You wouldn't see this alongside the road at home...

Sunday I mentioned my frustration at never being in decent position to capture the many photos I'd like to take and share here.  Invariably it's a streetside scene, viewed from a fast moving car.  Or a slow-moving-but-impossible-to-navigate-while-picture-taking scooter I'm driving.  As a result, I've missed a whole bunch of great pictures.  Last week, I missed one picture in particular in downtown Hanoi which I thought would be impossible to find again.  Fortunately, with Chi once again as my trusty guide, I found the subject of last week's missed photo-op yesterday afternoon.   

It seems that I've been using my ATM card a bit too much lately ("I told you it was the tool of the devil!") so it gave up in protest and refused access to the millions (of Vietnamese Dong) I have in my account.  The only way to correct the situation was to make a trip to the bank downtown and apply for a new card. 

The trip into town and bank visit were uneventful.  Driving back to the office by way of the busiest street in Hanoi (the Nghi Tam Expressway - the main road from downtown to the airport), Chi alerted me to the vendor along the street.  I had spoken to her earlier about my disappointment at having missed what I thought was the single opportunity I had to take a picture of this person and his products.  Apparently, this vendor isn't as rare as I had suspected.

Sitting along the side the road was a woman selling fresh fish.  These, however, weren't the eatin' variety.  Instead, each was swimming around in a small plastic bag, dozens of which were attached to the steel frame tower sitting atop her bicycle.   

Since, as you recall, our teapot goldfish had moved on to bluer pastures, it was a perfect chance to not only stop and take pictures, but to buy a new replacement or two.  So here we are, picking out goldfish from a woman in a rice hat standing on one of the busiest roads in Hanoi. 

We picked two mid-size gold fish from a bag containing a dozen or so and she carefully scooped them out into their own plastic bag, filled it with fresh water, wrapped the top with a rubber band and away we went!

And here's a picture of the two newest members of the Air Mekong Commercial Department.  They haven't yet been named, but I'll let you know when they are.

In a couple of the pictures above, you'll notice a mosaic mural running next to the sidewalk (which is rare unto itself in Hanoi) and along the road.  It's probably one of my favorite things about Hanoi, not the least of which is because of the beautiful, brilliant colors, something not too common in this often gray and hazy city.

The mural was the idea of local Hanoian artist and culture and arts journalist, Nguyen Thu Thuy.  Ms Thuy thought a tribute to Hanoi's ceramic-making history (see yesterday's post) would be a perfect way to dress up what was otherwise a drab concrete dike that ran for nearly three miles along the Nghi Tam Expressway.  All the better that her project was timed to commemorate Hanoi's 1000 year anniversary last year.

The proposed project was warmly embraced by the "Hanoi People Committee" and was even voted "the most feasibility idea" (sic).  After raising private funds, work began on the 4.9km (3 mile) project and was started in March 2007 and dedicated September 24, 2010 (just before the anniversary celebration on October 10 - 10/10/10).  It's been designated by the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's largest ceramic mosaic.  You can learn more about the mural here:

http://www.hanoimural.vn/

and here:

http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/vietnams-ceramic-road-sets-new-world-record.html

and here:

http://hanoimural.blogspot.com/



Finally, I know everyone loves to know "what's for lunch".  Today I finally tried the house specialty at the street vendor next door.  Bun Bo Nam Bo is actually a staple from South Vietnam, but has been modified here in Hanoi to account for the slightly less-sweet tooth (teeth?) most Hanoians have.

It's no wonder the restaurant bears the same name as it's most famous dish.  Bun Bo Nam Bo is a big bowl of rice noodles, bean sprouts, beef, fried onions, cucumbers, herbs and peanuts along with a watery, sweetish sauce. 

You'll be shocked to learn that I slobbered up the whole bowl.  Of course, it wouldn't be the same without a ca phe sua da! 

At this point, I have yet to find a single dish I've not liked here in Vietnam.  The food is amazingly fresh and delicious.  (Ok, maybe not so much the pig's ear).