Vietnam with Quoc - Part 1

1. Hanoi

In Hanoi, I started my Vietnam trip just in time for "Tet", the Vietnamese New Year.

However, this also meant that there was a state of emergency here. During the lunar New Year, almost all restaurants and museums were closed, locals spent time with their families or went to the countryside to celebrate. Nevertheless, there was a big colorful hustle and bustle in the city center around the Hoan Kiem Lake! Everyone dressed up, wanted to take the perfect family photo, and there was a lot of eating on the street. (Mainly meat, so I went hungry for the first 2 days 🙈).

You can imagine that I was a bit overwhelmed. But it also had a special charm and was certainly a "once in a lifetime experience".

When Quoc arrived in Hanoi, it was much easier with an insider by my side who also speaks the language, and more places had already opened again.

In the travel agency, the owner invited us to have a meal with her family at her home. They were so warm and hospitable! As Quoc explained to me, this is a custom. Strangers are invited to their home for New Year, which is believed to bring good karma and luck. I doubt anyone in Austria would do something like that..

Overall, the Vietnamese people are very friendly. Hopefully, I was able to capture a bit of that in my photos of the people here. They all smile at you!! 😊

In Hanoi, Quoc and I spent another 2 beautiful days together, mainly exploring the old town with its colonial influences and enjoying the atmosphere of the festivities. Red is the dominant color in Hanoi and Vietnam in general. Communist posters and the red national flag with a yellow star can be seen everywhere. Ho Chi Minh is considered an idol here, especially in the north.

      2. Bai Tu Long Bay

I have never seen a landscape like this before!!

Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay are recommended as one of the highlights of northern Vietnam, and rightly so!

Limestone pillars and hundreds of tiny forest-covered islands rise from the sea in the Gulf of Tonkin. There are several stalactite caves and also small beaches to see.

I noticed that the Vietnamese are really into legends and ghosts and are quite superstitious! I really liked the story of the bay because I am currently watching Game of Thrones and I'm fully in the dragon world. 😉 According to legend, the landscape was formed when a dragon rushed to the shore and its whiplike tail shaped valleys and gorges. In the story, there is also something about diamond-spitting dragons and the mother of dragons. 😀 (Maria, you would have liked that too!!)

We stayed one night on a boat with a nice multicultural group and enjoyed the landscape and fresh air after the stinky city. You could also see some birds of prey in the distance.

Thankfully, no one got seasick 😊!

      3. Hoi An

So far, my favorite city in Asia - along with Chiang Mai and Pai in Thailand!!

Hanoi is a very old historic trading city with Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and French influences and many small cute alleyways. The Old Town is unique and very atmospheric with its numerous colorful lanterns and houses! Trade has been going on since the 15th century with silk, porcelain, spices, glass,... etc. 

A bike tour to the countryside through rice fields and a refreshing dip in the sea made everything even more perfect! 😊

     4. Food, food, food and coffee! 

I can't quite believe it myself because I thought Thai food was my absolute favorite, but I think Vietnamese cuisine has captivated me even more! Who has ever heard of Banh xeo, Banh mi, and Che and finds it as delicious as I do? 😀

Thanks to Quoc, I also order things that I wouldn't dare to otherwise.

And there is an underrated coffee culture here!

     5. Language

I can't remember the simplest words here. It was easier in Thailand because there was much more melodic singing. Here, everything is so choppy and short, more like Chinese. Somehow it doesn't stick in my ear or in my head. But now I have Quoc 😉.

     6. Idyllic train ride from Da Nang to Hue

Also, a highlight so far: train ride along the coast through the jungle! It winds through dense greenery and right next to steep cliffs, houses, jungle, rice fields, etc. Vietnam truly has a beautiful, diverse, and varied landscape!

To be continued in Vietnam Part 2. 😊

Thank you for reading! 🙏