A Postcard from Indochina - Hanoi

Hanoi, capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is one of the most beguiling cities in Asia. A lovely landscape of lakes, shaded boulevards and verdant parks is home to such beautiful and diverse architectural treasures as a 1500-year-old pagoda, colonial French homes and astounding modern skyscrapers. Its bustling markets, thriving nightlife and excellent food are attracting visitors of every stripe to this ancient city.

Birthplace to so much of Vietnam's traditional culture, Hanoi, more than any other city in Vietnam, is a unique fusion of old and new. It personifies the spirit of historic Vietnam in the temples, monuments and pockets of ancient culture in the Old Quarter, yet perfectly reflects the rapid changes sweeping the country as Hanoian yuppies sip cappuccinos in roadside cafes and compare cell phones

The cyclo (xich lo), or pedicab, is a sort of rickshaw with a view. Negotiate a fare beforehand, then sit back and relax as you witness the chaotic streets of Hanoi from your own mobile throne. Bicycles are another good way to navigate Vietnam's capital. You can rent anything from leaden Chinese road warriors to high-tech Japanese mountain bikes, perfect for navigating those potholes and farm animals. Hanoi is strictly BYOH: Bring Your Own Helmet.

Renting a car or motorbike is a popular option, despite the presence of water buffalo, chickens, maniacal truck drivers, bicycles laden with three or four struggling pigs, packs of hormone-crazed teenage boys in vehicles of every shape, size and color, all sharing the narrow, pockmarked roads and obeying traffic laws that have no parallel in the known universe.

Hanoi Cathedral was built on the site of the former Bao Thien Tower, which was famous in the ancient capital of Thang Long under the Ly dynasty (11th and 12th centuries). Hanoi Cathedral, also known as Saint Joseph's Cathedral, was inaugurated on Christmas Day 1886, two years after its construction. Its design is similar to the architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Many catholic rituals have been held there. A ritual ceremony dedicated to Jesus Christ is held in this cathedral every year on March 19.

Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum

Within an enormous concrete cubicle, surrounded by guards in snowy, bleached-white uniforms, lies the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh - despite his requested to be cremated after death. It's a free tour, and it's interesting to see how the visitors, from elderly VC comrades who have made the pilgrimage from South Vietnam, to student groups from foreign nations, react to the sight of old Uncle Ho.

Though the Vietnamese as a whole are disappointed with communism, most show deep respect and admiration for Ho himself. He is seen as the liberator of the Vietnamese people from colonialism; the country's subsequent economic mismanagement is often viewed as the misdoing of Ho's comrades and successors.

Nearby, Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House is where the commander lived between 1958 and 1969. It's built in the style of Vietnam's ethnic minorities, and set in a well tended garden. Everything has been kept just as Ho left it, including a white chair that was a gift from Fidel Castro and the small room where Ho slept.
A visit to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, also close to the Mausoleum, is the perfect way to round out your history lesson. Divided into two sections, 'past' and 'future,' the displays are rather difficult to understand without and English-speaking guide. The 1958 Edsel bursting through a wall (a US commercial failure to symbolise their military failure) is a knockout.

The Old Quarter

The 36 streets of Hanoi's Old Quarter, bustling for more than 1000 years, make up one of Vietnam's most lively and unusual places to visit. In the 13th century, Hanoi's artisan guilds established themselves here, each taking a different street. Today it's a shopping paradise, with specialized streets named for the products traditionally sold there.

On Hang Ma (literally, 'Counterfeit St'), pick up some ghost money, traditionally burned at Buddhist ceremonies for good luck. Other areas have had modern businesses take over, however - Hang Hanh (Onion St) is now better known as Coffee St for the bars and cafes lining the road.

You can pick up anything from silk sleeping bag liners to headstones to traditional medicines, but there are plenty of cultural sights that you won't need to spend a penny on. Bach Ma Temple (White Horse Temple), a lovely pagoda attended by white-bearded guards sipping tea, commemorates the appearance of a divine white horse that appeared to show Ly King where to build the city walls. You can still witness the emperor's success at the well-preserved 11th century Old East Gate.

