We checked into a nice hostel in the Old Quarter which has been our favorite hostel so far - tidy, cool, and very helpful, Tomodachi House charges only $8 a night, and they even helped us arrange some bus transfers and a great tour. Highly recommend!
We spent half of our time in Vietnam wandering the intensely trafficked streets of Hanoi, sweating our skins off, and the other half exploring local wonders of nature. Can you guess which half was our favorite?
Hanoi
Hanoi was hot, humid, loud, and overcrowded. In a city of eight million inhabitants, four million motorbikes roam the streets at all hours. Yes, half of the citizens own a bike! And they're not scared to run you over - or so it felt. In Hanoi, we learned that every time we crossed the street, we were taking a leap of faith. The trick is to find a miniature gap in the traffic (because you'll never find a long stretch of emptiness) and stare down the oncoming drivers threateningly. Then, once you get to the center of the street, turn your head the other way and repeat. It's not an exaggeration to say we thought we might not make it.
Street food in Hanoi is delicious and exceedingly inexpensive. We devoured our bun cha (pork noodle soup), pho (slow-prepared and flavorful broth with rice noodles, beef, and herbs), and bunbonambo (rice noodle soup with meat, lettuce and other veg - I describe it as a soup + salad + entree, all in one). Was the weather too hot for soup? Yes. But we didn't mind because it was so tasty, and only a dollar or two per dish. Tony enjoyed cooling off with the $1 beers, as well.
We strolled through the streets, visited Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and museum (unfortunately they closed just upon our arrival, and we never had the opportunity to enter), visited many a cafe (like the Harry Potter-themed "Always" cafe, and the nostalgic Communist cafe "Cong Caphe"), and spent time people-watching and sipping passionfruit juice by the Hoan Kiem Lake.
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| Silly & in love at Hoan Kiem Lake |
One of our favorite attractions in Hanoi came as a surprise to both of us: during our research, we came across the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater as a major tourist suggestion and source of cultural pride. We were skeptical, but attended anyways since it was so prevalent online, plus it was an excuse to stay away from the muggy outdoors for a bit. As the performance started (a full house at 8pm on a weekday, I may add), a live band of musicians with traditional instruments began to play. I don't know much about Eastern music, but it sounded authentic and beautiful to my foreign ears. Then, the lacquered wooden puppets made their appearance, splashing in the pool of water that was their stage. They were lovingly crafted with twirling limbs, or slithering reptilian bodies; a fox even climbed a tree, and dragons spouted sparkling fire from their snouts. And I swear, my twenty-five-year-old self was astonished by the magic of it all - how were they moving? Once in a while I could catch a glimpse of a long, bamboo rod underneath the water, but mostly the performance was carried out masterfully and the entire audience was highly entertained.
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| Thang Long Water Puppet Theater |
Trang An
Outside of the city, we found an atmosphere that was much more our style. If you know us, you know we are not city slickers; we feel much more at home in the countryside, away from the traffic and crowds, where we can relax and take it all in. We had the opportunity to enjoy some of Vietnam's spectacular natural treasures during a day tour to beautiful Trang An, and during a couple days' stay in relaxing Cat Ba Island and Ha Long Bay.
We spent the day on a tour to see the biggest temple in Vietnam, Bai Dinh. In a country that is 85.5% Buddhist, their temple was a national prize and is still being worked on today. It was enormous and beautiful and included a huge and stunning gold Buddha, but to be honest - and trying not to sound as pretentious as possible - after a year in Korea and a few weeks in Southeast Asia, I'm getting a bit templed-out. It is neat to see, though, how the style of the temples change depending on their location; Korea's temples are wooden with intricately painted bright ceilings and details; Thailand loves the gilded, bedazzled glamour; and Bai Dinh was a bit of a mix, which makes sense geographically.
After the temple visit, we continued on to scenic Trang An, where the recent King Kong movie was actually filmed. There, we boarded a small rowboat where local women rowed us through the shallow and strikingly clear waters, between enormous limestone cliff faces and through low caves. I wish I could describe the beauty with my words alone, but I don't think it's possible. We floated through the breathtaking landscape, and in those moments I realized a new value of traveling: the food is delicious and the people are interesting, but here I found a slice of serenity that will be with me always.
Ha Long Bay & Lan Ha Bay
A couple days later, we boarded a bus to a boat to another bus and arrived at Cat Ba Island, an easy (and more affordable) access point to Ha Long Bay, a strong magnet for nature-loving tourists. Thanks to A Life of More, a blog I consulted religiously while planning our trip, we were able to transfer from the mainland to the island, stay in an affordable neighborhood, and book a pretty cheap day cruise. With Cat Ba Ventures, we cruised both the quieter Lan Ha Bay, which was as beautiful as its more famous sister, Ha Long Bay. Both were gorgeous and peaceful, and since it's the off-season, we managed to avoid any potential crowds and boat traffic, which made for a serene experience and more impressive photos. Besides enjoying the view and an inclusive lunch, we toured a local fish farm at a floating village, swam in the bay to one of the thousands of uninhabited sandy beaches tucked secretly among the limestone giants, and kayaked through several caves. What a worthy location to be named one of the seven natural wonders of the world!
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| Cruising through the bays |
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| Kayaking in Ha Long Bay |
Vietnam truly had it all - history, culture, city, gastronomy, coffee, and impeccable nature. And to think - we only saw a tiny portion in the north of this unique nation! I agree that Vietnam is a worthy destination for city-dwellers and adventure-seekers alike, but I implore you: do not go in August unless you want to peel your clothes off at the end of the day and hang them to dry!
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