The surging turtle at Hoan Kiem Lake (artviet travel diaries)

SAPA a missed rendez-vous
Unlike 2004, where I was caught in the traffic for hours when Viet Nam played host to the ASEAN Trade Fair, I came this time to Hanoi, a month earlier before APEC began. Needless to say, my plan was to stay at most 2 days in the city before taking off for Sapa. But the course of life often took me to a different path...

Café Des Arts-In search for the artist.

Hunting for the artist I was looking for was not an easy task in Hanoi, not mentionning the deception of having a steak medium cooked, not well done and not to my expectations at the Café Des Arts. It was somehow an opportunity to talk to Gérard Gastel, the owner of the Café, and have the privilege to share with him, the merits of his success after 9 years in business, a reward of hard labor and sacrifices. But very little information about the artist specializing in lacquer was given to me. Gérard could not be seen after I finished my steak as he left quietly "à la Jean Bruce". Not surprisingly, I noticed the presence of the artist paintings all over the walls: for Gérard, those are valued materials like the "Livre du maitre", reserved exclusively for teachers at the French Lycée during the colonial area. Definitely, Gérard kept the best of Hanoi's artists in his pockets!.

The surging Turtle at Hoan Kiem Lake(Oct 18 2006). I was strolling alone, around the Hoàn Kiếm lake early the next morning, looking for directions when I spotted " a sea snake head" surging out of the water: its size smaller than an anaconda, but bigger than a boa.

People practising Tai chi around the lake were shouting, urging me to take a picture. It was in fact a giant turtle, which according to the locals, surfaces only on very rare but important occasions. As per the legend of the Hoan Kiem turtle, a giant golden tortoise snatched the sword from the Emperor while he was out fishing and took it to the depths of the beautiful lake. That's why the Hoàn Kiếm Lake or the Lake of the Restored Sword (The Emperor was handled the magical sword by the turtle to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam and the turtle took it back after the Emperor had won the war).

APEC and what it stands for- Now what? Thirty years went by awfully, awfully fast after the reunification of the country, with the APEC (*) summit nearly a month away from now. Should it stand for A PROMISING ECONOMY?

There was no sword to take back this time, nor there was an Emperor "fishing" on the Lake but a turtle surging out of the water, peacefully gasping for fresh air. Or would she like to convey any divine message to the Vietnamese people on the eve of this summit? No matter what was the intention, her appearance seemed to be a signoff with the past so that a new area can commence. (*) Correctly speaking, APEC stands for ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CORPORATION.

Hoa Lư - It is good to be King! That morning and like every morning, there were early birds practising Tai Chi around the lake, religiously at the same bat time, same bat channel, and people like me on the banks hunting for pictures of the surging turtle. It was a lifetime occasion to witness such a blessing event, and one must be chosen to be there at the right time, at the right moment. I left afterwards visiting Hoa Lư and Tam Cốc for the rest of the day. I had a picture of mine taken, standing by the large throne made of stone of the Dinh dynasty: Hoa lư was once the Citadel and Capital of Vietnam, which made me so proud to be there.

After Hanoi, Hoa Lư, now is one place I have seen.