VIETNAM- Mountains, Lights, and FOOD!

Hello from Da Nang,

The decision to travel to Vietnam was quite spontaneous and was made in Java. Originally, I had planned to fly to Thailand, but Vietnam ultimately appealed to me more. And that's the great thing about traveling, that you can spontaneously decide where you want to go. I was just as surprised by my decision as I was on my first day in Vietnam. I arrived in Hanoi, the capital, 2 weeks ago. It quickly became clear to me that Vietnam is 'more Asian' than Malaysia and Indonesia. The traffic is more chaotic and, above all, louder than what I have experienced so far. I would describe the honking as extremely annoying :D

Overall, it is less 'Western'.

When I googled vegetarian dishes, I was initially shocked because no matter which blog I visited, everyone agreed that it is extremely difficult for vegetarians. Especially because few Vietnamese speak English.

Fortunately, I cannot confirm this because after 2 weeks I have to say that my initial concerns were unfounded. Although I have to search a little, I always find something and it is always fresh, light, and simply delicious! This is how I imagined the food in Asia!

I spent the first two days exploring Hanoi and letting myself be carried away by the city. Many impressions overwhelmed me. For example, I have the impression that life in Hanoi (and in Vietnam as a whole) mainly takes place on the sidewalk.

There, people eat, wash (both dishes, scooters, and children), park, play board games, repair scooters and other things, sell fruits, vegetables, and meat, etc. Most of the time, I actually walked on the road because the sidewalk was used for other things.

I also visited the Temple of Literature. Unfortunately, I was a little too stingy for the audio guide ^^ but I really liked the temple and the outdoor area!

These railway tracks run through a residential area. I think the train only passes the tracks twice a day. The rest of the time, the space is used similar to the sidewalks!

After Hanoi, I was supposed to go to the mountainous region of Sa Pa. After a 5-hour bus ride, I arrived in bright sunshine. Unfortunately, I couldn't go to the originally booked accommodation and had to stay in a place directly in the town of Sa Pa. Due to the weeks of rain, it was not possible to reach the accommodation. So I was unfortunately deprived of the morning view of the rice fields. I didn't do much on the first day, as I still had 2 more days. In the evening, the host took me to a viewpoint where you could see the rice and other agricultural fields on the slopes of the mountains.

It was already quite dark.

Well, that should be my last view for now, because it rained continuously for the next 2 days. That was of course quite annoying, but I tried to make the best of it. It was even more annoying that I spent the first day chilling in the sun ^^

Cinnamon tea! I love cinnamon, and this tea made my stay in Sa Pa a little sweeter :)

On the way back from Sa Pa, I could see what I missed in the last 2 days :P

After a sunny day in Hanoi, I continued to Ninh Binh. The 'big sister,' Halong Bay, is more well-known. The attraction in Vietnam. On the other hand, I chose the dry Halong Bay. Both impress with their so-called limestone karst peaks - Halong Bay in the sea and Ninh Binh on the mainland.

Between the mountains of Ninh Binh, there are numerous rivers and river arms, countless caves, temples, and many agricultural fields. Many farmers live right in the middle!

I rode my scooter through the rocks and sometimes just watched the hustle and bustle on the river

My accommodation was in the midst of the rocks.

During a boat tour, we passed through a few caves that were sometimes very narrow. We even had to sit on the floor of the boat. I'm really not tall, and I still had to stoop down ^^

A temple in the midst of the rocks. One wonders how they brought all the materials there back then because you can only get there by passing through the caves.

I made my way to a viewpoint in the late afternoon, hoping it wouldn't be so hot anymore. The plan didn't quite work out, I was soaked when I reached the top :D

The view was worth every drop of sweat! :)

The landscape in Vietnam is really beautiful, because in addition to these impressive rocks, I saw a lot of mountains and fields during the many hours on the bus. The journey from Ninh Binh to Hoi An (the next stop) took 15 hours - although the bus driver constantly honked and moved us back and forth, I managed to sleep for a few hours :)

It could be difficult with claustrophobia on the night bus :D

In Hoi An, I had another great accommodation with super nice hosts! I could reach the city and the beach by bike in 10 minutes. Of course, it was a bit annoying amidst all the honking motorcycles, but I really enjoyed riding a bike again :) Here, everyone really drives as they want - but it also has advantages when I think about how often I get annoyed by people in Germany. Here, no one complains :D

By bike to the beach :)

The streets along the river in Hoi An are decorated with countless colorful lanterns, which looks especially beautiful at night!

Unfortunately, I was there on the weekend, so there were many tourists around

In the evening, boat tours were offered (more or less insistently ^^). Each boat had a glowing lantern attached, and small lights were set in the water from the boat. It looked really nice!

The city also had its charm during the day! Especially because there were significantly fewer tourists then.

An exhibition by a photographer who visited 40 of Vietnam's 54 tribes to draw attention to the unfortunately dying traditions. These tribes make up 20% of Vietnam's population. I think these pictures are very well done, and I really like the traditional clothing!

I spent the last day in Vietnam in Da Nang. I rented a scooter and drove a part of the Hai Van Pass.

It was a great view of the city!

When it gets dark, almost everything by the river is illuminated. Especially the many bridges!

Retrospectively, it was quite a roller coaster ride in Vietnam. I met many people from different countries, saw beautiful landscapes, and enjoyed super delicious food. On the other hand, I found the people here generally very unfriendly towards tourists, which annoyed me a few times. However, the people in the accommodations were always very friendly and accommodating. Vietnam is an experience that I definitely don't want to miss, because here I got to know a completely different side of Asia!

I am now at the airport, waiting for my flight to Bali! I am sooo excited to return and embrace my Jacqui in a few days :)

See you soon

Greetings from Vietnam