Visiting Hanoi

It's a two-hour flight on Vietnam Air from Saigon to Hanoi, the country's capital in the north. We're missing the beautiful scenery of central Vietnam, but have just three nights and two days in historic Hanoi to explore the culture of this ancient country. Our Hilton Hotel Opera, named for its proximity to the elegant art nouveau Opera House next door, is excellent. Built between 1901 and 1911 and restored in 1997, the Opera House remains an outstanding example of French colonial architecture but opens only during performances.

My greatest memory of Vietnam will be learning to "walk through traffic." Yes. It doesn't stop often, but unlike Cairo where cars speed past and only traffic police can save you, in Vietnam one learns to very deliberately, at a steady pace, just walk through traffic. Mostly, it's masses of bicycles and motorcycles with some cars, but they don't speed. Do not try this in Jamaica! The traffic just swerves around you as long as you don't make sudden moves. In five days I never saw an accident in Saigon or Hanoi. One afternoon we walked from the Opera, around Hoan Kiem Lake, over its Sunbeam Bridge to visit Jade Hill Temple and survived to tell the tale.

Our first day begins at Ho-Chi Minh's Mausoleum. This revolutionary hero and father of Vietnam was also a poet who left instructions that his body be cremated and his ashes shared amongst north, central and south Vietnam, as a symbol of his role in unifying the nation. Instead, the chief Soviet embalmer was brought from Moscow to embalm Ho's body and a massive monolithic memorial built of marble to house it. Much to our guide's dismay, I decline the experience of walking past the remains and choose to photograph foreign dignitaries laying giant wreaths at the entrance as groups of cheerful schoolchildren play in front. "Uncle Ho" is so revered that any schoolchild who makes marks of 65 per cent or better is rewarded with a trip to the mausoleum. Instead, we visit the actual home in which Ho-Chi Minh chose to live in humble circumstances.

Nearby is One Pillar Pagoda, built in 1049 by Emperor Ly Thai Tong and rebuilt after various wars, the last time in 1955 when the French left. After the emperor created the original pagoda, his wife bore him a son. So the pagoda holds a special place in Vietnamese tradition where families are all important. Also constructed almost 1,000 years ago is Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070 within a walled garden containing the Temple of Literature. Chiselled stones record names of successful doctoral entrants over the centuries, each stone on the back of a sculpted tortoise, symbol of strength and longevity. Tall bronze storks watch over the Great House of Ceremonies decorated in rich gold and red, housing statues of Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, and his disciples. Fortunately, a documentary on traditional Vietnamese music is being filmed in the courtyard so we're able to see actors performing in traditional costumes, on traditional instruments.

Then it's off to Hanoi's Old Quarter, '36 streets', to take individual bicycle-rickshaws called cyclos. These narrow streets are even more fascinating than those in Saigon's Chinatown as the pace is relaxed, without masses of motorcycles bearing down on us. Lunch is served in countless 'dust cafés', customers crouching around low plastic tables, street-side fires, or on sidewalks. Vietnam in the dry season is clean and especially festive during this build-up to Tet or New Years. Vendors sell everything and no one minds being photographed. As I become less fearful of offending, I photograph a young man resting on his motorcycle, literally at arm's length; he flashes me an alluring smile. Elderly women gossip, younger ones put down their heavy loads to rest roadside.

carefully labelled

In the afternoon I take a taxi alone to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology which isn't lavish but exhibitions are carefully labelled in English, French and Vietnamese so visitors can learn about the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam, though the Viet or Kinh comprise 86 per cent of the population. Top floor a temporary exhibition of century-old black and white photographs shows ancient life while 'Stories of the Mekong', with superb coloured photographs, depicts contemporary life on the Mekong River. The museum is fascinating. Taxi fares being reasonable, the driver waits to return me to our hotel but our half-hour ride across town now becomes one and a half hours in rush-hour traffic, giving me time to watch street life as we inch along. I'm going to miss the many families - mother, father, children - together on one motorcycle, navigating their way beside us. The great sense of family here is touching.

Our last day is perfect: a taxi ride to the Fine Arts Museum, each gallery displaying memorable carvings, some over a millennium old, and a variety of paintings from pre-20th century to modern art, with elaborate ethnic clothing represented in a separate section. The oil and lacquer paintings for sale in the gift shop are exquisite, and inexpensive considering their quality. The knowledgeable lady in charge is the daughter of the museum's former curator.

As for dining, the food in Chez Manon at the Hilton is fine but the décor circa coffee shop. Next night's dinner at Bobby Chinn's is a disappointment. Heralded as a super-stylish restaurant opened in 1995 by a New Zealand-born, half-Egyptian, half-Chinese, British-educated and US-trained chef, the place must have suffered in its move to a new location and comes off as temporary and tacky. Our final night we walk several blocks over to Metropole, a historic five-star hotel in French colonial style and have an excellent dinner at Le Beaulieu, but my favourite meal in Vietnam is still my first taste of pho, their traditional noodle soup.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam has a population of approximately 86 million according to their 2009 census, over 80 per cent of whom live in rural areas. The economy was devastated by the American War which ended in 1975 and communist leaders only belatedly realised that economic progress would be better served by allowing privatisation of state-owned enterprises while encouraging small businesses, a policy instituted in 1992 known as doi moi or renovation. This led to Vietnam now being the second largest exporter of rice and coffee in the world. With economic growth of 5.7 per cent per annum, and more than 20 per cent in the larger cities, Vietnam's future is bright.

Tours: Exotissimo World Travel www.exotissimo.com or Email: infohanoi@ exotissimo.com, Hilton Hotel & Chez Manon: www.hilton.com Sofitel Metropole Hotel & Le Beaulieu: www.sofitel.comBobby Chinn: www.bobbychinn.com