Vietnam Becoming
Ninh Binh
It was with great anticipation that I arrived at Da Nang airport in central Vietnam. My two months in India had come to a close and I was ready to start a new adventure in a country I have wanted to visit for many years. I would also be traveling with Summer for the first two weeks, then Heather will join us in Hanoi for another two. We were all very excited to say the least.
We focused our trip on the middle and northern parts of Vietnam. We considered visiting the busy city of Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) in the south, but this time of year it is a bit too hot. We’ll visit another time.
And the the adventure begins…
Vietnam is certainly a destination worth pursuing. It offers unique beauty, good food and friendly people. It is still more or less unspoiled. But I see that changing quickly. Partly because it is one of the cheapest countries in SE Asa. Your money goes a long way here.
Surprisingly to me, English is not widely spoken. Other than the kids we passed eagerly yelling out “hello!”, there was mostly blank faces when you tried to engage in conversation. It was interesting that many older people did speak decent English. We wondered if it had something to do with the war and the interactions they had had with US troops.
We had a fun few hours with this lovely man. He had worked on airplane engines for the US during the war.
Da Nang was bombed heavily in the war. Not much of the old city is left. In its place are modern buildings and roads (and some good restaurants). We stayed a few days which turned out to be more than enough. It does have a popular beach, which was filled with Korean tourists. “It’s their Miami Beach” I was informed.
Da Nang at night
A few hours train ride north and we arrived in Hue — the old Imperial City of Vietnam. We stayed in the old town, which is what all visitors should do. And what a delightful city it was, full of energy and interest — it quickly became our favorite city.
What about the food in Vietnam? Always a focus for me.
Anthony Bourdain said the local food was one of his favorites in the world. I have to add that while I enjoyed it, it was rarely memorable. Lots of soups, noodles, fried rice and pork. It all hit the middle ground. We often found ourselves hunting for chilis to spice things up. What did stand out was the bread. Pastries. Yum. Croissants. Yum. Baguettes. Yum. I try to steer away from carbs but it was basically impossible here.
And the coffee? There are shops everywhere — egg coffee, coconut coffee, Vietnamese coffee. And what do they all have in common? Sugar. Oh well, I was on vacation.
Summer and I decided early on to explore Vietnam slowly — by bicycle. We signed up for a self-guided tour. I had done one in Portugal and enjoyed the freedom and the support. We used Grasshopper Tours to book our hotels, give us our bikes and transport our luggage between stops. They also gave us bike computers to guide us along our route. We could go at our own speed and stop when we wanted to.
We picked up our e-bikes in Hue and spent the next seven days peddling on little roads and alleys away from traffic, through small villages and rice fields. It was an excellent way to get lost in rural Vietnam.
Lunch surprise
One hot and hungry afternoon we searched and searched for an open restaurant. No luck.
Then I noticed this guy and his bar-b-que on the side of the road. He found us some shade, we grabbed a few beers and feasted on the best pork belly we had ever eaten.
It was one of our culinary highlights of our trip.
Happy Birthday to me!
I was lucky enough to celebrate my 69th (!) birthday on our bike tour. Damn. I think I’m getting younger.
We found ourselves never too far from the world we left. Looking into open doors we saw people perched in front of TVs. Or we’d hear pop music blaring from outdoor speakers. The world is changing fast. More the reason to get out and see it before it changes any more.
The ride was leisurely, long and hot. Evenings were spent nurturing our sunburns in nice hotels. Our butts were sore, but we wore smiles on our face.
At the end of seven days, we finished our tour in the small village of Son My (My Lai) — where the horrific massacre of over 500 civilians occurred during the Vietnam war.
Walking through the museum, seeing the photos and a large display of those killed on that day was sobering. I was hit again by how we as a nation descended on this small Asian country and caused so much harm. Everywhere I looked, I saw gentle, hard working people living their lives. What did they ever do to us?
Our last stop before heading to Hanoi was the colorful town of Hoi An. Take a picturesque town on a river and infuse it with a bit of Disneyland and you got Hoi An. It can get a bit much at time, the crowds especially. But I forgive it. Vietnam is coming out of its slumber and it’s only natural that at times it will go to excess.
But there is one thing that you cannot fault Hoi An for. And that is its tailors. Considered by most to have the best in the country. Summer and I feasted on custom made clothes. She got a ton of new dresses and shorts. I, in frugal travel mode, settled on a beautiful custom white linen/silk shirt ($40). Coming to this town and not indulging in its fabrics and designs would be a miss.
Now onto Hanoi!
Beer Street
Heather arrival was greeted with glee. The three of us wanted and needed this reunion. Heather was ready to get away from LA. Summer was desperate for some sister love. And of course, being the father that I am, I wanted to spend time with my girls. My family.
We quickly headed out to explore.
I have to admit that at first we were overwhelmed by the traffic. The streets were in constant motion with scooters, cars and vans. But at least people we not constantly honking their horns like they do in India. Though you do feel that you take your life in your hands whenever crossing the street.
Much has been written about how to cross a busy street in Vietnam. I’ll give my take. Walk confidently, but slowly. Yield when necessary. Trust that the onslaught of scooters and cars will not hit you. They are used to this dance. We are not. Pray.
After a few days, the city grew on us. A lot. We were staying in the old town (where else?). Dinner time found us on Beer Street — where an endless flow of people from around the world nestle onto tiny red plastic chairs and fill the streets and eat, drink and what else… be merry. All for pennies.
In the morning I would wander out to find the quieter side of Hanoi. It was easy to find. In the center of town there is this lovely lake that in the early morning is filled with people of all ages (especially older people) doing their morning rituals. Moving. Touching their toes. Dancing. Walking… you name it. It is a beautiful symphony of health. And if you get up early enough, the traffic is minimal and a serene sense of beauty descends. I loved it.
After letting Heather adjust to her new timezone, we took a day tour to Ninh Binh — a beautiful nature sanctuary a few hours away. We had a great guide Bryan, who gave us insight into modern Vietnam as well as its past.
The next day we packed ourselves into a van and headed off to Halong Bay — a quiet inlet populated with thousands of limestone pillars. It is a place that is on everyone’s Vietnam bucket list.
I had heard how it had been overtaken by tourism. And in some ways that is true. You can tell that getting people to Halong Bay from Hanoi is a well greased machine. Flocks of tourists from around the globe are shuttled into vans, then boats which take you out to bigger boats (floating hotels I called them). From there you float among these geographical oddities, marvel at their beauty and feast on ever abundant, but average, cruise food. Many people stay for only one night. A mistake if you ask me. Stay two nights are you can visit the lovely island of Cat Ba and maybe ride a bike.
All in all, we were glad we came and saw. It is truly a magnificent place. And even surrounded by hundreds of floating hotels, it still held magic.
But I have to mention how unsightly the amount of trash floating in the waters were — styrofoam blocks and plastic mostly. It was sad to see. We were told that the government had shut down one of the floating fisherman villages nearbyand the inhabitants revolted and tore apart their village and cast it into the sea. Sad story and I had no idea if it was true. So maybe this was a one time event?
My friend Peter was in Halong Bay six years ago and the first question he asked me was “how’s the trash?” But other people said they didn’t see any. Makes me wonder.
Our last stop turned out to be a top experience. Not only in Asia, but in our lifetimes. It was so special that it deserves its own blog.
Next up… the Ha Giang Loop.
