Water Puppets in Hanoi, Vietnam (Day 1 - Part 1)

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Staying in Singapore while HY stays in KL has its drawbacks. The worse is when we need to travel on the same flight together for trips! I have to rush to airport after work, stay in Tune Hotel near LCCT and meet him early the next day to catch the connecting flight. Luckily I acquired the habit of catching my zzz whenever I am on a plane.

Our flight from LCCT to Hanoi on 25th October 2011 was scheduled for 6.30am. That meant that I had to get up by 3.30 and reach LCCT by 4am. Urgh, the lack of sleep...
Me waiting for the sun to rise

The flight to Hanoi will take an estimated 4 hours ish so we will be there in time for lunch! As expected, I was dead to the world once we boarded.

If you are from a country within ASEAN, you do not need a visa to enter Vietnam. However, if you are from one of those countries which is not within the South East Asia region, you may need to check this site to determine the manner to apply for your visa.

We arrived at the Noi Bai airport around 11 ish and was greeted by surly Vietnamese customs officer in khaki clothes. The luggage took forever for it to come out but the airport is very small compared to other international airports. Our hotel, Art Hotel, arranged transport to pick us up.

*Hanoi Tip for travelers: Try to request for an airport pick up service from your hotel. No matter what's the cost, it is safer. It is a well-known fact that rouge drives in Hanoi are rampant and sometimes they even copy off the name of a place card to confuses arriving travelers. The unsuspecting visitor will follow the fake driver. Fake driver will :
(1) drives tourist to a hotel which is not what tourist booked giving the excuse the original hotel is "fully booked";   
     or
(2) drives tourist to isolated area and rob them.


It took around 45 minutes to reach Art Hotel in the Old Quarters from the airport. The facade may not be much but the interior is clean, up-to-date with great customer service. We booked this hotel after hearing rave reviews about the commitment of their staff. When I was liaising with them for reservations, the answer is always prompt and they will always give helpful suggestions if you require more information to plan your trip.
*Credits picture from foursquare
You don't have to worry about communications when you stay with them. The staff speaks English well and you can ask them about anything in Hanoi, like places to eat, or help to make reservations at your favourite restaurant. Whenever you are back from a day out in town, they greet you with a smile and genuinely ask about your day. They have a return customer in me and my friends (to whom I raved about this place). i think they have gained a loyal customer following amongst my group.

Breakfast is complimentary with daily housekeeping service. We found fresh fruits in the room everyday. However you may find it a little claustrophobic if you are not used to narrow houses. Houses in Vietnam are long rather than wide as properties in Vietnam used to be taxed based on the street frontage.

When we arrived, the concierge on duty (sorry, I forgot all of the names of the wonderful staff but Art Hotel, I loved every minute staying with you), informed us that there was 2 spots vacant for the Water Puppet Show at 3pm instead of out initial plan of watching the 6pm show and asked us if we were interested. We were impressed that they bothered to ask us since it would mean more effort spent on their part when we said yes to the change. The concierge lady advised us  that an earlier show means we can beat the dinner crowds at the more popular places later.

So we took a power nap before heading out for food and tour around the Hoem Kiem lake. A local must have was just next door to the hotel - Bun Bo Nam Bo. To order, just indicate to the kitchen staff (using your fingers) as you walk in, on the number of bowls that you want. Fingers signing as with the peace sign made with 2 fingers into the shape of a V, is universal. I know there are a few blogs out there who said that this place charges more for tourists and they are a scam. I took the picture below to show you that they advertise their prices and locals do pay the same price as tourist. 


Bun Bo at VND50k = SGD3
Bun Bo Nam
Bun Bo is assembled in the following order: the base is lettuce leaves, followed by the bun noodles ( it looks like a thinner version of laksa noodles), and topped with beef, bean sprouts and onions. Some broth is poured over it, then chopped shallots and peanuts are sprinkled on top with some local fresh mint. Add a dash of chili sauce for the extra bite. I added some pickled vegetables in my bowl in the picture above. Everything in the bowl has to be tossed before eating so that you get a bit of everything. *whee* After eating just pay on your way out. The restaurant is as local as you can get - communal tables, trash on the floor, small seats.

After lunch we decided to walk around Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) while waiting for the show to start. This lake is a great meeting point if you ever get separated from your tour group as everyone will know where it is and it is in the middle of the city. It seems to be a spot for wedding photos as well. The serenity of the lake as a background for the blissful couple.

Frontage tax means skinny buildings. They surround the lake.
There is a legend about this lake and its tower which is very similiar to King Arthur and Excalibur.

Story time children....

Long time ago, after China accepted Vietnam as an independent country, King Le Loi was said to have a sword of great power which gave him the strength of 10 men. The blade, which came from the Dragon King who lived underwater, had an inscription "The Will of Heaven". When Le Loi was out boating in the Green Lake (Luc Thuy), a giant turtle took the sword from the king's belt and dived below the waters. Efforts to find it failed and the king acknowledged that the sword has returned to the Dragon King. Thus, the lake was named Hoen Kiem Lake.

