned by merchants and retailers from other provinces. The original owner family may have either rented out the store and moved to live further inside the house, or just moved out of the neighbourhood altogether. The pace of change has especially escalated after the abandonment of central-planing economic policies, and the loosening of the district-based household registrar system.
The considerate and genteel nature of Hanoians is occasionally quoted in idioms and literature, which may appear as annoyingly snobbish. In reality, they are a reflection of a past where Hanoi is the convergent point for much of the country's talents in arts and education. They are also a reflection of a system heavily entrenched in Confucian values where modesty and consideration of others were regarded with a higher priority than one's self. As the opening up of the economy has brought in other pressures on people's daily life, advocates for traditional social and family values are in many ways helping to counter an "everyone for himself" mentality.

There are two main highways linking the airport and city. The route to the city via Thang Long Bridge is more direct than Highway 1, which runs along the outskirts of the city. The main highways are shared by cars, motor scooters, with separate lanes by the side for bicycles. Taxis are plentiful and usually have trip meters, although it is also common to agree on the trip price before taking a taxi from airport to the city center. Tourists also sometimes tour the city on Cyclos especially in the Old Quarter.
Together with economic growth, Hanoi's appearance has also changed significantly, especially in recent years. Infrastructure is constantly being upgraded, with new roads and an improved public transportation system. The rate of telephone users was 30 per 100 people in 2003. New urban areas are growing rapidly, with 1.5 million square metres of housing constructed during 1996–2000 and 1.3 million square metres built in 2003 alone. Hà Nội,kept his old own charm mixing the Vietnamese and a certain western atmosphere. The bustling old quarter is still the best place to check the pulse of Hà Nội, but Parks, old renovated houses and mansions as well as tree-lined boulevards, lakes and parks are the other aspects of Hà Nội, charm and specificity.

Thereafter some pictures taken in Hà Nội


Old quarter, Hà Nội




Old quarter, Hà Nội

Flower market in the old quarter

Hoan Kiem lake and Thap Rua (Tortoise Tower)

Hoan Kiem lake, The Huc bridge

According to the legend, in the mid 15th century Heaven sent Emperor Ly Thai To (Le Loi) a magical sword which he used to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam. One day after the war he stumbled upon a giant golden tortoise swimming on the surface of the water the creature grabbed the sword and disappeared into the depths of the lake. Since that time, the lake has been known as Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the restored sword) because the tortoise restored the sword to its divine owners.

Around Hoan Kiem lake

Night time in Hà Nội

Night time in Hà Nội near Hoan kiem lake. Tháp Bút (pen tower) pagoda (left)

Hà Nội by night

Around Hoan Kiem lake

Evening in old quarter, Hà Nội

Temples , pagoda and prayers

The cathédrale St-Joseph in old quarter

Opera house

Old houses in Hà Nội

The Cot Co Flag Tower. One of the symbols of Hanoi. Built in 1812, Cot Co is a later addition to the Hanoi Citadel, which was built by Emperor Gia Long in 1805, with help from French engineers.

Bao Tang Quan Doi (Army Museum) in Hà Nội, close to the Cot Co Flag Tower.

Lenin statut near the war museum.

Roses and roses

Wedding party in the old quarter of Hà Nội?

Hair cut out door saloon in the old quarter of Hà Nội

Baskets and typical Vietnamese smile

5 AM in Hà Nội. Pho for breakfast


An evening in Lenin Park of Hà Nội

Around Hoan Kiem lake. Some food for you in this late evening?

Singers in Water puppet show, Hà Nội
Thang Long water puppetry: Traditional art form with distinctive culture identity of Vietnam. it came to existence, developed and diversified over a thousand years ago in the Red River Delta.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rối_nước Modern water puppetry is performed in a pool of water 4 meters square with the water surface being the stage. Performance today occurs on one of three venues--on traditional ponds in villages where a staging area has been set up, on portable tanks built for traveling performers, or in a specialized building where a pool stage has been constructed. Up to 8 puppeteers stand behind a split-bamboo screen, decorated to resemble a temple facade, and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The puppets are carved out of wood and often weigh up to 15 kg. A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides background music accompaniment. The instrumentation includes vocals, drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns, erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle), and bamboo flutes. The bamboo flute's clear, simple notes may accompany royalty while the drums and cymbals may loudly announce a fire-breathing dragon's entrance. Singers of Cheo (a form of opera) with origin in north Vietnam sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets. The musicians and the puppets interact during performance; the musicians may yell a word of warning to a puppet in danger or a word of encouragement to a puppet in need. The puppets enter from either side of the stage or emerge from the murky depths of the water. Spotlights and colorful flags adorn the stage and create a festive atmosphere.

Water puppet show, Hà Nội

NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 1: NORTH OF VIETNAM

On the 27, one day tour to Hoa Lu, 100 km south of Hà Nội(2 hours drive).
Hoa Lu was the capital city of Vietnam under the Dinh Dynasty between 968 and 980 AD. Till can discover partly of the old imperial city of Royal period which has been destroyed. Ancient sanctuaries and tombs can still be seen today. Apart from the historical importance, the area is naturally beautiful, referred to many as the “dry Halong Bay”, with limestone peaks and fertile green valleys. The tour includes being rowed along the Boi River, which makes for a truly unforgettable experience, passing between towering limestone peaks. Hoa Lu is at the southern edge of the Red River Delta in Truong Yen village and there is a Bic Dong cave which is a short boat trip.


Hoa lu temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le

Around Hoa lu

Around Hoa lu

On the river around Hoa lu

November 29: Departure on a group tour , staying overnight in Ha long bay. on the boat. 35 US$ including the bus and all accommodation+ food. Cruise between the islands and visit some cave. Sleeping on the boat in a very quiet place surrounded by islands.

Tourist boat in Ha long bay for overnight trip in Ha long bay.

Ha long bay

In Ha long bay

On the boat

Caves in Ha long bay

Floating villages in Ha long bay.

November 30:. Departure to Ha long city, lunch and leaving the group. and Taking alone hydrofoil boat toward Mong Cai. 12 US$. Not far from the arrival transfert to a very small boat because of the tide.

Hydrofoil boat from Ha long

After the hydrofoil, transfer on a small boat because of the low tide

Transfer again to a bus and arrival at 5 PM to Mong Cai.

Very small city. local people. no one foreigner (except me). No word of English so better use your Vietnamese language knowledge. Don’t ask to go to China but to Trung quoc and not to Bei hai but to Bac hai…. Overnight in a small hotel for 8 US$ and very good cheap sea food dinner.

December 1st: By 5 minutes taxi drive (0.75 $) arrived to the border of China. In fact China is across a canal. Its like you have one city divided by a canal. One part is Mong Cai (Vietnam) and one part is Dong Xing (China, Guang xi province).

Vietnamese/Chinese border

Very easy and fast crossing of the two borders. I am now for my not less than 20th visit of People’s Republic of China since June 1984.

Dong xing is completely different than Mong Cai. Small city but lively. Mixture of Chinese and Vietnamese people. You can see several dog restaurants and other specialities. A lady tuk tuk driver rook me after from immigration to a China bank to change money then to a bus station where I took a confortable 3 hour bus trip to Bei hai (north of the sea), Arrival at Bei hai at 4 PM

Dong xing, Guang Xi, China.