New Food & Fireworks
Trip Start
Aug 04, 2009
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99
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Trip End
Ongoing
Hanoi, Vietnam
Friday, September 3, 2010
National Day here is like the Fourth of July in the US. On this day in 1945, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi which gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This event marked the beginning of a new era for the Vietnamese nation. During this holiday, the people and leaders in Vietnam pay tribute to their national hero Ho Chi Minh and acknowledge his contribution to the independence of Vietnam. I joined in with thousands of Hanoians at one of the four sites (Lenin Park) to view the fireworks shows. Though it was short it was quite spectacular and traffic on the streets surrounding the park were at a standstill from 20 minutes before until about 15 minutes after to watch the much anticipated fireworks show.
The Thang Long Royal Citadel was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO recently. As it's now the sixth UNESCO world heritage area recognized in Vietnam, the Thang Long Royal Citadel is resplendent with 13 century’s of history and culture. Many former dynasties were centered here and each one made and left their own personal marks in architecture and history. The central part of the Thang Long Royal Citadel has an area of 18,395 square meters, including the Hanoi ancient citadel and an array of archaeological relics. It has been compared to "a living historical collection" covering all the history of Thang Long – Hanoi with many precious architectural features and artifacts from the 7th century.
The Royal Citadel though nowhere near being fully open for viewing is still quite an interesting piece of architecture and it felt strange to be walking on the grounds and in the buildings of such a historic area.
Then sandwiched between those two historical events I tried two new foods. For dinner I had Mien Luon (Eel soup w/translucent noodles). Mien, a noodle made from cassava, is one of the most readily found ingredients in Vietnamese cuisine. Add a mix of fried and fresh eel, throw in a blend of pork stock, chopped spring onion, deep fried shallots and I had one tasty if not just a tad unusual, even by my standards, meal. The soup itself is clear and very lightly flavored. A splash of chili sauce, a squeeze of lime and this meal was running on all cylinders for me. It was the texture of the eel and noodle combo which I found oddly appealing. Obviously it's not for everyone but I say… gimme more eel dishes please and at VND 20,000, slightly more than one dollar a bowl, it’s a steal.
Then after dropping the bike at my friend Ngoc Anh’s house we walked around the corner and bought a small “tub” of durian flavored ice cream to share. I had heard horror stories about the scent and taste of durian - an 'acquired taste’ is what I had been told by some and ‘it smells like rotten gym socks’ by others then there are those that love it and call it the ‘king of fruits’ and its scent as ‘fragrant’. I figured ice cream would be a safe way to try it for the first time. My first impression was the smell was less than appealing and I could see the case for the smelly socks but the taste wasn’t so bad, not so good either. The jury in my mind is out on it. I think I will have to try a fresh fruit version to really take a stand for or against it.
While researching the durian today before writing this entry I came upon this quote that I liked. There is a saying in Singapore during durian-picking season: "When the durians come down, the sarongs go up." That disgusting and lovable fruit, which stirs up strong passions, is reputedly an aphrodisiac. More the reason to like it! I wonder if the same saying holds true in Vietnam, I sure hope so.
Alright its time to take my cold remedies and hope this cold passes quickly.
Comments
You have to get the perfectly ripe Durian fresh fruit to taste. Even in small doses it has a subtle magical energy. The taste is thick, sweet and hard to describe, quite pleasant.
Bummer about your cold, eat lots of those mandarins the ladies sell on the road to school.
There are wicked strains of bacterial colds in VN consequently it takes time to adapt to them. I have never had colds like I experienced in VN. I found rubbing lots of tiger balm on my chest and sleeping with a pillow under my chest helped. Remember to drink kefir you buy in Fivi market, that will build your immunity system up.
A little sick? You've probably got something fatal, and I'm not going to get all those cool antiques and souvenirs you been buying for me. Rats. Well at least you got to see some fireworks before you go. I guess you got a Labor Day/Riverfest experience anyway, even in VN! Interesting about the durian, but I hope you haven't also taken to wearing a sarong?! I don't want to know. But I think I'll wait until after durian-picking season to come and visit you.
Durian must be an aquired taste sorta like Skyline:)