Since the recent post on meeting the girl in Saigon is well liked, I want to share another story of a Vietnamese encounter but this time up in the capital city of Hanoi. I was wearing a pair of exercise shorts, standing outside a bank in Hanoi. Opposite was the Hoan Kiem Lake park where many old people played chess and performed tai chi. It was a touristy area and a guy selling guide maps soon approached me.
Without warning, he told me “Ptui! Sure Lose!”
Me: I beg your pardon?
Man:You are not from Malaysia?
Me: Yes and thanks for the very warm welcome.
Man:You are not from the football team playing in the match on Sunday?
There was some Asian soccer inter nation tournament going on and Malaysia was to play Vietnam. It hurt me that outsiders think our national team sucks too. Maybe it was psychological pre-game warfare.
There are many heritage hotels and French colonial hotels in Hanoi, I stayed at a very old hotel too but naturally cannot remember the name. One very famous heritage hotel near where I was standing is the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel (pic from Agoda shown). The area with the fabulous and charming colonial day French architecture is known as the Old Quarter.
Other heritage hotels in or near the Old Quarter area:
Hanoi L’Heritage Hotel,
Maison D’Hanoi Boutique Hotel,
Hotel De L’Opera Hanoi,
Golden Silk Boutique Hotel,
Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel,
Anise Hotel,
Maison D’ Orient Hotel,
Mercure Hanoi La Gare,
Map:
