Ha Noi

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You can read about the night train to Ha Noi in the Journal so we won't get into it here. Ha Noi is fabulous city and is well worth a decently long stay. We were here a total of 6 days and enjoyed our time immensely.

The Old Quarter and the French Quarter along with the museums and pagodas occupied most of our time. The shopping in this town is absolutely amazing - not a good thing for a recovering consumer. In the old quarter every street seems to carry a different product - there's the shoe area, the lacquer section, the sheetmetal places, the fabric district, etc. Buying or not, it's a great place to wander around.

Interestingly we got to meet the Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam, Cecile Latour, and got some great tips on where to travel in China, along with some observations about the area. Above and beyond the role she is there for we thought.

Sights

Uncle Ho's Mausoleum
Comments: A quick 20 second view of Uncle Ho's pickled corpse in a fab mausoleum.
Cost: Free
Worth it?: well worth it

Van Mieu
Comments: Called the Temple of Literature, this compound houses the original Vietnamese university and a shrines to Chu Van An (Vietnamese scholar) and Confucius. Great grounds and loads of history
Cost: VND 15K
Worth it?: yes

Vietnam Women Museum
Comments: Interesting displays that push the boundaries of what westerners feel is feminism. Not remarkable but interesting.
Cost: VND 10K
Worth it?: mostly

Quan Su Pagoda
Comments: Got to see a service of mostly ederly women at the Buddhist temple. Beautiful grounds and a little escape from the city.
Cost: Free
Worth it?: well worth it

Quan Thanh Temple
Comments: This is one of the oldest temples in Ha Noi and housed some excellent artifacts and writings. A beautiful location right on the SE corner of Ho Tay.
Cost: VND 2K
Worth it?: yes

Ba Da Temple
Comments: This Buddist temple houses a huge number of ancestral roles and is nestled at the centre of a circle of building on Nha Tho. Got to get in the back door by one of the attendants and look around.
Cost: Free
Worth it?: best one we saw in Ha Noi

Museum of Vietnamese Revolution
Comments: Interesting and loaded fulla holes, but obviously working well for the Ministry of Culture and Information.
Cost: VND 10K
Worth it?: worth a stop

Ngoc Son Temple
Comments: On a island on Hoan Kiem Lake this temple and grounds was a refuge from the hawkers without having to go very far. The view and quiet was well worth the entrance fee.
Cost: VND 2.5K
Worth it?: yew betcha

Meals

Shops

Long Phuong Art - 12 Nha Tho St.
Comments: A nice small shop that sells dishes made from bamboo, lacquer and metal. Very friendly proprietor that made it very clear they'll take orders for more via email...
Cost: cheap.

The Real Stamp Shop - 62 Hang Quat St.
Comments: Hand crafted stamps in wood and rubber, with available handles in carved stone. Bought a stamp for us and one for the Smiling Albinos.
Cost: VND 220K for a rubber stamp and ornate stone handle

Accomodation