Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel - Ha Noi, Vietnam

The continuing hype is that Charlie Chaplin and Brad Pitt brought their beloved wives here, but it is true. The reality is an elegant and inspiring step back into the colonial past - in architecture, ambiance and arresting captivation. The experience is one of refined service, spacious environs and a touch of class.  There is an airiness in here that sets it definitely apart from the other parts of Ha Noi.  French can be heard spoken  in several conversations, as you sit on the lobby's Euro furniture, soaking in both the historical and present day ambiance or just waiting for your friends who are residing in the Metropole Hotel.
Above, noodles served in fine bone china complementing the the green house surroundings of the tea room at the Spices Garden, garnished by  a variety of local musts - basil leaves, chili cuts,  capsicum, onion slices and chicken.  Mrs Nguyen Thanh Van is currently the head chef presiding over three kitchens - and also serving the Angelina Restaurant & lounge, together with the Le Beaulieu Restaurant.

The underlying and over flowing theme is in white (pictures above and below), whether you view the rooms, with balconies and facade green window louvres, from outside, or when you look up from a dining or drinking table.  The Metropole has existed since 1901 and witnessed the various significant events and transitions in Vietnamese history of the 20th century.  Located in the Hoan Kiem District of the city centre, it is only a walk away from the Opera House and the Government Guest House (formerly the official residence of the colonial French Governor).

Well placed ceiling fans, exquisite touches of local pottery, cantilevered wooden windows, silk fabric cushions, dark wood paneling and French styled furniture (photo above) all help to build up a snug and comfortable feel even in the lobby itself.  Wrought iron is embellished to create a contrast with the comfortable soft hues and provide assurances  of stability and strength.  Ecological designed materials are used in the guest rooms, villas or suites, which stand out graced with lush curtains, pillow accessories and chateau-like colours.

There are lush green lawns maintained in the inner courtyards of the hotel. With 22 suites and 364 rooms, three separate bars, an outdoor heated pool and a rooftop garden, it does offer many choices.
Romance and business seem to be the two key selling points of the Metropole, in that they offer to guests the high standards required by both.  The buildings have not always been  in such a glorious state, having been left run down between 1954 and 1986, but now the Grand Old Dame is back in all its glory.

The La Terrasse Du Metropole (photo below) suits cool evenings and Parisian-inspired preferences for easy and informal meet ups. My own experience of eating at the Spice Gardens is one of quick and friendly service, all wrapped in a professionally trained manner and one that offers a realm of comfort and relaxation.

Vladimir Putin, actors like Noel Coward and Michael Caine and a host of writers, including Graham Greene and W. Somerset Maugham have graced this unique institution.  There can be comparisons with the Oriental in Bangkok, the Raffles in Singapore and the Eastern & Oriental in Penang, but the Metropole in Ha Noi to me is a class apart.

Cu Chi Tunnels - Vietnam

The cu chi is a fruit, but less well known as the tunnels named after them on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. When the city was officially called Saigon, the tunnels were a labyrinth of physical access, supply routes and community living intentionally hidden from society on the surface, as they housed the Vietcong, with which US forces and the South Vietnamese army engaged militarily, in the many years of the war in the sixties and early seventies of the 20th century, now referred to as the Reunification War.  An underground network, the tunnels played a pivotal role to successfully turn the tide of victory for Ha Noi - and was especially critical in the Tet offensive of 1968 on Saigon city itself.  Today the forested area caters to tourists, local and foreign, to echo the harsh and challenging life of the soldier fighting on the side of their leader, Ho Chi Minh.   The tunnels, with air shafts, were used to connect spaces storing weapon caches, those serving as secret field hospitals and corners utilised as kitchens and living quarters.  The nature of the environment with such narrow tunnels nurtured the spread of malaria.  Above photo captures a present day army cobbler making leather foot gear as was practised  during wartime.

Remnants and reminders of the American military involvement can easily be seen in dilapidated tanks
displayed on site (picture above) and in huge craters resulting form the carpet bombing of the area by B52 bombers.   A visit to the tunnels today does not reveal the extent of rats, spiders, centipedes, scorpions and ants that infest such accommodation. Our guide reminded us that the original tunnels were much narrower than what is existing today.  I did not go beyond the first stage of the four phased tunnel climb earmarked for tourists. On coming out of the tunnels, we washed our hands, legs and elbows on a trough with water flowing from a makeshift pipe system.  From Saigon city centre, it easily took  travelling of around 70 kilometres to reach the tunnels.

Visitors can take quiet paced strolls under the canopy of the tropical forest (above), or try their skills in a shooting range and even observe chickens in a placid village-like setting (photo below).  Such calm experiences does not fully reveal the extent of conflict and violence raging on the same grounds a half century ago.  I did wonder how the area would look and feel like on a wet rainy day.  Would the water run into the tunnels, or the drainage has been designed well enough to prevent flooding underground?   We were given rough and ready yam snacks to remind us of the lifestyle for those living in the Cu Chi Tunnels during wartime. Our guide, Mr Hye, also gave a talk to accompany a Government issued movie in a make shift hall on premises.

