Evening in Old Quarter

The 2023 Winter festive season…

S and I planned to visit the Old Quarter to look for gifts after dinner. My sister said there wasn’t much too see there on weekdays. She recommended going over the weekend when certain streets are blocked for pedestrians, with various activities like dancing, entertainment shows, and vendors selling toys, savory and sweet snacks and drinks, etc., However, I really didn’t care much about those attractions; I just wanted to experience daily life in the Old Quarter, though it’s already a famous tourist spot. I think any experience has its merits. And I believe I can always find beauty or fun in what I do or where I go.

We parked the car near Phung Hung street, a foodie hotspot. A lot of young locals hang out here. The whole sidewalk is filled with many plastic chairs and tables, and stalls showing off all kinds of foods, including seafood, grilled meat, and veggies. Along the street, it’s very often to see restaurant staff standing and inviting you to try their food. An unpleasant surprise was that I spotted a place selling dog meat, not just one, but a few displaying whole cooked dogs. To shield S from that sight, I covered his eyes with my hand and urged him to pass by quickly.

We turned onto Hang Luoc street where they sell a variety of decorative items. The Christmas is around the corner, so the whole street is full of Christmas-themed decorative items.

My sister took photos of us, but I hesitated, worried sellers might not be happy if we didn’t buy anything. Yet, my sister reassured me, saying we would be good as long as we kept moving without lingering in front of their shops. Plus, it wasn’t crowded, so the sellers would be more easy-going. 

For an easy stroll, we simply kept moving straight ahead.  Streets in the Old Quarter are very short, so it didn’t take us much time to reach Cha Ca street, then onto the next one, Hang Can.

The next street is all about toys. We found out they had piggy banks, placed on the sidewalk, at cheap prices. You know what, they looked 99% like the ones that we almost spent $45 each at a fancy store a few days ago. At that time, we really wanted to get those because they looked so adorable. But they didn’t have carved stamps, representing Bat Trang village, renowned for crafting ceramics, though the store was a representative of items from this village. Therefore, we held off buying them. 

We kept going and then stopped by a small store, selling crafted goods on Luong Van Can Street. S went inside and was attracted immediately to the Vietnamese dolls, skillfully crafted by local artists. The dolls represent Vietnamese ethnic people. The prices for the two he liked were expensive, around $300 for both. After bargaining, we got a 10% discount. S was very happy to have found gifts for his nieces. 

Then we turned onto Hang Hanh and Bao Khanh streets, intending to revisit a crafted stone shop, but unfortunately, it had been replaced with a different gift shop.

We strolled around Ho Guom, the Sword Lake, the heart of Hanoi. Then, we crossed the main street to enter Trang Tien street, where we stopped by Trang Tien ice cream shop, a local favorite and a must-visit destination for tourists.

Next, we decided to take a break at Aha Coffee, a near-by coffee shop, before heading home. I ordered “Cà phê phin”, Vietnamese traditional coffee, hoping they would bring out a small cup with a stainless filter on the top, reminiscent of how I used to enjoy it in the past. However, without much surprise, they brought a cup already filled with hot coffee and a thin layer of condensed milk at the bottom. I’ve noticed that the practice of serving coffee with a stainless filter is disappearing. I have tried various well-known coffee shops, but I haven’t successfully found a typtical “Cà phê phin”. It’s understandable that things have changed to align with the fast-paced industrial rhythm. However, the coffee retained its bold and robust flavor, perfect to my taste. Sipping coffee is a retreat to me, a moment of connection with myself, offering peace and equilibrium, precisely what I needed that night (…).

We had a fun and happy evening; we’ve found beautiful gifts for our kids. Though there were small bumps along the way (…), they are all parts of my life’s journey.