Ha Long Bay

 Hanoi Fine Arts Museum - Lacquered Ha Long Bay

Choosing a way to visit the jewel of Vietnam is not an easy task: so many options, so many boat operators, and so many different prices. We shopped around and decided to trust a very dynamic young Vietnamese lady (actually they all are dynamic in this country!). So from Hanoi we started our journey in a minivan full of Germans (here they are...we found them in Vietnam if not in India and in Philippines), and fortunately (well nothing against the Germans but when they are in group, they kind of speak German) with two Spanish, one Australian and his shy but nice Vietnamese friend.

Sapa in Northern Vietnam

North Vietnam is home to most of the ethnic minorities of Vietnam. They represent as much of 14 % of the total population. One of the most numerous are the H'mongs who emigrated from South China. Ethnic minorities belong to the lower social class. Some have been pushed to the Highlands to cultivate rice and corn in very difficult areas. Viets control the lowlands and the rich valleys. There are sometimes tensions between minorities and the government.
In Sapa, what strikes you first are the colorful H'mong women wanting to sell you handicrafts. They can be quite aggressive and it is the first time in Asia where we felt so much pressure. We came to the North for the mountains, the hikes in a stunning scenery but we couldn't help being surprised by the poverty of these people.

Hanoi

Fine arts musuem.
Lacquered rediscovered by young artists

Hanoi, the Northern capital, welcomed us at 7am after a painful night in a bus by diffusing communist speeches (no need to understand Vietnamese to get what it was about) and patriotic songs through noisy loudspeakers located in every street corner. Meanwhile, in the old quarter, people were busy preparing food on the pavement. And by food, it is meant any kind of food: clams, frogs, crabs, kidneys, chicken, beef, tofu....and fortunately bread to save up our sensitive morning stomach!
This is the capital: rich people, serious people, fun people too. It is dynamic but not as warm as Saigon. Wandering in the streets was a show in itself....the heart of Vietnam can be felt there.

Hué

Ideogramme symbolisant la longevite

Symbole de l'unite du Vietnam, Hue fut la cite imperiale de ce pays au 17e siecle. Les Nguyen furent les premiers a unifier le Vietnam du Nord au Sud et durant presque deux siecles, avant l'arrivee des Francais, les Vietnamiens purent "profiter" de leur independence. Un bien grand mot sachant que les frasques des empereurs Nguyen ne furent pas toujours tres populaires. Mais ces empereurs etaient amoureux des arts et furent construires de magnifiques ensembles architecturaux aux alentours de Hue en guise de mausolees. Ceux-ci sont mieux conserves que la cite elle-meme dont les batiments ont grandement souffert de la guerre du Vietnam.

Hoi An

On our way north through Vietnam, Hoi An has been a truly great stop. This Unesco World Heritage Town still maintains the beautiful charm of the old Vietnam, with a pedestrian-only center, back-waters running to the sea, fantastic restaurants and ruins from an old powerful civilization, the Champa.

Mekong delta

The Mekong Delta is the richest agricultural region of Vietnam. It is called the "bowl of Asia" as enough rice is produced not only to feed Vietnamese but also to export abroad. In the 19th century French people saw the potential of the area and pushed (harshly) for its development. In 75, Pol Pot tried to invade the delta claiming it as a Khmer territory. So Vietnamese had to defend this strategic area, straight after the end of the Vietnam war, and invaded Cambodia. It eventually led to Pol Pot terrible regime's fall.

Saigon

Saigon: oubliez les images romantiques d'Indochine. Saigon ou Ho Chi Minh, du nom du pere de la nouvelle Republique socialiste Vietnamienne, est la ville la plus dynamique de ce pays. De gratte-ciels en elegantes boutiques de mode, elle est la preuve de l'ouverture a une societe de marche controlee et de l'afflux des investissements etrangers. Il faut se promener vers Cho Long, le quartier Chinois, pour retrouver une atmosphere plus ancienne. Il en est ainsi des villes asiatiques: table rase du passe et constructions nouvelles est la loi.