Lessons from my third trip to Hanoi
Those who read some of my previous posts, or even just mentioned the country around me, know that I absolutely LOVE Vietnam. It’s absolutely one of my favorite countries in the world to visit. To me, I feel so at home every time I go. It feels so comfortable to me and gives me the biggest feeling of joy. But one thing anyone familiar with Vietnam will realize is how drastically different the country is depending on where you go. I’ve been to Hanoi the most, so I thought I’d leave you with a few quick lessons that I learned on my most recent trip there - this time with Justin.
Lesson 1: Maybe Hanoi isn’t quite as cool as I thought it was
This cat may also be a little over it with Hanoi
I’ve now been to Hanoi three times. The first time I went I was smitten. I truly loved it. It wasn’t so much that there was a ton to do, it was just the feel of the city. I couldn’t get enough. So when I had the chance to go again, I jumped on it. This time I was able to share it with two of my brothers that I brought with me. Though I didn’t have the same excitement as the first time, it was still really exciting to get to share a place I loved with others. The third time was… well… different.
Maybe I needed to stay in a different part of the city, or maybe the previous times I was just so enamored with Vietnam’s culture rather than Hanoi specifically (and I absolutely still am). Or maybe the excitement of a new place had worn off. Whatever it was, this time I had a lot less enthusiasm for the city this time around. It was a lot of walking in the road (you quickly learn that in Vietnam, sidewalks are for vendors and scooter parking, not walking) and dirt and pollution and honking.
However, Vietnam overall is still just as cool and I will continue to relish in each trip I get to make there. I still can’t wait to go back.
Lesson 2: Don’t visit during Chinese New Year
Many would think that Chinese New Year, being such a grand celebration in Vietnamese culture, would be an excellent time to visit a city like Hanoi. Surely they must have tons of decorations and markets and festivals! This is not exactly untrue leading up to the holiday - there were decorations and fun things around and new seasonal items - but the actual holiday itself is exactly the opposite. Chinese New Year is a time for people to be with their families, which means that most vendors and restaurants close up shop for at least a few days, if not longer (some as long as two weeks!), and everyone heads home. So unless you have an in with a local Vietnamese family, you’re much less likely to find much excitement.
Lesson 3: Wear sneakers. Plan to get them dirty
Okay, so maybe the tons of walking part was because we did several tours and we’re big walkers when we travel anyway. We walk everywhere and very often will put in 7-10 miles in a day (I kid you not). But even if you don’t plan to walk a ton, you should still wear sneakers. First off, the streets are dirty as hell. My Hokas were still relatively white when I arrived. When I left, they were gray. And no, we didn’t walk in puddles, or through any mud bogs. It’s just that dirty to walk around. I wore flip flops one day with pants that brushed the tops of my feet. At the end of the day when we got back to the hotel room, I was horrified at the state of my feet. I had to wash them off because they looked like I didn’t own shoes or something. Secondly, when you stay in the old quarter, and some other places too, you’re competing with cars, motorbikes, other people, vendors, and anything else imaginable for walking space. I lived in constant fear of something running over my toes.
Lesson 4: There’s still more history to learn
Since I was so busy with work leading up to the trip, Justin (being the kind and considerate soul that he is) took it upon himself to find a ton of local tours and activities we could do and booked five of them for us. One did end up getting cancelled, so we only did four tours overall, but that’s really not too shabby for an extended weekend abroad. We had:
“Not to go alone places” tour where we visited the black market (part of the market is called the “Sky Market” because the stuff sold there must have “fallen from the sky…”), went through some local government housing, and ended at the new railway market area.
Food tour (as per usual for us)
Scooter tour around the city
Knife making experience, which Justin wrote about in our previous post
All of these tours, except the food tour, included a lot of history. The “Not to go alone places” started with a half-hour primer of over a thousand years of Vietnam’s history. The scooter tour included a ton about the Vietnam war specifically and Buddhism in Vietnam. The knife making experience included history about the village-turned-suburb we were in. Though the food tour didn’t include much in the way of history, there was at least a nugget or two, and other food tours I’ve been on in Hanoi included quite a bit.
Lesson 5: Vietnam has some of the best signs
No really. They’re cute, or clever, or sometimes both. Here are a few that I loved so much I needed a picture of them.
Lesson 6: Roti is not what you think here, but Roti Kind is absolutely king of them all
As with any good meal, I’ve saved my most delicious and sweet lesson for the end. Familiar with roti? If so, you’re probably thinking of one of India’s round flatbreads. Or you may even be thinking of the “flying roti” version you can find a lot in Malaysia and Thailand where whip around a stretchy dough, stuff it with toppings, and cook it in front of you, with the end result being somewhat similar to a crepe but better. Roti in Hanoi is none of these things. Instead, it’s a large-ish bun with fillings baked with craquelin on top. It’s kind of a simple snack/dessert, but it’s so, so good! And there’s only one place you need to ever concern yourself with getting them - King Roti. Trust me on this one. I’ve tried a couple others, and I always end up going back to King Roti because they are the best.
Full disclosure: not my image. It’s from Trip Advisor.