See Monkey Travel: Vietnam: Hanoi

We left Hue as Typhoon Nari was approaching Vietnam just to the south of us. Luckily, we were heading away from the storm and only experienced rain and heavy winds as a result. We boarded the sleeping bus in the rain and noticed that not all sleeping buses are created equal. The assistant driver assigned me to a seat way in the back (next to the toilet, but that’s not the point). This seat happened to be just a few inches shorter than the rest in terms of legroom – which is sparing to begin with. Sam, seated ahead of me, didn’t believe my seat was any different and we switched so he could see for himself.

Yes, the seat was very small.

I pleaded with the assistant driver to take another open seat and was granted my wish – those extra inches made a huge difference and I was a happy passenger. The ride was uneventful and we arrived in Hanoi about 12 hours later at 6am.

Good morning, Hanoi moto drivers.

We escaped the crowd of moto drivers and walked around Hanoi for a few hours, stopping every once in a while for a coffee or snack. It is a very spread out city, with low buildings and motorbike traffic that is stereotypical of Vietnam – consistently chaotic.

St Joseph Cathedral.

Sidewalk barbershop.

Oh, the wires.

Playtime.

Around Hanoi.

Sunset.

Typical traffic.

It was pretty rainy for most of our stay in Hanoi, so we spent a lot of our exploration time sitting in restaurants and cafes. I discovered my favorite Vietnamese dish – bun bo nam bo (noodle beef, nam bo style). Sam made friends with some Vietnamese men who wanted to buy him a beer even though they couldn’t speak to each other. This led to lots of hand gestures, charades and awkward moments of acceptance that we just couldn’t understand one another. Even so, it was a nice way to pass the afternoon and escape the dreary drizzle outside.

Plastic bags with a hood are all the rage on rainy days.

Bun bo nam bo: delicious + fun to say!

Pho xao (fried pho noodles).

Com (rice) dish with your choice of toppings.
Here: morning glory (vegetable), BBQ pork and peanuts.

Sam and his new friend.

At the times when it was clear enough to walk around, I enjoyed seeing the many different lakes that are scattered around the city. One minute we’d be winding down narrow alleyways and the next we’d be confronted with a lake surrounded immediately by buildings – like a central courtyard to the neighborhood.

Ho (lake) Guom in the Old Quarter.

Neighborhood lake/pond.

One thing that wasn’t so thrilling (in my opinion) about Hanoi was the often-advertised and displayed local delight – tit cho (dog meat). I asked a local guy what he thought of dog meat and he said of course he liked it, “it makes man strong.” Aside from the random cooked dog sightings, the markets were exciting to stroll around – full of many more palatable food options and noisy vendors.