Enjoy a day of Rest : Hanoi Lake, Vietnam

Hanoi Lake, Vietnam
Originally uploaded by molecule Mike.

Today, is a day i will enjoy reading my favourite books and i like the scenery by the lake.

Thanks to molecule Mike for his contribution of this pix.

Why visit Hanoi, Vietnam's Markets???

Hanoi is a thriving commercial centre with modern industries, arts, agricultural producers and processors, traditional markets and modern supermarkets. It is also a distribution centre from which goods flow to other regions, both at home and abroad.

Hanoi's markets come in many different forms, from huge bustling establishments containing hundreds of shops to small pavement street markets (cho coc) dedicated to serving the needs of residents in the immediate vicinity.

1) DONG XUAN - BAC QUA MARKET
Largest market in Hanoi, established in about 1889 on the site of Bach Ma and Cau Dong market. On the ground floor, outside stalls display dozens of varieties of jams and salted fruit. Inside the market, you will see stalls selling dried goods such as prawnns, fish, pepper, chilli and traditional herbs. On the far corner of the ground floor, you'll see household items are display. On the first floor, shops are selling huge volumes of imported cloth for redistribution to retail markets. And the second floor is used as storage for the cloth traders.

2) HANG DA MARKET
Imported fruit as well as fresh local fruit and vegetables can be found here. There are also sections of aquarium fish and birds at the two corners of the market, where you can see and buy many rare vietnamese species. Bat Trang pottery and ceramic products are also to be found here at prices reasonable enough to satisfy both sellers and buyers.

3) HOM - DUC VIEN MARKET
At the junction of Hue street and Tran Xuan Soan street, a three-storey market is a great place to explore. The ground floor offers shoes and sandals, ready-to-wear clothes, dried goods, fruit, meat and cooked food.

4) NIGHT FLOWER MARKET
At the crack of dawn, when the early bird is still chasing the worm, Quang An market has already finished trading for the day. Earlier, it is a kaleidoscope of colours as flowers from all over are bought and sold. A symbol of the beauty of the world, flowers bring Hanoians closer to nature.

Ha Long Bay in a Capsule

165 km from Hanoi to the Bai Chai bus station...Perhaps the most beautiful coastal area of Vietnam...Ha Long Bay offers some of Vietnam's most breathtaking scenery, including beautiful limestone formations, sheer edifice cliffs, huge rock arches, peaceful coves and seemingly thousands of limestone islets that rise from the sea like green plaster monsters.

Ha Long Bay (the name means "Where the Dragon Descends into the sea"), the area is frequently shrouded in a cold, drizzly fog, particularly during the winter months when, frankly, a stay in the area can be very uncomfortable one. Myths has it that an enormous beast created the bay and outcroppings as it thrashed its way toward the sea to prevent the forward progress of enemy fleets, even though two major battles were fought here in the 10th and 13th centuries.

Beautiful Chinese-type sailing junks dot the waters between the outcroppings. If you're a good negotiator like me, can get on board for lesser with English speaking guides available.

Come and experience this beautiful place and try it yourself.

The Wonders of Vietnam

I was sent to work in Vietnam for around 2weeks, first i make my stop at Ho Chi Minh City. The first impression i got from this city is that its so polluted, so many cars, especially motorcycles abound the streets. I guess the most interesting sights which i must admit will be the motorcyclist. No law or whatsoever governs on the number of passengers you can carry on your motorcycle. As long as you can ride, you can dump your whole family onto the motorcycle itself, strangely, people still carry on their daily lives ignoring this strange and dangerous display of wits and guts carrying and balancing their entire family on their small motorbike.

Waters in Vietnam are a no no to drink especially for tourist like us whom are brought up drinking purified drinking water. Even eating at their local food court, my stomach was not able to stand the food and hence a tummy ache for me. Avoid drinking their normal water but choose from mineral water or bottled water for safe drinking.

Avoid changing too much of Vietnam's currency 'Dong'. Tourist & stallholders nowadays will trade in US dollars. Hence, just change some for tips and such and pay the rest using your US dollars.

As its a 3rd world war country, you'll still see alot of beggars whom has lost their legs during the war, dragging themselves trying to peddle their wares on the streets, these can also be seen in Hanoi City too. I will usually try to buy some from them. I still prefer Hanoi as its less polluted and cooler than the city of Ho Chi Minh.

The 2 weeks stint in Vietnam has been a shocking experience, especially to my stomach. But overall, i still like this place, which has been a beautiful and dynamic atmospheric destination.