Discovering Hanoi a Big Motorcycle Touring Experience

We traveled to Hanoi, which means something like city in the bend of a river, and Hanoi was the former capital of Vietnam that was created over 1,000 years ago, in addition to having been under the communist rule and at the same time accepting the capitalist system.

Vietnam, and the city of Hanoi in the north of Vietnam is from any country in Southeast Asia a big motorcycle touring experience. We entered Vietnam from Laos and crossed the border at Tay-Trang border crossing.

Set along the Red River, or Song Hong, Hanoi, a town surrounded by breathtaking beautiful lakes, Hanoi was in earlier days known as Thahn Long or the City of the Soaring Dragon. It contained the most intact French colonial structures, having survived bombs by the Americans and attacks by the Russians. Some of these French classic areas are at the old church, Dong Xuan Market, Hanoi University, the theater, and the Long Bien Bridge of which the originally-built was constructed under the direction of the same architect who designed the Eiffel Tower.

If you have any problem locating any of this sights you just ask a Xe Om (motorcycle taxi) and he will ride in front of you and you just follow it is so cheap that you not need to worry. Also communicating with people in Vietnam is relative easy, if you cannot pronounce something, just write it down and show it ... 9 out of then starts smiling says something what sounds similar what you try to say for the last ten minutes and points you to the right direction... Remarkable easy..

Riding around in Hanoi you soon realize that the town has emerged from its 1954 deep sleep and is now among the economic-thriving cities within the Southeast Asian region. But lets forget the new highrise and concentrate on the plus – minus 50 streets in the old quarter.

The Old Quarter of Hanoi

With over 1,000 years of history, this locate is a must if you are in Hanoi. The Red and the To Lich River flow through the Old Quarter as intricate waterways, where one can also see 50 streets and lining tube houses that are constructed with narrow fronts and long backs – because taxes are measured according to the width of the house.

Visit the Pho Hang Gai Street where you can shop for souvenirs it seems everything is on offer here, then visit the theater for the Water Puppets show – where else in the world could you find puppets playing on water? This is one of the world's most unique arts which I was told has appeared from 1010 – 1225 during the Ly Dynasty in the Red River Delta area. Here, the folk sculpture puppets danced on water while the audience watched from the surrounding water's edge. One only sees the puppets but not the puppeteers underneath, coupled with singing and stage amusements.

On our second day we where into even more culture, we decided to visit the Temple of Literature or Van Mieu, which was constructed in respect of Confucius, and was founded by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong. This is where the country's first university was established but only for the warriors and the administrative ranks then. A serene-like locale in the middle of the city, the temple will have you immerse in the etch-in ancient manuscripts and watch artists on their work around the area, you can find Pho Van Mieu on the corner of Pho Quoc To Giam.

A visit to the Ho Chi Minh Museum needs to be on your list of places to visit. “The museum is where Uncle Ho Sleeps” that where the first words of a local who wanted to explain us. It was said that Uncle Ho preferred a simple cremation, his final resting place is anything but. On a street lined with structures from the French Colonial Era, which are mostly embassies, the Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum was built during 1973 – 1975, using native materials collected from all over Vietnam, while the actual sarcophagus is made of glass. The grave is situated in a cemetery backed by beautiful park and is also a place of pilgrimage for the Vietnamese, where changing of guards can be rivaled to that of the Buckingham Palace.