The Cu Chi Tunnels were laden with punji stake pits and vicious forms of booby traps for the unsuspecting soldier from the other side.   It was an Australian specialist engineering troop (known as 3 Fd Tp) which discovered and realised the significance of the tunnels and passed that information to the American forces.  Grenades were thrown into the tunnel entrances to flush out any hiding forces from the enemy side. The dexterity and passion of the individuals living in such tunnels for a personal belief and cause cannot be under estimated.

Ha Noi, Vietnam - City Vignettes

Above, in the early afternoon, a motor cyclist passes by a well maintained French styled colonial building in Ha Noi.  Below, the Presidential Suite at Hong Ngoc 2 Hotel in the Old Quarter.

Above, iced coffee, Viet fashioned, on small tables and with guests on low chairs, upstairs at a well patronised joint.
Below, buildings tend to have narrow fronts, long insides and border narrow streets  with overhead cables all over the place in the district known as 36 Streets or the Old Quarter, not far from Hoam Kien Lake.  The other major lake is the bigger West Lake, close to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and other government institutions.

Carved stone near the significant monument to a revered national figure, Ly Thai To, shows influences from China, Thailand and Cambodia, although all brought together with a niche Vietnamese feel (photo above).
Below, in a metropolis with at least 7 million people, Ha Noi's motor bikers are a varied lot- some with helmets, many using mobile phones whilst waiting at the set of lights, males observed also smoking whilst driving and some with covered mouth masks.

A placid and shady location (above)  with tourists strolling (below) along the shores of Hoam Kien Lake to survive the humidity of an early afternoon.  Ha Noi, sited in the north of Vietnam, does tend towards a more benign temperature in the winter  season of the northern hemisphere, especially when compared the country's tropical  south.

Ha Noi, Vietnam - Water Puppets

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is a treat, with a performing arts form that is unique to Vietnam.  The theatre is located near the Hoan Kiem Lake, a gathering focal point for tai chi practitioners at dawn, strolling tourists and sitting locals in the afternoons and much vehicular traffic in the evenings.  Referred to as roi nuoc by the locals, water puppetry articulates themed plays symbolic of the tensions between  good and evil, illustrative of the history of the Viet peoples and demonstrative of the varied lifestyles and demographics in current day Vietnam.  The stage of water is usually four meters square and up to eight puppeteers are often involved in performances.

The ty ba, a light wood made instrument with four strings on its distinctive long neck, was played at our concert on a mid week evening, the final show of several during the day staged to packed audiences.  As evident in the accompanying photographs, this was not the only musical device or cultural accessory utilised.  The traditional singing of cheo ( a form of local opera) was pleasant, not jarring and the use of electronic screens with English subtitles is an excellent idea for the audience who come from diverse backgrounds.  Live music can be provided by an orchestra that uses cymbals, bamboo flutes, gongs,horns, wooden bells, the monochord and drums, all to back up the all important vocals.

Each performance was around an hour.   A captivating display of the puppets used can be viewed outside the auditorium.  The Thang Long troupe has performed around the world, including in Sydney, Australia. However, nothing beats enjoying the experience in its own locale.  The craft and art of puppets that dance on water originated in the Red River Delta in the northern part of Vietnam.  The wooden puppets are actually lacquered.

Hue, Vietnam - Making of Cone Shaped Hats

Referred to as "non la" or literally, leaf hat, in Vietnamese, such cone shaped hats protect the wearer from the harsh sun of the tropics and equatorial areas - and are seen through out most of South and south-east Asia. Comparable versions are also found in Korea and Japan with temperate climes.  With my travel mates, I had the opportunity to view how such hats were made in Hue in central Vietnam.

The natural  young leaves are gathered, softened by dew, dried or flattened by ironing or processed further by heating them over a charcoal flame pot ( in picture on the right, the green item).  This causes the leaves to transform into a light brown textured colour (photos below) before being placed  on a conical frame.  It is all hand made, a rarity in a world of fast turnover, manufactured processes and similar patterns and shapes.  The quality of such hats are judged by the regularity of the leaf arrangement, the absence of visible knots and the roundness of the resulting rim.

Paper cut patterns are placed over the set leaves (photo above) in a near final stage of the handicraft demonstration.   The leaves can vary in origin - they can be the bark of the Moc tree, bamboo or palm leaves.  The paper cuts are unique in the making of the Non Bai Tho or the poem hat, which are unique to the previously royal city of Hue - and their specialty is based on poem lyric lines or pictures of things that can only be seen through sunlight under the leaf layered sunk designs.  The significance of such conical hats is linked to the tradition of maternal love and the practice of padi growing in Vietnam.  Interesting enough, women wore more broad-rimmed hats than men.  I observe that the best cone shaped Vietnamese hats are made in Hue and no where else.  There can be a practical difficulty in packing such hats in airline baggage unless they are miniature versions bought as souvenir displays.