KVT – Day 2

KVT’s Diary as he enjoys exploring Hanoi in the final days counting down to Hanoi’s birthday.

KVT says: There is so much great stuff on and so much to see in the lead up to the great day that this opinionated blogger can’t get to the lot…so if you catch an event or a memorable sight send it to [email protected] and we’ll post our favorites so that no one’s left in the dark.

The city is alive with installations. Hanoi is an enormous art exhibition! The gigantic drums in Ba Dinh Square are a sight to behold.

Streets awash with flags make your eyes a-flutter with red and gold. I hope some expert photographers are keeping a record of it all….it would make a magnificent coffee table book.

Last night the city streets were a-thumping with gorgeous parades and marching practice (and I left my camera home!) and the visuals of crowds and floats and troupes were technicolor perfect. Eyes and ears were gloriously assaulted and the chaos caused by closed off streets was easy to bear (even if you had to resort to breaking a few road rules to cut corners and get home). The shrill whistles of the traffic wardens were all part of a memorable, audio-visual performance. JOYFUL.

Today, an early morning bike ride past Hoan Kiem was rewarded with the celebration of youth. Drums and gongs a-clashing and school kids a-massing. An enormously long canvas has been set up the length of Dinh Tien Hoang. It’s been penciled in with the outline of a mural in readiness for a-coloring. A MUST SEE.

The Old Quarter is one of the most fascinating installations, you’ll ever come across.

Every street is a-hung with banners and assorted lanterns.

A ride around the streets and lanes just as the sun comes up, when it’s all eerie quiet, is breathtaking. At noon yesterday- when the sun was brilliant in a cerulean sky and a breeze sent scatterings of autumnal leaves to confetti the roads and passers by- the Old Quarter was totally AWESOME. There should be a competition for best street. One of my choices is Tin Street.

Live installations that sing with muted color are the groups of Vietnamese matrons in their restrained ao dai heading to the temples and pagodas—–which are also memorable a-fluttering visuals. I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT ALL.

Last night at L’Espace the Finns presented part of their cultural gift to Hanoi. Unfortunately it wasn’t widely advertised (Grapevine missed it!) but the free recital by the very outstanding Seinajoki String Quartet was a top of the classic pops event. It’s not often that we get to hear classical music from the latter part of the last century and the works, by mainly Finnish composers, were beautifully played. After interval the Finnish passion for the Tango was displayed, passionately, and, given the chance, “I could have danced all night!” The first half was quite aurally demanding for the uninitiated, but A SUPERB TREAT from a masterly string quartet.

My six year old neighbor says it’s all TOTALLY COOL.

Related posts:

KVT day 1
KVT day 3
KVT day 4
KVT day 5
KVT day 6
KVT day 7
KVT day 8
KVT day 9
KVT day 10
KVT day 11
KVT day 12