14 January 2024
Our first trip in 2024 was to a country that had long been on our to-do list - Vietnam. Mylene had already been there over twenty years ago and was keen to see how it had changed. For me, it was a first visit and it did not disappoint: a land of staggering natural beauty and cultural complexities, of dynamic megacities and hill-tribe villages. Vietnam was utterly compelling.
We started our journey in Hanoi which we also used as a base for exploring other locations in the North. Mylene was amazed at the changes there. In the late 1990’s cars were still scarce as the government kept outsiders at bay. Now the city seemed bent of catching up; its streets surge with scooters vying for right of way amid the din of constantly blaring horns while all around, layers of history reveal the periods of the French and Chinese occupations that failed to break the resilience of the proud Hanoians.
Our first stop was at the Museum of Ethnology to find out more about Vietnam's ethnic minorities (there are 54 in total). It houses well-presented tribal art, artefacts and everyday objects gathered from across the country, including examples of traditional village houses. Located about 7km from the city centre, in the Cau Giay district, it was well worth risking life and limb on a Grab motorbike (about 40,000d) to get there.
Our hotel was conveniently located close to the Ho Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter. The ramshackle pagoda of Thap Rua on an islet near the southern end is often used as an emblem of Hanoi. Every morning from around 6am local residents practice t’ai chi on the shore and in the afternoon young women dress up in traditional costume for photoshoots.
A more sinister site was the remains of the former Hoa Lo Prison, ironically nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by US prisoners of war (POWs) during the Vietnam War. Most exhibits focus on the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France. Originally built by the French in 1896, its most gruesome relic is the ominous French guillotine, used to behead Vietnamese revolutionaries.
Hanoi is a shopper’s paradise and where better to haggle over the price of a pair of sneakers than in one of the many markets. Of particular note is Dong Xuan, in the Old Quarter. There are hundreds of stalls here and lots of the goods are household items or tat, but it’s a fascinating place to explore to catch the flavor of local Hanoian life.
On the culinary side, the delectable Hanoi street food is very hard to ignore, such as Banh Mi (Vietnamese Baguette) with its crunchy outer layer and soft and fluffy inside of a baguette split into lengthwise filled with a variety of ingredients, such as barbecued pork, ham, and sausage, pickled vegetables, cucumber slices, and cilantro; Pho (Beef Noodles), the country’s national dish, a staple Vietnamese breakfast and typically made of four basic ingredients: clear stock, rice noodles, meat (usually beef or chicken), and herbs. The best we found was at Bát Đàn, 25 Hàng Cá, price 40,000-50,000d; Bun Cha (Vermicelli Noodles with Grilled Pork) is one of Hanoi’s core regional dishes, consisting of smoky-grilled fatty pork served in a plate of white rice noodles.
The list goes on - Banh Cuon (Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls), Cha Ca (Hanoi Style Turmeric Fried Fish with Dill), Vietnamese Xoi (Sticky Rice), Banh Tom and Banh Goi (Fried Dumplings), Chè Chuối (Tapioca Dessert) and many other dishes too numerous to mention here. But we should definitely mention the Vietnamese Egg Coffee and Coconut Coffee, both absolutely worth tasting in this country which is really serious about its coffee.
Hanoi is a giant metropolis of 8 million souls where you take your life in your hands each time you attempt to cross the road. But it has an authenticity, a history and reverence of its religion and culture which together with its friendly and gentle people make it very appealing – definitely the kind of place you want to go back to.
Now however it was time to hit the road, a six hour bus trip north to Sapa, a small hill town and home to diverse hill tribes, breath-taking landscapes, green rice terraces and the highest mountain in Vietnam. It is also home to a variety of cultural and minority tribes, each practicing their own culture and wearing their own unique tribal attire. We were escorted from the town to our homestead for the night by some members of the Hmong tribe and the next day, we visited Cat Cat Village to see how they lived.
Unfortunately, the weather was really bad with incessant rain and a low mist obscuring the landscapes. It was also quite cold, definitely not the best time to visit the area (which would be in August/September with the rice fields a sea of green just before being harvested).
Back in Hanoi, we took a day trip to visit Ninh Binh province, which included Bai Dinh Pagoda (the most famous & biggest Pagoda in the Southeast Asia with 500 stone Arhat statues, a 36 ton-bronze bell and a 100 ton-Buddha statue); Tràng An, a World Heritage site, with a wonderful tunnel cave system that you can explore during the 2.5 hour boat trip; and finally, Mua Cave (Dancing Cave), where a climb of 500 steps to the top of Lying Dragon Mountain will reward you with a wonderful panoramic view of Tam Coc.
Our stay in Hanoi was at an end and we flew to Hue, vowing to return to this splendid metropolis another time.
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