The sign says welcome to Noi Bai Airport. Hey, weren’t we just here? That was all of two days ago. It feels like it was two months ago. We’ve been busy. Here’s a Northern Vietnam recap.
After landing at Noi Bai airport, we nervously presented our visas to an officer who looked a tad grumpy. But he waved us through, and we were in. We got our bags and easily found our driver.
Ahh – We Made It
We’re not used to having someone waiting for us at an airport. But it’s sure nice, especially when landing in a foreign country, to see someone at the airport holding up a sign with your name on it.
He drove us to our hotel – the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. We don’t scrimp a lot when traveling, but this hotel was way beyond our typical accommodations. Wow.
After settling in, we met up with friends as planned. It’s fun to meet up with friends in a far-away land. You’re in a place where everything is as foreign as it can be, and then… “Hey, there’s Chuck and Mindy!” Or whoever. It’s fun.
That night, we went on a walking foodie tour in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. There’s something special about the Old Quarter. They could put a fence around it, call it “The Real Vietnam Experience,” and charge people to get in.
Friday Night Foodie Tour
When we were there, it was rush hour on a Friday night. The real traffic was on major streets, but plenty of people were taking short-cuts, maneuvering their motorbikes through the skinny lanes of the Old Quarter. When we started the tour, it was pure chaos. I was glad I wasn’t our guide.
On the tour, we stopped at one food stall after another. At each stop, a cook worked outside on the sidewalk, right in front of us. The freshest of ingredients, deftly cooked in a flash, served with a dipping sauce, and eaten by hand. No muss, no fuss. No dishes to wash. Just amazing bite after amazing bite.
The most memorable stop, (by far), was at a vendor specializing in that not-so-well-known delicacy, sand worms. You can only get the fresh ones here around Hanoi, and only late in the year, so, uh, plan accordingly?
I probably would have passed, but they make pancakes out of ‘em, and I’ve never passed up an opportunity to have pancakes, so I was in. And guess what? They were good! (Details here).
Ha Long Bay
The next morning, we left for Ha Long Bay. It’s known for its amazing natural beauty, but it’s also a major center for pearl production. We stopped at a large pearl production and sales facility.
While there, purchasing a modest necklace for my Better Half, I spoke Vietnamese to a young salesgirl who, I think, thought I was possessed. White guys don’t speak Vietnamese. She was so freaked out, she was trembling. It was a woo-woo experience for us both.
We spent the night on a boat out in the bay. Sunrise on the bay, out among those eerie limestone towers was special.
That afternoon, we boarded our bus for the ride to Noi Bai airport. We passed farms, fields, rice paddies, and saw sights that looked like we’d gone back in time hundreds of years. That changed quickly as we neared Hanoi.
And that’s how we spent two whirlwind, all-too-brief days in northern Vietnam.
To be continued…
