Well hello from Vietnam! OK, cliched and appropriate. We left Serbia on February 24th where it was sunny and 17c, only to find Vietnam firmly in winter’s grip – overcast, cold (12c during day) and windy. Who thinks of Vietnam and being cold? For gods sakes, we left Serbia for Southeast Asia to be warm! I am writing to you from perhaps the nicest hotel/bungalow so far (#3 of 12), and it is spectacular! Unfortunately, our first week here has been overcast, so all of the photos are washed out and do not do justice to the beautiful landscapes.
First impressions are interesting. The food scene is very good, but we have been surprised that Vietnamese food is sweet and not spicy. Even the sriacha sauce is not spicy, unlike the spicy Vietnamese sriacha sauce we are used to in America! For the first time in the history of our travels, Eunjae is now average height in Vietnam. At 178cm (5’10”), I feel like a giant here. People are so tiny and polite, it makes me feel like a clumsy oaf around them.
While I am rambling, shout out to Turkish Airlines. We had the pleasure to fly business class from Istanbul to Hanoi and after settling into our pod, the chef visited each seat to take our orders. Food was as good as any fine dining restaurant, and the amount of attention the cabin crew provided is almost scandalous. Definitely try the airline if you have an opportunity to fly them.
Hanoi
Met our guide Thomas (who will spend the next 9 days with us) at the airport. Quickest transfer and luggage pick-up ever. From landing to exiting the airport less then 20 minutes! Hotel is in the Old Quarter, so right in the heart of the city (La Siesta Premium Hang Be Hotel).
Today, we walked through the old quarter. Packed with shops and restaurants. We walked for 4 hours and finally had to take a break. Decided not to eat Pho today since we will go to a famous Pho restaurant tomorrow. Today we had the “Banh Mi” sandwich and it was so good. Bread is super crispy and crunchy and all of the fillings work so well. Savory and salty. Earthy and sweet. Tonight we had a food tour led by a blogger. Stopped in some honest-to-god “hole in the wall” restaurants that we would never had been brave enough to go to by ourselves. Best noodles dish ever! Also had a fried fish and minced pork roll that was really good. Next tried White, Egg and Vietnamese coffees. Liked the White Coffee because they used condensed milk and cinnamon.
Finished the night at Polite & Co for cocktails. Old school French bar and one of the oldest in the city. Had an Earl Grey and Citrus Martini. It was good but couldn’t taste the bergamot, so have to give it a 5 out of 10 in terms of drink flavor / balance.
Day two in Hanoi we visited monuments, temples and a crazy street where the train goes down the middle; it is insane. Visiting Ho Chi-Minh’s shrine is a bit like going to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Uncle Ho, as he is known here, is interred just like Lenin, and apparently the Russians were responsible for his preservation. Very austere place, and the soldiers guarding the tomb take it very seriously. No talking, no picture taking, and you must line up 2 x 2. Every year Ho Chi Minh’s remains are flown to Russia to have a touch-up to ensure the preservation is still good. Ho lived a very simple life, owning practically nothing. On the kind of creepy side, he never married and fathered no children.
Moving on, we visited some lovely temples and saw the most amazing plant called a Buddha Hand. Eunjae almost caused an international incident by referring to this near sacred plant as “Chicken Fingers.” Fortunately our guide found it funny.
Today food was so good. We had Pho and went to the street restaurants for dinner. Had the most Un-Serbian meal of vegetables and seafood, to Eunjae’s delight. Totally delicious and no pork in sight.
Did I mention traffic is insane. Virtually no sidewalks, so pedestrians compete with motor bikes and cars on the streets. Drivers do not obey traffic signals and have absolutely no issues running red lights. Our guides explained – just cross traffic by walking slowly like you own the road and the cars/scooters will avoid you. Never move fast as it will startle or confuse the driver and that is how you get into accidents. It seems to work but I can’t say it is enjoyable. The train street is another example of how the people of Vietnam have learned to adapt. A train runs down the street. There is only a meter of clearance on either side of the train, and yet people live and work on the street and have gotten used to it
We left Hanoi and headed to the mountains for some tranquility!
Mai Chau and Ninh Binh
We left the hustle and bustle of Hanoi for Mai Chau; some 300 meters above sea level. Driving through the mountains we were in a complete fog bank and rarely could see more than 10 meters in front of the car. We stayed at the Mai Chau Echolodge and quickly discovered a hotel surrounded by rice fields and quaint villages. Tons of temples, good food, and we got to ride bikes. My favorite part was the two person bike as Eunjae is a heck of a wingwoman and provided a great turbo boost on the uphills. It was a bit painful when the roosters started to crow in the morning around 4:30 AM but that is life in a village. We attended a local dance and, yes, we were dragged onto the stage to show how badly white people dance.
Working in Rice paddies is no joke, as I mentioned the weather has been cold and windy. The paddies are flooded and yet the locals wade through the water, barefoot, to tend to their rice even when it is cold. I am glad to be a retired IT worker, as farming is way too hard for this boy.
Descending the mountains, we arrived in Ninh Binh or as our tour guide said “the middle of nowhere.” A small province well known by backpackers and travelers, it is a very sleepy village that has a number of temples and the nicest hotel we have stayed so far – Tam Coc Garden. The hotel only has 20 or so rooms and is surrounded by coy fish ponds, rice paddies and manicured gardens. What is most amazing is there is no artificial noise (i.e., no airplanes, cars or any other modern world sounds); just nature and the persistent crowing of the damn roosters; right about now Coq au Vin is sounding good. I can’t say we did anything earth shattering here, just walking, eating and relaxing.
Final Thoughts
Week one has opened our eyes to how different Vietnam is compared to what we think of it coming from America. Next week we move on to Halong Bay and the Gulf of Tonkin. Look for the next update in a week.