Giant turtles have been spotted swimming around the lake so that probably added to the mysteries of the magic sword.
Turtle Tower
At the north end of the lake is Turtle Tower (Thap Rua). This structure was built by a Vietnamese mandarin  around 1886, who wanted to bury his father on the islet for feng shui reasons, being the place with the giant turtle and magic sword. However the city folks discovered his intention and removed his body. The structure remains a symbol of both peace and patriotism to the people of Hanoi. It is also a turtle sanctuary.


Also on the north show stands the Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son Temple) that you access through the red painted wooden Huc Bridge (Morning Sunlight Bridge). 


This temple honors military heroes and scholars.  There is a courtyard at the end of the temple where old men sit to play Chinese chess. In a corner of the temple, there is a huge stuffed tortoise found by locals in 1968 and believed to be the legendary sword-nabber. It is a quite a small temple and a nice respite away from the numerous vehicles circling the lake. There is a souvenir shop there but we did not bother as it is a tourist trap for knick-knacks.
The Huc Bridge
Ngoc Son Temple
Suffering from the effects of lack of sleep for the past couple of days, we decided to pop by Highlands Coffee for a quick drink before the show started. You can't miss it. There is a big sign showing the Highlands Coffee logo near the Water Puppet Theater. It's not on the ground floor as we thought a coffee house would be. Instead there was a lift in the building (or you can take the stairs up) to the view this cafe offers of Hoem Kiem Lake. Service was horrendous because staff ignored customers generally. Coffee is also overpriced (MYR7 for iced cafe sua da). I think I would have gotten a better brew at the coffee shops near the hotel. The only reason you would come here is for the view.


Brought the Holga along for the shot taken from Highland Coffee
Our first Vietnamese coffee in Hanoi. Could have been better
At 3.30pm we went to the famous Thang Long Puppet Theater. Entrance fee is VND100.000 (which we paid to our hotel). We showed our tickets and walked right in. The show is on the 2nd floor of the establishment. The best part is, we got front row tickets! I was a little worried that we would get wet since we were so close to the waterlogged stage.

The traditional music troupe tunes their instruments.
Before buying the tickets, I have read mixed reviews on this attraction. some say it is a rip-off, some thought it was interesting. Unfortunately, those who said it was a rip-off are  mostly people who probably thought of some fancy song and dance routine, rather than appreciating the lifestyle of traditional Vietnam. There are no English subtitles that you can look to but hey, this is art and it is supposed to transcend linguistic boundaries. This is also a reason why you are supposed to pick up the English version of the pamphlet before the show, near the entrance.

 There are 11 parts to this show. It starts off with Festival Drumming, where the musicians showcase traditional Vietnamese music. After that, the puppet show begins with Dragon Dance. The interesting pieces start at the Buffalo fighting segment where 2 water buffaloes puppets literally go head on with each other. It is really amazing how the puppeteers can do this every day, soaked up to their waists with long sticks on which they command multiple puppets with.
Farm Work
Village Guardian God Procession
Van singing segment. Those are actual candles!
Horse Race through flaming hoops of fire

It was very irritating that the tourists were using flash photography throughout the performance. Not only it is distracting, it disturbed the presentation. All my photos were done without flash. Just adjust aperture. Wish that every time a flash went off, someone would come and fine those people. Then all proceeds will go to the upkeep of the theater.

After the 2 hour performance, HY and I decided to go to Hang Dau Street, not too far from the north side of the lake. Each street in Hanoi speciliase in a product. "Hangs" means merchandise or shop. Hang Gai Street for silks (although the name means Hemp Rope Street), Hang Dau for shoes, Hang Be for bamboo, Hang Bac for silver and jewels and the rest of the 36 Hangs. Hang Bac, one of the oldest street dates back at least  to the 13th century.

So we went shoe shopping. Bargaining is expected. There is a great variety of "rip-off" brands available that look and feel the same.
Me and my new shoes
Price point is not that much different from what you can get from the local pasar malam but since we were there, why not? We left for the famous Fanny's after that (to be continued...)

Art Hotel
Address: No 65 - Hang Dieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: (+84-4) 39233868 / 39233866
Fax: (+84-4)  39233663
Hotline: (+84) 982345239
Emai 1: booking@hanoiarthotel.com
Emai 2: hanoiarthotel@gmail.com

Bun Bo Nam Bo 
Address : 67 Hang Dieu, Old Quarters
Opening Hours: 7am- 1030pm

Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son Temple) 
Entry tickets - VND3,000. 
Temple Opening Hours: Daily from 0800-1700

 Highlands Coffee
Address: 1- 3 - 5 Dinh Tien Hoang street, Hang Bac Ward (North end of Hoan Kiem Lake)

Thang Long Puppet Theater
Address: 57B Dinh Tien Hoang St., Hanoi
Tel: 84-4-8249494

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