From Hanoi to Ha Long Bay
My first adventure in 2015 was to Hanoi, the bustling little capital of Vietnam…Another place that has truly humbled me in the sense that I lacked any awareness of its appeal. With our programs off for holidays, my colleagues and I had nearly a week to play with…and we all agreed to see what the country had to offer. I think it’s safe to say it exceeded our expectations.
Cultures Do Not Fit Inside Generalizations
The biggest challenge was with the management at our hotel. I won’t waste too much time reflecting on that circus show, as there is so much good to discuss from the trip. In short, they were either opportunists or didn’t pass math class…a lot of time wasted on damage control of their shortcomings.
The first few days were spent roaming the streets. Hanoi is pretty unique to me when I think of the places I have traveled. This is mainly because of the chaos of traffic. Not cars though…motor bikes. There are nearly 7 million people in the metropolitan area, and 5 million motor bikes! Insane, but it’s probably quite efficient for the Vietnamese. Cars don’t make a whole lot of sense for the people. A friend there told us they are actually quite expensive, and the government places a ridiculous 100% tax on each vehicle purchase! That info makes it easy to see why you’re in a danger zone of mopeds the moment you step out of your residence.
Hanoi Lives On The Energy of The People
Bikes fly up and down the streets, each only concerned with itself. Wrong direction, no problem. Down the sidewalk, you bet. At times you feel as though you’re hallucinating because your head is constantly on a swivel, eyes wide open, thinking someone is out to get you. If your peripheral vision hasn’t improved after a few days here, then you’ve spent too much time in the hotel.
Streets are full of life in Hanoi. Most don’t have white collar careers, so they set up shop and hustle on the streets. Black market everything. Anything you need you can probably find it here. They’ll also try to sell you things you most likely don’t need. Origami. Lighters. Wallets. Lasers. I think it comes as no surprise that the vendors who got my money were selling food. I’m a sucker every time.
Vietnamese Street Food
Fruit. Doughnuts. Rice cakes. Rice sticks. Pastries. Spring Rolls. The best spots for food were the little tables set up on the sidewalk with chairs of a size you would normally see in a small girl’s toy kitchen. Seriously, it’s the norm in Vietnam. I guess it makes sense because the population is generally quite short, but admittedly a major culture shock for me.
Back to the important stuff…Food. Remember this name the next time you get to a Vietnamese restaurant…Bun Bo Nam Bo. You won’t regret it. It’s served in a bowl with a little broth, but mostly noodles, lettuce, mint, cilantro, beef, crushed peanuts, fried onions, and ginger. Let that marinate. Delicious, and we came back for seconds and thirds.
Hanoi was quite different in that it didn’t provide quite as many tourist sites as Bangkok, but nonetheless it was a special experience. Maybe it is somewhat related to the fact that there was a Shisha spot on every corner? Can’t fight it. I don’t even try anymore. People in general just seemed genuinely nice. Before arriving in the country, I was curious to see how they accepted Americans in light of the war that happened forty years ago. After speaking with a few people and other exchanges with locals, you would have thought it never happened. I’d say that’s pretty impressive considering it was a war waged without good cause or reason.
History Lessons Courtesy of Hanoi
Speaking of the war, we made a trip to the Hanoi Hilton, where Americans were held as prisoners during the Vietnam War. Hard to not feel a mix of emotions. In my opinion, any discussion of international relations and/or foreign policies should always be weighed by interpretation of its source, bias, and agenda. Well, a visit here is sure to make you second guess what you were taught in your 5th grade US History class.
The Vietnamese government portrays its holding of American prisoners as a very comfortable and non-violent experience for those soldiers. Pictures and videos of them eating good meals, particpating in recreation activities, and having access to necessities decorate the walls of the prison turned museum. It certainly is not the same impression I received from my education back home. I guess the best thing to do is find more answers from varying sources. A few things that did seem to stand with the Vietnamese case: Each of the prisoners looked quite healthy in terms of their physical stature. In addition, after being released one of the Americans eventually became the US Ambassador to Vietnam.
Tam Coc Day Trip
We knew that Hanoi wouldn’t stimulate our curiosities for the entire week, so we booked a few trips outside the city. The first was to a place called Tam Coc, which is the ancient capital of Vietnam. Upon arrival we visited a few temples, which were a bit boring in my opinion. But I’m aware that it’s likely because I have seen nearly a hundred since my time in Asia. Afterwards we had an incredible lunch buffet in the village and met a couple from San Francisco. Good people.
We made our way to the river, where we were instructed to hop in a small boat to be paddled by a local. The paddling was impressive in itself, as she carried out most of the trip using her feet! Floating around the limestone Karst topography was eye candy. If you can manage to block out the other boats, it’s one of those experiences that feels very original. We passed under three different caves, each one as impressive as the next.
Biking Around Karsts and Rice Paddies
After the boat ride we hopped on bikes and rode through the village. To our surprise, it was the best part of the trip. We turned down a small dirt road and soon found ourselves amongst the rice paddies. Perfect timing as the sun was just setting behind the limestone rocks and the reflection off the paddies was pretty special. Although it’s not the right season for harvesting the rice, we did spot a few locals working away and making preparations.
