Vietnam forum

Ha Noi Vietnam

nguyennamhg

newbie
Posts: 2

Posted from within Vietnam.

Indochina’s old dame, Hanoi is striving to modernize, yet unwilling to let go of the beauty of its glorious past. Slightly vain, the city won’t bow down and give any tourists and easy time. Only those who are truly willing to understand and listen will recognize the logic of Hanoi's beauty, the complexity of its chaos and peace, its urban speed and rural tranquility.

History and name
Hanoi used to be called Thang Long (flying dragon). The myth was that in 2010, the new king Ly Cong Uan while visiting this valley saw a dragon flying into the sky, and took this as an omen that this place was a suitable capital to rule. Thang Long had rich soil and good defense because it was surrounded by the Red River and backed by mountains.
The city was later renamed Hanoi (which means inside the river) in 1831 when the Nguyen dynasty moved capital to Hue. Hanoi was returned its status as capital during the French rule from 1887 to 1954, and continued to be the capital, first of Communist North Vietnam (from 1954) and later, of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
As of 2008, Hanoi will be expanded to include the surrounding province of Hatay and parts of Ha Dong, to a size of 3.200km2 and population of over 6 million people.
Getting there and around
Most visitors will land at Noi Bai international airports through one of the following airlines:
• Vietnam Airlines - the primary national carrier
• JetStar Airlines (tel: 84-4 9550550) - discount Vietnamese carrier
• Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Airlines fly daily to Hanoi from Kuala Lumpur
• Cathay Pacific - upscale airline with flights to Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Airlines - new carrier with daily flights to/from Hong Kong
• Thai Airways International - two flights daily to/from Bangkok
• Lao Airlines – operating flights from Phnom penh to Hanoi
• Nok Air - budget airline flies to/from Bangkok
• Tiger Airways
It takes around 40-60 minutes to get to the city downtown from the airport by taxi and costs 30 US$.
By train

Vietnam’s major north-south train, the Reunification Express, runs from Hanoi south to central Vietnam (Hue and Danang) and then further to Ho Chi Minh City (more than 30 hours from Hanoi).

By bus

Hanoi is the main gateway for buses run from north to south on the coast of Vietnam. There are daily bus routes from Hanoi to all cities around Vietnam at Kim Ma, Giap Bat, Luong Yen and Gia Lam bus station.
You can readmo re in http://nichetravel.com.vn

#1 Posted: 15/3/2010 - 14:50
MADMAC

mahout
Posts: 4001

Hanoi has a small salsa scene.

#2 Posted: 16/3/2010 - 00:51

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Victory in Pattani
Archmichael

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Posts: 379
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MAC: You are an unending fount of intriguing information.

I assume you mean salsa as in music, by the way, versus salsa as in Mexicano food (which I would be sort of surprised to find in Ha Noi, but not totally, now that I think on it).

Are there any actual salsa clubs?

I did see a reggae place in the Old Quarter, last time I was there, so it's a small stretch to envision salsa (or burritos, for that matter).

#3 Posted: 16/3/2010 - 09:47
MADMAC

mahout
Posts: 4001

Indeed my friend, Hanoi has a small salsa dance scene. The leader of that scene is a woman named Do Sao Mai, who is absolutely lovely and a world class dancer.

#4 Posted: 16/3/2010 - 10:20

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Victory in Pattani
Archmichael

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Ah, what fun! I'll have to find out more before my next trip there.

Salsa in Ha Noi.
Break dancing in Phnom Penh.

What a world!

#5 Posted: 16/3/2010 - 10:23
MADMAC

mahout
Posts: 4001

I actually had a guy tell me I shouldn't be teaching salsa here because it's not part of the local culture! As if Thai or Lao people shouldn't be allowed to dance anything other than their traditional dances. Talk about ridiculous.

#6 Posted: 16/3/2010 - 21:04

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Victory in Pattani
Archmichael

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Quite agree, MAC. Apropos of that is a link I posted elsewhere on TF --- I think you also posted on there (it was a digression on the Robert McNamara thread) --- about the '60s music scene in Cambodia. There's a link to a youtube video (a movie trailer, I think) that shows a Cambodian group from looks like around 1967. Total look-alikes for any number of American bands of the period: matching outfits, the moves, the whole thing, and they were into it.

Man, where would we be without cultural cross-pollination? No blues, no rock & roll, among other things. I think here also of Ali Farke Toure (of Mali) and others whose take on their culture's music has been shaped by other influences, from other parts of the world. "Playing for Change" works off this a bit, as well.

To go back to that guy's comment: So, basically he's saying let's keep them "natural" and therefore (quaintly) "authentic"? Sorry, it's way too late for that. And in any case, no matter how many Thais, Lao, or Chicagoans go for salsa, there will always be plenty of others who wish to hone to traditional ways of expression. Gotta love it all.

#7 Posted: 16/3/2010 - 21:42