Hanoi Part One

One LOOOOOONG travel day

Not too much to report on this extremely long day of travel. I was lucky enough to depart from my hometown and head to San Francisco to catch the big flight. Luckily, SFO's international terminal is a nice place to spend a few hours.

The flight to Narita, Japan was over ten hours. The flight left around noon so I was not tired enough to sleep. Instead I enjoyed a couple of movies, a good book, sudoku puzzles and average food. Once in Japan, I found delicious ramen, nifty vending machines, confusing toilets, and a bit of delirium from exhaustion.

I finally slept a bit on the nearly five hour flight from Tokyo to Hanoi. I arranged transportation from my hotel to pick me up and had an easy 40 minute ride to my hotel. I was never so excited to see a bed! And boy was it a cozy one. San Grand Hotel was a great stay for three nights and at $44 a night, it was one of the most pricey of the trip.

First day in Hanoi

After falling asleep instantly, I was a little disappointed to wake up before 6am. Jet lag! I spent the first couple of hours dealing with my phone. Finally, I bought a cheap sim card from the hotel and have data. I rely heavily on google maps, especially since I'm traveling solo! I finally made it to the rooftop of the hotel for a delicious breakfast and my first view of Hanoi.

I was ready to hit the town! I got some dong out of the ATM and had my first taste of the intense heat. Luckily, there was so much to see and take in that the instant sweating was tolerable. I toured Ngoc Son Temple right on the famous Ho Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake was encircled by a one mile path. Such a nice respite from the noisy city! I was surprised by the number of shady trees all along the city streets and especially along the lake. Despite the many motorbikes, the pollution was not smelly.

A couple pictures from the most photographed roundabout in town.

I was actually enjoying the challenge of crossing the street. I had read that you just have to go for it and walk predictably and the masses of scooters will go around you. So far so good!

The heat was creeping up on me so I found a cute cafe for my first coconut coffee. So delicious!

Even though I wasn't hungry, I grabbed my first bahn mi sandwich for $1.50. My goodness! The best one I've ever had!

I was ready to regroup in my room and get ready for my first appointment of the day. A massage! This would be my first massage since 2019 and it was fabulous. I chose a highly recommended place that is staffed by visually-impaired people. I can't believe it was only $12 and tips were not accepted. Wow!

It was beer o'clock so I found a nearby craft beer place for an IPA.

Here are a few random photos around Hanoi. The city is really blowing my mind!

I was motivated to see the famous train that passes through the narrow streets of Hanoi. The tourist "train street" had been shut down but I had done my research and found a section of the street that was open and less touristy. I found a time table online and knew I'd have to hurry to see the 3:30 train. After a few questionable street crossings, I found a little stool in front of the tracks and even snagged a $1 beer in time. I placed the bottlecap on the track for my first souvenir. What an incredible experience. I will definitely be returning here with DH and DD#2 when they arrive next week.

After all this excitement, I was pooped. I spent over an hour resting and napping a bit before my 6pm street food tour. Ha Tours did not disappoint. Two Hanoi natives showed us around the old quarter and explained so much about the food culture in Vietnam. We stopped at 7-8 different spots trying everything from stuffed jellyfish to egg coffee. What an experience!

First stop included jellyfish stuffed with pork and shrimp and a dried beef green mango salad.

Next was a special glass noodle dish with fried fish skins and fish spring rolls. This was like nothing I have ever tasted. I was excited because this was the exact same spot featured on one of my favorite foodie youtubers, Mark Wiens.

Some food shots along the streets.

Next was a dish originating in Hanoi, bun cha. Again, completely unique and new to me!

I was entering a food coma by this point. We stopped for fresh beer on the street and got to know the other people on the small tour. We ended with egg coffee and mango with coconut ice cream. What a delicious experience!

And that's a wrap for day one. I guess I was a little excited and packed a lot in. Whew!

Second day in Hanoi - an epic run, history, and more food, of course

I awoke once again around 5:30am. Ugh! Luckily, this is one of the most comfortable beds ever. Despite the heat, I decided to go for a slow jog around the lake. I am so glad I did because it was one of the best experiences I have had! In the "cool" mornings, the lake becomes the city's gym. There were THOUSANDS of people exercising in various ways. Groups of people were doing zumba, tai chi, riding bikes, walking, running, playing badminton, dancing. Oh my goodness! I was totally entertained and ended up running around the lake three times. Near the end of my run, it started to rain just a bit. Vietnamese people do not like rain! Within minutes, the lake cleared out and everyone found shelter. I took a couple of videos but no pictures. Next time! What an experience. Running in that kind of heat and humidity is no joke. It took a long time to cool off and I could practically wring out my shirt. Gross!

I had another yummy breakfast and really loaded up on the fruit.

I decided to hike out to a couple of historical sites. First up was the Temple of Literature. The temple was built in 1070 in honor of Confucius and also housed the city's first university. I found it very peaceful and very hot. The heat was catching up with me!

There were beautiful gardens and I was amazed by the fruit on this tree. Jackfruit I think?

I was seriously hot and sweaty and had to duck into another air-conditioned coffee shop. Thankfully, they are everywhere in this town and with google map reviews, it is easy to find a good one. I tried yogurt coffee this time. Surprisingly delicious and refreshing! I hung out in this shop for at least an hour cooling off and relaxing.

I made a plan to walk another 15 minutes or so to see the Hanoi Flagtower and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. On the way, I walked through Lenin park which might have the only statue of Lenin outside of Russian. Hmmm...

The flagtower was quite a surprise! There were hardly any tourists around (they probably all melted) and it was easy to explore and climb around the structure.

I didn't realize that a military museum of sorts was attached. It was really interesting seeing aircraft and tanks used and captured in the war.

This one didn't fare too well.

I walked and sweated a bit more on the way to the Imperial Palace. It was huge and a little confusing. I was surprised with the lack of tourists.

The most interesting part was walking down three flights of stairs to an underground bunker that was used during the war. I was all alone hanging out at an official meeting table that was used by military and political leaders.

I was losing steam and stopped in the little museum cafe for a boba tea. Good thing these drink stops run about $1-2.

I was actually getting hungry and decided to treat myself to Cha Ca Thang Long for lunch. This was another recommendation from a Mark Wiens video. This was a pricy $10 lunch (with beer) but extra special. A tumeric coated fish was cooked at my table by a cook. He added a giant bowl of herbs and onions to the fry pan. It smelled amazing! He showed me how to assemble the many items to make the most delectable concoction. I loved it! This seemed to be a special occasion kind of place for larger families. I might be coming back for this dish!

While enjoying my leisurely lunch, I discovered a highly-rated nails place just across the street. Pedicure? Why not! I spent around $11-12 on a gel pedicure in a cute place run by really nice people.

I came back to rest my hot and weary body in my little hotel room while I worked on this blog. Once I gathered the energy, I walked to a little beer place where I had a really awesome mosaic IPA. I just love how in Hanoi you can have a fancy upscale experience or a dirt cheap $1 beer.

Although I wasn't starving, I was craving Indian food. I found a nice place where I ate too much again.

On my walk back, there were night markets, people performing in the streets, and the old city had become a pedestrian-only zone. This was all very enticing but I was exhausted. My big plans of hitting a jazz club were not to be as I still was adjusting to this crazy 14 hour time difference. Tomorrow morning I am off to Sapa in Northern Vietnam. Let the adventure continue!