At the snake restaurant

Cobra on the restaurant floor, Le Mat snake village, Long Binh District, East Hanoi

Meeting the Cobra, Le Mat snake village, Hanoi outskirts.

Cobra close-up (making do with my short lens that is), Le Mat snake village, Hanoi outskirts.

Meet your potential entree!

Cobra with the restaurant manager on his cell.

A LONG TAXI RIDE took me over the Red River and into Long Bien District, where I was finally dropped off at a large restaurant, down a narrow lane. I had arrived in the village of Le Mat, well known for it's long tradition of catching and serving up snakes for dinner. Nowadays, as there there are no longer any reptiles left to be caught, families breed them for the growing restaurant trade and the newly rich. The establishment I visited looked like something out of the Nguyen court. Ornate wood carved panels, large porcelain pieces and heavy traditional furniture graced these sumptious surroundings.

As this was the midway point between my breakfast and lunch I was not too interested to sample reptilian delights stretched out over numerous courses. In fact, given the somewhat frightening subject matter, I just wanted get my pictures and go! The result are these not especially well taken photos.

So why the trip out to Le Mat to look at a snake? A certain fascination I suppose, stretching all the way back to childhood. Before the trip I was aware of the snake village and so it joined the list of assorted trip things to do. In the end I got to meet my cobra.






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