Hoan Kiem Lake Sunset

Hồ Hoàn Kiếm or Lake of the Returned Sword is at the very heart of the Old Quarter in Hanoi.

I was planning to watch the sunrise at the lake during our trip but failed to wake up early even once. But I guess watching the glorious sunset more than makes up for it. It was unplanned, we simply didn’t know what to do while waiting for the puppet show to start. Since Hoan Kiem Lake was just right in front of us, it seemed sensible to just sit there and wait for the sun to set.

It was magical to see the sky turn pink and purple and orange and all at once. The wondrous reflection of the buildings over the lake even made it more beautiful. I realized then that I haven’t watched the sunset for such a long time. There are way too many tall buildings in Makati obscuring the view. I suddenly missed my college campus, but that’s for another story.

Maybe I’m just so deprived of sunsets that seeing the one at Hoan Kiem Lake had such a great effect on me. My opinion of Hanoi depended heavily on that sunset. So yes, I pretty much have high regards for the city. It’s one of the highlights of my travel, and to think that it was only coincidental that I was sitting right there witnessing the sky turned from one color to another.

I heard that the sunset at West Lake is pretty marvelous as well. But the one at Hoan Kiem Lake isn’t so shabby either. 🙂