Where to Eat in Hanoi

President Garden, 14 Tong Dan Street, Hanoi, Tel 825-3606

This establishment one of Hanoi s less publicized upscale restaurants, is rapidly becoming the most popular fine French dining venue. The food is excellent but does not come cheap. Soups are from US$4.00 including French onion soup, fish soup, cream of crab soup, and mussels are US$8.00. Hot goats cheese salad is US$12.00, tartare steak US$14.00, rack of lamb US$18.00, breast of duck in a creamy pepper sauce US$18.00, veal fillet in apple cider US$15.00, monkfish US$18.00, filet of sole with peppercorns US$17.00, In the pasta range, tagliatelle with a four cheese sauce for US$9.00, or with a basil cream sauce for US$8.00, or a smoked salmon sauce for US$10.00. The aperitifs are not cheap, a Kir US$5.00 and a Kir Royale US$7.00.

The President Garden has a pleasing air of hushed elegance.

Moca Café, 14-16 Nha Tho, Hanoi Tel 825-6334, fax 828-8991

The menu of this elegant café is in Vietnamese only. The fare reflects the owners previous involvement in restaurants serving Vietnamese, Indian and American cuisine. Hence, the menu features hamburgers, chicken tikka and aromatic Thai rice.

The café is on two levels the main part on the ground floor with a gallery restaurant, while upstairs is ideal for private parties.

Bar Maj Café, Hoan Kien Lake, Hanoi Tel 828-7043

On the corner of Huay Khay Road and Le Thai Road, is a simple yet pleasant coffee stall where you can enjoy delights ranging from Vietnamese expresso for VND 7,000 (60 cents) to Cappuccino for VND 18,000 (US$1.50)

Croissants, pain chocolat and brioche are also available.

There are also a cluster of open air tables, from where its possible to watch elderly Vietnamese doing their Tai Chi exercises.

Cha Ca La Vong, 14 Cha Ca Street, Hanoi Tel 825-3929

Cha Ca La Vong is a speciality Vietnamese fish restaurant and an terracotta burner. Bean sprouts and raw greens are also cooked in the pan to suit the diners taste. The dish was created by family Doan and has been cooked in the restaurant for over one hundred years spanning five generations. It is so appreciated that the street where the restaurant is located has been named after it Cha Ca Street. Don t turn up late as its very popular. Be there by 11.30am for lunch, 18.30 for dinner to ensure getting a table.

Hoa Sua, 81 Tho Nhuom Street, Hanoi, Tel 824-0448

This is the restaurant and bakery of Hoa Sua Training School, a non-profit organization established in April 1995 to provide career training for children living in difficult circumstances in Hanoi. In the main school, 160 students train and study, while the profits this delightful restaurant makes help to pay the living expenses of the students.

The restaurant is not immediately obvious and is located in a secluded courtyard. It s open both for lunch and dinner. Snacks range from Croque Monsieur at VND22,000, croissant filled with ham at VND20,000 and grilled goat s cheese on toast at VND 20,000.

On the Vietnamese menu, saut? sweet and sour fish is VND 35,000 or Duck with pineapple at VND 35,000. For dessert Poire Belle Helene VND 35,000, Glace Melba VND 25,000 or a delicious mousse au chocolat at VND 25,000. A bottle of Halida beer, brewed and canned in Hanoi under supervision of Carlsberg, costs just VND 10,000, less than US$1.00! Choosing to eat here is not necessarily to support a charitable cause, but because the food and service are good at a very affordable price.

Seasons, 95 Quan Than Street, Hanoi Tel 843-5444

This restaurant serves good Vietnamese food in a tasteful, relaxed setting of a renovated French villa. Soups range from crab and aparagus spears at VND20,000 to chicken, shrimp and vegetables at VND 25,000. Appetisers include crab and prawn imperial rolls at VND 35,000 and fried chicken wings in a light fish sauce. Seafood ranges from sweet and sour fish at VND 45,000 to prawns stewed in coconut milk at VND 80,000. Beef dishes, either curried or saut?ed with pineapple and onion, cost just VND 45,000. Chicken either steamed in oyster sauce or saut?ed with ginger and chilli is similarly price at VND 45,000as is diced pork with five spices powder. Duck in a ginger sauce is slightly cheaper at VND 40,000. For dessert, try coconut ice cream at VND 25,000. Not only is the food delicious but well presented with stylish vegetable carvings.