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Friday, September 13, 2013

HANOI, VIETNAM, DAY-1

TRAVEL DATE - SEP 2012

          STAY  @ Hanoi Style Hotel ($26)35-37 Ma May Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

We arrived in morning from Hanoi for 3 days of stay including one day for halong bay tour.Our hotel was inside Old quarter. Old quarter is like labyrinth and it is very easy to get lost, We lost two times in three days. Traffic is chaotic and street is very busy with stalls  selling food, souvenirs, handicrafts and cloths. The best  way to explore old quarter is rickshaw. We had to do a hard bargain for rickshaw. He took us around the old quarter  on the way to  hoa lo prison.

Rickshaw in old town , hanoi
Rickshaw
Streets of old quarter hanoi
Streets of old quarter hanoi
Streets of old quarter hanoi
Streets of old quarter hanoi
Streets of old quarter

The Hỏa Lò Prison

It was a prison used by the French colonists and later by North Vietnam for  Prisoners of war. It has two floor, ground floor is having the prison cell, guillotine  and an open memorial. Mannequins are placed in many prison cell and it  reflects the sad condition of prisoners. First floor mainly consist of picture gallery, mac cain suite and name of inmates.

Model  of The Hỏa Lò Prison hanoi

cell for inmates awaiting execution , The Hỏa Lò Prison, hanoi
Cell for prisoners awaiting execution

cell for inmates awaiting execution , The Hỏa Lò Prison, hanoi
Tiny cells
American president candidate John McCain  suite is displayed along with other 
suites and accessories of captured prisoners.
Guillotine,  The Hỏa Lò Prison, hanoi
Guillotine
American president candidate John McCain  suite

Memorial inside The Hỏa Lò Prison
Memorial
name of inmates, Memorial ,The Hỏa Lò Prison
Name of inmates
Hoan Kiem Lake


It is a beautiful small lake in the middle of hanoi. According to the legend, emperor Lê Lợi was  boating on the lake when his magic sword was grabbed by a turtle who quickly disappeared into the lake. Now turtles are extremely rare to see and some believe there are only few left in the lake. There is a old Turtle Tower in the middle  of lake.


Turtle tower in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake
Turtle tower
Green trees surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake
KFC near The lake
Bridge on  Hoan Kiem Lake
Old structures on the pavement surrounding the Hoan Kiem Lake
Old structures on the pavement surrounding the Hoan Kiem Lake
Old structures on the pavement surrounding the lake
 Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Stage of Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, hanoi
This theater is just adjacent to lake. I have seen many puppet shows in India but this was unique. Beautiful representation of sound and light along with cute puppets made it unforgettable. In fact first time in life I saw a pool on the stage. The puppet show them was mainly on Vietnamese history. Music was very soothing and played by a beautiful lady on the side of stage.



Stage of Thang Long Water Puppet Theater
Good combination of singing ,music and lighting
Indian dance, Thang Long Water Puppet Theater, hanoi
Performers behind the stage of Thang Long Water Puppet Thea
Performers behind the stage





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