Christmas in Hanoi

Metropole Staff ©aesta1 All rights reserved.

Little did I know that the Vietnamese also celebrate Christmas maybe not with the religious meaning except for a few Christians in the country but for the other symbols like Santa, jingles, poinsettias, Christmas trees and parties.

Hanoi was full of Christmas symbols and shopping streets selling Christmas ornaments were busy. We even managed to get a turkey, some dried cranberries at prices beyond what they're worth but the spirit was there and we enjoyed ourselves.

We had a great Christmas lunch at the Metropole, a gift from our son's family, and it was sumptuous with a local choir in Santa costumes.

Metropole ©aesta1 All rights reserved.

Other Interesting Posts on Hanoi:

Tour West Lake in an Enviro Buggy

One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi

One Pillar Pagoda ©aesta1 All rights reserved.

Last weekend we decided to check out the One Pillar Pagoda here in Hanoi. It is touted as one of the two iconic temples in Vietnam. The other temple is the Perfume Pagoda.

An old Buddhist temple, the Old Pillar Pagoda is still a place for Vietnamese to make offering and pray.It is often crowded as it is just beside another popular attraction, the Ho Chi Minh Memorial.

This pagoda was built by King Ly Thai Tho who ruled in 1028-1054. King Ly Thai Tho according to court records was childless but one day he dreamt of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara who handed him a baby son. He immediately married a peasant girl who bore him a son so in gratitude for this gift, he built this temple in the middle of the lotus pond akin to what he dreamt.

Offering at One Pillar Pagoda ©aesta1 All rights reserved.

Other Interesting Posts on Hanoi:

Tour West Lake in an Enviro Buggy

7th Day prayer for King Father

Cambodians gathered yesterday evening, October 20, to pray in front of the Royal Palace. This is the 7th day of the King Father's passing on. Over 2,000 monks marched to join in the prayer.

Cambodians, children, young and old, wearing black ribbons burnt incense and offered flowers to show their love for the King Father, Norodom Sihanouk. He is remembered with love by his people.

Cambodia Mourns for Beloved King Father

Cambodia is now mourning the passing on of the King Father, former King Norodom Sihanouk. He died in China of natural causes. His remains, accompanied by his wife and son, the current King of Cambodia, King Sihamoni was brought here in Phnom Penh yesterday. It is now at the Royal Palace. People lined up in the streets, many of them in tears, to have a last glimpse of his remains.

Hoa Lo Prison

We are now in Hanoi and live right beside Hoa Lo Prison. After avoiding it for over a month, I finally decided to go in. The entrance is only $1.

American friends I hang out with were not keen to go as they'd rather not remember anymore of that war. But my curiosity got the better of me and I went in. I, then, realized that this is not just the prison for the Americans. Built in the 1890's by the French, it was the prison for the Vietnamese resisting French rule.

What is interesting is how this prison got its name. It used to be the village of ceramic producers. All the time, they fired pottery kilns thus their village was known as Hoa Lo (fired pottery kilns). These potters were of course moved by the French when they decided to build this prison to house the many Vietnamese at that time who started to demand independence.

There are displays of letters of these brave men and women, things they did while in prison and pictures of their food and health conditions.

During the war in Vietnam where the Americans got involved, American prisoners were placed here. Most of them were airforce men the most popular of whom was Senator McCain who came back to visit the place. Pictures of these American prisoners are also on display most of the good days they have including their march to the airport after they had been freed.

It is worth visiting as a memorial to the bravery of both the Vietnamese and the Americans.

Other Interesting Places to Visit in Hanoi:

West Lake

The Temple of Literature in Hanoi

One Saturday morning going on our usual walk, I suggested that we go to the Temple of Literature as we really have not done much tourism since we arrived here in Hanoi.

Knowing that it is just an easy walk from where we stay, off we went with our map. And we were pleasantly surprised. Confucius is at the centre of the temple which is dedicated to sages and Confucian scholars.

This first University of Vietnam was constructed in 1076 and today, it still has its ancient architectural style and its relics.

Many students scheduled to take their exams are there asking the sages and scholars for help. You can easily spend a morning there understanding the system they used at that time.

Other Places to Visit in Vietnam:

Perfume Pagoda
West Lake
Duong Lam Village

Cambodia Khmer Wedding Pictures

Images of Khmer Cambodia Wedding

Preparing for the Popil Ceremony at Khmer Wedding

Holding the Sword at Khmer Wedding

Khmer Wedding Rings

Monks Blessing the Bride and Groom

Families of the Bride and Groom with the Hindu Priest

Families at Khmer Wedding

Masters of Ceremonies at Khmer Wedding

Villa Sassa in Lugano

I had been to Lugano before but at that time, we stayed on the lakeside as there were the August 1 Swiss Day fireworks which we really wanted to see. We totally enjoyed this last experience that we planned another trip there when the family joined us in Switzerland. This time, the family connected us to Villa Sassa so we decided for it.

Well, we arrived in Villa Sassa and were totally blown by the spectacular view it offers. You have Lugano in panorama and what else can you ask for? We decided to stay an extra night as we enjoyed the spacious rooms with its own living room and kitchen. So, next time you are in Lugano, stay at this hotel, enjoy its spa and its heated pool. For me, I just want to stay outside in the pool or enjoy the view with a good drink.

Beaune, France

What a surprise Beaune was to us as we drove through Southwest France and back to Lausanne. We are very aware of Burgundy but just never heard of Beaune. We arrived in early spring, late in the afternoon and found the place full of people. Buyers of wine filled the place as we found so many caveaux to visit.

The Hotel de Ville is a major attraction. Around the area are places not to miss such as Cluny and Taize. Cluny is where monasticism found its glory and Taize is where Catholics gather to pray. These are very charismatic places so if you haven't been yet, visit this place. It's a two-hour drive from Geneva.

Driving through France is always an experience of unique discoveries. When we drive through the Gascon region, we found out that it is the place where the best armagnac is made so off we went to one of the villages in Condom, the capital of the Gascon region and we were not disappointed at all.

Grandvaux, Switzerland

Grandvaux is a pretty Swiss village close to Lausanne. You can see the view we have of the lake and the mountains from where we are staying.

There are many walks one can take through the vineyards and short drives to Montreaux, Vevey, and Lausanne are day treats you can only find in Switzerland. One of the places we enjoyed was the old Roman village of Avence. There are still enough Roman ruin to recreate in your mind how the Romans ruled this part of the world as well.

Gruyere, not the cheese but the picturesque village is also just a drive away. Don't miss this one and stock up on cheese and chocolates and try some of the cheese dishes there, too.