Tuesday I moved to Nisha's (another Hanoi based AYAD) place and Tuesday was spent enjoying western food (more expensive but our excuse was that due to Tet most Street food and places run by Vietnamese people were closed for the entire week)! We also wandered around the Old Quarter again and had a Sex and the City marathon after one of Nisha's friends purchased the entire 7 seasons for around $8.00 AUD. We made sure we had a reasonably early night as we had to be in town to meet our bus by 8am the next morning to go to the Perfume Pagoda.
Throughout the journey we could see that the pagoda was going to be very busy. There was a lot of traffic on the river and then there were plenty of boats docked at the pagoda once we arrived. We were later told that the first 3 months of the Lunar New Year are very busy for the pagoda, but that the first few days of the Lunar New Year were insanely busy. We hadn't really thought about the crowds when we booked to go on the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year but it was an excellent opportunity to see Vietnamese religious culture firsthand. I would like to go back to the pagoda again when there are fewer crowds and without the time restraints of a tour though.
Then it was back down the hill in the cable car and a return boat and bus journey. When we got back into Hanoi we went for quick dinner of Pho 24, Vietnamese fast-food and then went back to Nisha's place to crash, as we were going sightseeing the next day.
Stay tuned for Part 3 which will include the Temple of Literature, drinking bier with old men on the street at 11am, the best museum I have ever been to and more!!
The Perfume Pagoda is about 60km south west of Hanoi. In order to get there we took a 2 hour bus ride, a one hour boat ride and then did some walking/cable car riding. Normally I avoid tours, not least of all because there is a higher chance of being ripped off, but for some places in Vietnam its just easier to book a tour and have someone else plan the logistics.
The journey on the bus was fairly uneventful, though the passengers were crammed in like sardines. At least we had real seats, some others who got on the bus later had to sit in makeshift seats in the aisles. The river journey itself was quite spectacular even though it was very cold and raining slightly.
Throughout the journey we could see that the pagoda was going to be very busy. There was a lot of traffic on the river and then there were plenty of boats docked at the pagoda once we arrived. We were later told that the first 3 months of the Lunar New Year are very busy for the pagoda, but that the first few days of the Lunar New Year were insanely busy. We hadn't really thought about the crowds when we booked to go on the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year but it was an excellent opportunity to see Vietnamese religious culture firsthand. I would like to go back to the pagoda again when there are fewer crowds and without the time restraints of a tour though.
Apart from the crowds there were also some strange meat products on display. Each of the restaurants would hang a similar display out the front to entice the crowds, but it definately diminished my appetite. I'm fairly sure on the right hand end of that photo is skinned cat so please dont enlarge the picture if you are sqeamish. Needless to say I did not ask what the meat was that we were eating at the restaurant.
We took a cable car up to the pagoda and the plan was to walk down the mountain to check out the shrines hidden along the rock walls on the way down, but unfortunately we ran out of time and the tour leader hustled us back down in a cable car. The pagoda itself was very busy and we had to queue for about 20 minutes before finally making our way down the stairs and into the pagoda itself.
Then it was back down the hill in the cable car and a return boat and bus journey. When we got back into Hanoi we went for quick dinner of Pho 24, Vietnamese fast-food and then went back to Nisha's place to crash, as we were going sightseeing the next day.
Stay tuned for Part 3 which will include the Temple of Literature, drinking bier with old men on the street at 11am, the best museum I have ever been to and more!!
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