27 April 2008 - Back to the City

Visibility wasn't much better the next day. I have to say I was very disappointed considering all that I've read and heard about Halong bay. I had expected so much more. The weather was lovely nonetheless and it was nice to get away from the din and pollution of Hanoi.


After breakfast, the boat brought us to Hang Sung Sot or (Surprise Grotto / Amazing Cave). It was basically some caves and chambers containing large numerous stalactites and stalagmites. Wiki here

View from the top (at the beginning)

The 'penis' shaped rock. Our guide described it as a 'finger' pointing to heaven (there's a matching hole on the roof), but we all know what it looks like.

Kinda looks like the mines of Moria.

Another view from the top. This one at the end.

View from the other end.

This fisherwoman was catching fresh prawns and crabs. They looked wonderfully delicious. Simply steamed with some rice wine and salt... YUM...

Artistic photo attempt.

Streetside Style Satay. Questionable meat (she said it was pork, it didn't really taste like pork to me), but delicious.

Night Market

Dinner number 1 was at Cha Ca Cafe. I had read about the grilled fish in the guide books and really wanted to try it. It was really good (I actually said it was the best meal I had in Hanoi so far... little did I know what was to come next). The fish was so-so, but the concoction of noodles (they looked like laksa noodles), some kind of vietnamese chinchalok and peanuts made taste amazing.

After seeing this stall on the first day, I knew I had to go back to eat the fresh seafood. Except for the prawns, everything else was alive. Preparation was simple. Miz Chef dished a bowlful of your selection into a grilling wire-type-apparatus and placed said selected shells on a hot charcoal grill. Two sauces were provided to the gourmets. One was a slightly sweet plum sauce mixed with fish sauce and mint leaves, and the other was salt, freshly squeezed lime and chillis. Both were delicious. All one needed to do was plucked the meat from the snail/shell/clam, dip into the sauce and place into the mouth. Heavenly flavours. Dinner number 2.


Yup, those are 'You Tiao' (fried flour sticks). Exactly like the ones found locally. Except there are about 30% the size of the ones here.


Exploring the streets of the old quarter on our last night, we were extremely lucky to come across this night market. I'm not sure if this is a weekly event (if it is, then it's only on sundays) or monthly or if it's a special occasion, but our timing couldn't be better. The night market isn't mentioned in any of the guide books and that we stumbled upon it was a blessing. The market sold a wonderous array of goods and it was quite like the 'ladies street' in HK. Btw, the bread booth sold this incredible pork bun with quail eggs.


If the tablecloth looks familiar, yes, we went back to Chuc Link cafe. I really wanted more shots of that amazing coffee and she wanted to try the fried rice. BTW, that was dinner number 3