Each of us on the tour couldn’t believe that the simple bike ride had turned out to be the most substantial part of the day. When we arrived back in Hanoi, we met up with the couple from San Fran and grabbed some Bun Bo Nam Bo and Shisha to begin the New Year’s Eve celebration. The succeeding events got better. The countdown was held at a place that I believe was called Mao’s Red Lounge. It had a very old-school communist feel to it, and sure enough when it was time to close we were paraded by policemen blowing their whistles and signaling for us to leave.
New Year’s Eve Festivities
Some friends we had made showed us to Spy Bar, which seemed to fit its name quite well. But my skeptical side tells me it’s likely played up for tourists. Interesting experience either way, as you are required to remove your shoes and sit on the floor around small tables. Good times.
No one wanted the night to end at that point so we found a place to grab food. The owner was a guy named Tuan who spoke enough English to make it a pretty hilarious nightcap. He brought out a bottle of some type of rice wine infused with a Vietnamese root. Very different from anything I’ve tasted. Tuan could drink like a fish. He threw it back with ease as he entertained his guests. By the time we finished our food he was passed out upstairs on a couch. Lest we forget, the Vietnamese are a short population.
3 Days of Royalty Around Ha Long Bay
Our second trip was to Ha Long Bay, which is home to nearly 2,000 limestone Karst islands. The tour included a cruise on a small boat, as well as several additional activities on different islands. This place will always have a special place in my heart, as I have never seen anything like it and there was nothing about the experience that I didn’t enjoy. Our tour guide, Chuc, was top notch. Extremely knowledgeable, not only about the tour, but the history and current situation of the country itself.
The food never failed to impress. Each meal seemed to get better as the trip went on and there was always more than enough food. The majority of the trip was spent with my colleagues and a German couple, allowing plenty of personal attention to our questions and a specialized tour. Weather was perfect…sunny and a very comfortable temperature. Best of all, it was dirt cheap when considering the true value of the experience.
Macaques and Kayaking
The first day we sailed for a few hours to our first stop, The Cave of Surprises. Pretty cool spot. We made our way back as the sun was setting to do some kayaking. Good timing as we stumbled upon a group of Macaques fighting amongst themselves. Unfortunately those were the only monkeys we would see that week. Nice little trip though as we also cruised under another cave just as the moon came out. When we returned to the ship we got a lesson on spring rolls, a common Vietnamese treat. Very tasty, especially when fried. I got to bed early as I knew the next day would be a long one.
First stop of the next day was at an island where we hiked up hundreds of steps for a panoramic view of the bay. I got some good pictures, but they’ll never recreate the beauty of this place. Afterwards we relaxed on the beach for a bit. Next activity included a long bike ride to a village in the valley of the limestone mountains. Chuc showed us around and painted a picture of what life is like on a daily basis. Pretty simple. Imagine life hundreds of years ago and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what it’s like there.
Riding High With Rural Vietnamese
Before we started our hike through the forest, we made a stop at the local tobacco table, where we could puff on some alleged Lao Tobacco via peace pipes of varying sizes. I didn’t want to be disrespectful so I relented…I guess I’ll give it a try. When I stopped seeing stars, I shook the hand of the young man who clearly spends most of his free time in the clouds and we made our way to the forest.
Chuc made no effort to put us at ease as he warned us of how defensive a cobra can be. Is it possible to think of anything else after receiving that type of information? The answer is no. During the trek we did a bit of random rock climbing. Only ten minutes or so, but good enough to trigger an adrenaline rush. The trail itself was quite a challenge, but worth it when we made it to the top of a small mountain for a view of the village in the valley. I captured our ride back to the boat on my phone. Definitely a little risky, but when I discovered the fine tuning video capabilities of the new iPhones, I had to play around a bit.
Cat Ba Island
For the rest of the afternoon we did some more kayaking through the bay. It was breathtaking stuff. We were completely isolated. No expats. Just the local people, most of whom live in floating houses on the bay’s waters. Upon our return to the boat, we all settled in on the top deck for a nap in the sun. Next stop was at Cat Ba Island, which took us about 45 minutes to reach. Another picturesque ride with the sun setting in the west.
The balcony of our hotel room was the spot for a final glimpse of the sun. We all agreed to take Chuc out for dinner on the island, as we were more than pleased with the job he was doing. He was grateful, and took us to a local spot where we shared several dishes of delicious Vietnamese and drank rice wine, each round commenced by shouting “1,2,3 ZOU!” (“Cheers!”).
Our Last Day With The Vietnamese
The last day of the trip was sobering. Obviously I had an incredible trip, but it was sad to think it was nearly over. As we sailed back towards the mainland, I stood at the front of the boat. It felt like an “out of body” experience, like I was hovering over the ocean, weaving around the endless limestone islands. I closed my eyes and thought of all the things I’m so very grateful for. How did I become so fortunate to have opportunities such as these? For that question, I don’t have the answer. But I do know that I will never underestimate the lifetime value of these experiences.
