Postcard from Hanoi (The Warrior and the Artist)

Photos:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsknWADpp

I have always admired the Vietnamese people, so this trip is very special for me. Tell me which nation can boast that it defeated the Japanese imperial army during the Second World War, humiliated the powerful French colonial masters to become the first country in South East Asia to gain independence, humbled the mighty Americans and gave China a bloody nose when its giant neighbour invaded its territory in 1979. That is three of the Big Five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Oh yes, they also crossed over to Cambodia in 1977 and ended the reign of terror of that mass murderer Pol Pot. And they achieved this particular feat all within 2 weeks.

This trip was a spur of the moment decision when we visited the Matta Fair last month. We saw this package of 5 days and 4 nights going for RM2,100 each. It covers Hanoi, Halong Bay and the ancient capital of Ninh Binh.

We only realised later that we would spend nearly 2 days on the road.

The journey by bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay in the east is about 150 km and would take us about 3 and a half hours. And it took us more than two hours to get from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, about 100km to the south. The journey back took us twice the time as the road was jammed with weekend travelers.

Our visit got off to a great start, for me anyway. We were told we did not have to fill any disembarkation forms as we were from Asean. I hate filling up those silly cards. There was a special Asean queue but when it became very long, an officer directed us to go to any counter, even those reserved for their nationals. Such efficient service. If you are rushed for time like us, there are three things you must do in Hanoi -- visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, see the famous water puppet show and drop in on a lacquerware centre. It is unfortunate that the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was closed during this time of the year for regular maintenance.

Two soldiers stood guard at the entrance but there was no fanciful Changing of the Guard like in the Chiang Kai Shek memorial in Taipei.

However we did get to a glimpse of this revered leader's simple lifestyle when we did a quick tour of his office, his home and the Presidential Palace.

Ho Chi Minh only received foreign dignitaries at the Presidential Palace, so it is closed to the public even now. What a shame. I would love to have a glimpse of the decadent taste of the French colonial rulers.

This used to be the home of the French Governor General of Indo-China, so you can imagine how posh the interior would be.

It looks majestic from the outside but it is now painted the Buddhist orange colour instead of the original white. President Ho preferred to work in the modest House No 54 and stayed in a spartan stilt house. I can understand why he enjoyed this place. This place is so serene with its tall trees and a big fish pond between his house and office.

I was more excited when we went off our planned itinerary and made a brief stop at the B-52 Victory Museum. This museum was built on one of the many sites where the American B-52 bombers were shot down during their countless sorties into Hanoi during the Vietnam War. On display were the charred carcass of this fearsome war machine and the weapons which shot them down -- the anti-aircraft guns and the Surface-to-Air missiles (SAMs).

This Super Flying Fortress rained death from the sky and "carpet bombed" vast areas in Hanoi and surrounding areas.

Some of the destruction such as those from the poisonous Agent Orange brought misery and suffering to the Vietnamese for many generations long after the war was over.

Growing up during the 1970s, I still recall the lyrics of a Joan Baez protest song, "And the Vietnamese people uttered the only three English words they know -- Johnson, Nixon and Kissinger."

Remember former US President Richard Nixon's pledge to bomb North Vietnam back into the Stone Age? Look what happened to him, and to his country's war effort. Enough of the history lesson. Now where can I find pho, the popular Vietnamese hawker food? Well, you can find this food everywhere. Take your pick - chicken or beef pho? We were in the Old Quarter to watch the famous Thang Long Water Puppet show and as we were still early, we stopped at a small shop nearby to sample its pho.

It cost us 40,000 Dong (about RM8). I could not tell whether the original pho was better than those I tasted in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Sydney. Maybe we should have tried a roadside stall version. It will definitely be cheaper. Who knows, it may even taste better. The puppet show is unique and it must be on your list of things to do in Hanoi. The show has developed as an art form over centuries and the format perhaps owes its origin to the flooded padi fields of Red River Delta. The whole stage is a water tank and the puppets are controlled by the artistes using long sticks at the side of the stage. The puppet masters themselves are in waist-deep water while the musicians are on a raised platform.

The performance, comprising 14 items selected from a repertoire of over 400 ancient puppetry pieces, lasts about an hour. Tickets are priced at 60,000 Dong (RM12) and 100,000 Dong (RM20). It is money well spent. I enjoyed the music and was thoroughly impressed by the skills of the puppet masters After the show, we explored the Old Quarter and tried their equally famous Vietnamese coffee at a roadside stall. It was more like we sat on these little stools at the roadside and ordered coffee from a nearby shop. It cost us 20,000 Dong (about RM4) each. While we were there, we were inundated by all sorts of food vendors, and traders selling a range of handicraft. The Vietnamese eat everything including dogs, cats and scorpions. We were told that snakes are popular with men who reach the age of 45. I am sure you know why. With all the food around, you don't see fat Vietnamese men or women. "We are very hardworking,'' said Ha, our tour guide.

The Old Quarter is so vibrant and full of energy.

It reminds me so much about Bangkok in the 1970s. Anything and everything goes. It may look chaotic but you soon grow to understand how things work and appreciate that

way of life.

However, you have to watch out for motorcycles as you make your way through this busy part of the city. Or any part of the city for that matter.

Hanoi has a population of 6 million and I was told there are at least 3 million motorcycles in the city. And these motorcycles come at you from all directions.

It is quite common to see three people on a motorcycle and four on a machine is not rare. And many of them don't wear crash helmets even though it is compulsory by law.

If you are brave enough, you can always hire a motorcycle to tour the city. Or you can hop on one. I was told they charge half the price of a taxi. Their version of our "taxi sapu."

They don't have haze here but you see motorcyclists wearing face masks to protect themselves from the dust and pollution. The reusable face masks are rather colourful and come in all designs and sizes, even for children. We bought these face masks for ourselves as we know the haze is still bad in Malaysia. Locals also take the bus. They pay only US$10 a month for a season pass, and if you are a student or a senior citizen, you pay only half.

The visit to a lacquerware centre was an eye opener for me. The one we visited, Thu Huong Hanoi Lacquerware, is run by a village committee. And all workers come from there. The Vietnamese have given new meaning to the phrase "It takes a village."

Looking at one of the workers preparing a lacquerware, I cannot imagine this guy or his father was a fighter who fought and defeated enemies far bigger and stronger than him.

The process involved in making a lacquerware is so intricate and time consuming.

That is another quality of the Vietnamese, their ability to adapt.

The country is still run by the Communists but everything else is capitalist and free enterprise.

Our guide was asked how he felt working with his former enemies, especially the Americans and the Chinese.

"We have to look forward," he replied. "The Soviet and North Korean system does not work. We let the Chinese try it first and we follow their example once we know it works."

Vietnam has a population of 90 million and their economy may still lack behind its Asean partners Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia but give them time. With their fighting spirit, they may soon overtake all these nations.

They have also this popular Vietnamese phrase, không văn để as their guiding philosophy to help them along. It means "no problem."