I’ve just departed Vietnam for the seventh time. It will likely be a while before I head back there, but I hope one day I’ll visit again. I imagine if I leave it for a while I’ll be visiting a very different country when I return, judging by the rate of development and change in the long skinny country I’ve almost come to call home over the last few months.
Because the last three visits were so close together I’ve rolled a few images from each trip into this post. It’s been great relaxing in Hanoi and seeing a few different sights and sounds that most tourists don’t see during the day and hanging out with Emily and her friends at night. From the images to come you’ll get an idea of what we got up to in Hanoi and the places we visited on the weekends, such as Mai Chau and Hoi An, and many different restaurants.
Mai Chau
Emily and I spent a weekend in Mai Chau, in the mountains of Vietnam, touring rice paddies, visiting ethnic minorities and relaxing away from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.
We stayed at a beautiful lodge amongst the rice paddies with views over the mountains
There was also a view from our balcony overlooking a lake with lotus flowers in bloom
Although some of the time I was more interested in a book than the view
We went for a stroll through the paddies to the local village
On the way we saw a local swishing a net around, although it wasn’t for butterflies…
It was for dinner!
Although some yearned to be free
We visited the local Hmong market and saw all the hand-made cloth that the locals produce
We also visited a local Hmong village. It was a strange experience as our guide just walked into a house and started showing us around. As our eyes became accustomed to the light we noticed we were in the living room, which contained grandma and grandpa’s bed, complete with grandma and grandpa. He was happy to have a (translated) chat with us, but judging by the grunts and snores she would have preferred we let her get back to sleep!
Finally we also went for a ride to a village a little further away
Where the rice was fully grown and being harvested by hand and buffalo
A buffalo having a well-earned bath
Us at the end of the bike ride, looking over the valleys of rice, wedged between towering mountains
Eating
One of the things that I didn’t lack on my trips to Vietnam was good food and plenty of it. I ate everywhere, from street food and local restaurants, to some of the fanciest places in town. I even tried my hand at cooking the local fare myself, participating in a cooking class where we made caramel clay pot pork and were able to sample some of the stranger things Vietnamese eat (silk worms and duck fetus) and visit the local markets to see how they operate.
Eating on the floor of Chim Sao in Hanoi with Emily (and Erin), with great food and absolutely the most unprofessional staff we’ve ever encountered
We had dinner with Mum and Dad at Morning Glory in Hoi An for Father’s Day
Mum and Dad at the Father’s Day dinner
Mum and Dad eating out in Hoi An in a restaurant on the river
My private loft for lunch at Co Restaurant – Truc Bach, Hanoi
The courtyard view I had while eating a few yummy dishes
Our very trendy chef for my last street food dinner
The aforementioned street food – charcooked duck with lemongrass
The delicious end result and one very happy customer
My last Bun Cha, one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes
Emily took me out to dinner at the Metropole for our last Saturday together to celebrate my birthday a little early. It was a great meal, both for Emily who got a double dose of truffle-goodness, and me who got three-from-three great courses!
Sights and Sounds
Here are a few images from around the place in Vietnam, to give you one last idea of what adventures I experienced, and maybe to even whet your appetite to visit Vietnam yourself.
The Ha An hotel where we stayed in Hoi An was absolutely fantastic. A great place to return to after a long day getting tailored clothes or relaxing at the beach.
This was the protest that my travel warning advisory told me to avoid… Nothing says down with our northern neighbours like a little protest sax, except for a protest sax/violin combo, take that China!
Doing it tough beside the pool at the Metropole in Hanoi, complete with free gelato and cocktail menu, oh yeah!
An eclectic cafe that I found in Tay Ho with retro reel-to-reel stereos blasting old school classics
The magnificent view of Hoan Kiem lake from the a spot Emily introduced me to, along with a great drink called cafe trung, strong Vietnamese coffee frothed with egg white
A big thanks to all the people that made my trips to Vietnam so special, it would not have been the same without them, from the randoms I met along the way to the people I travelled with. The biggest thanks I’ll save for Emily though, for letting me crash her year away from Australia again and again, for taking some great photos (as in at least half of this post), for showing me some great things that only an expat would know, and for being a great person to travel with. I hope it was just as enjoyable for you.
