Water-breathing dragons

This morning we headed back to Hanoi. Our transport was much more comfortable, as many conference speakers were leaving at the same time, so we had a private bus! We once again stopped at the huge tourist trap again (we started calling it the "fleecing station"), and Gavin actually did buy something...

We have noticed that Vietnamese don't really have "dessert" in the same form as we do in the states. Dessert options are mostly a bowl of fruit or a little ice cream, or in the case of the restaurant in Halong City, pieces of pure sugar cane. Prepared desserts generally aren't on the menu, which left us all (or maybe just me) DYING for something chocolate! So when Gavin saw some chocolate bars at the "fleecing station," good husband that he is, he bought some for me. :) The chocolate was from Thailand, and was seriously some of the smoothest, lovliest dark chocolate I have ever tasted, and I do not think this is simply because I was craving it. I passed it around the bus so we could all enjoy it.

Back in Hanoi, we checked back into the Intercontinental Westlake. This time Gavin and I opted for the "club benefit" for extra charge. The club included breakfast, wifi in the room, and cocktails and canapes in the "club lounge." We had arrived just in time for the cocktails and canapes, so we checked into our room and wandered into the exclusive club. We were definitely impressed; we were expecting cheese and crackers, but there was a full spread of dinner entrees in single bite/tapas portions, desserts, salads, etc. We could also have unlimited cocktails and drinks. I made sure to take full advantage of the club benefit and went back for 2nds, 3rds and 4ths, making this my dinner, because I am classy like that. :) We were dressed in our tennis shoes, khakis and t-shirts, but EVERYBODY else in the place was dressed to the nines in designer clothing. It was pretty snooty overall. We also snuck three more friends from the conference into the club. :)

After "dinner," we took a taxi to the water puppet show, a traditional Vietnamese performance art that is over 1000 years old! The performance is in a water tank about hip deep, and the puppets are controlled from under the water by people standing behind bamboo screens. The puppets were people, fish, swans, ducklings, a person riding a water buffalo, dragons, what looked like drowning babies, and more. The pupprts could either swim through the water or dance on top of it. The dragons were impressive, as they could breathe fire (sparklers in their mouths) or shoot water out of their mouths as they swam.

The water puppet stage.

 

The musicians and storytellers for the puppet show.

The first group of puppets, just basic moving heads and arms.

The fire breathing dragons light up the water.

 

Water shooting dragons. I am guessing the first few rows got a shower from these. :)

 

Boy riding a water buffalo and playing a flute.

 

Guy carrying a whip (I think) that from our angle often looked rather phallic. :)

After the water puppet show, we walked to the Night Market. There is a long shopping street blocked off from cars, and people set up stalls selling, well, a lot of cheap crap. There were souvenirs for tourists, cheaply made clothing, fake brand-name stuff galore, flip flops and more. As we wandered down the street at the market, we had to dodge motorbikes squeezing between the sidewalk and the stalls. I wasn't really interested in buying anything at the market, but I found a cute t-shirt with cats on it and couldn't resist. :) Of course one must bargain at the night market, so the shop owner gave me a price and I counter offered and he said "No" like he wasn't going to bargain. So I hung the shirt back up and started to walk out, the first time I have tried that particular bargaining maneuver. The shop owner then stopped me and came down on the price by almost half, so I bought the shirt. :)

All kinds of cheap crap available at the Night Market. :)

Shopping at the night market. Yes, those are mopeds driving down the sidewalk.

The beginning of the Night Market.

Me at the night market.

A sunglasses stall.

After the Night Market, we headed back to the hotel to take advantage of the Sunset Bar, a bar on its own little island in the middle of the hotel complex in the lake. Lonely Planet had listed this bar as having the best cocktails in town, and I certainely enjoyed their signature cocktail, which was similar to a mojito with lemongrass added. We ended our evening there, lounging on their couches as it drizzeld outside. Tomorrow we head out to see Tam Coc!

The Sunset Bar.

 

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