I will be back to Vietnam. A five day visit to the bustling city of Hanoi and the majestic Ha Long Bay was more than enough incentive to find my way back here one day and explore more of this fascinating (and delicious) country.I was told before coming here than Hanoi doesn't have a lot to offer tourists. I disagree. From the incredible food at every turn to the pedestrian friendly (well, accessible) sidewalks and parks, the abundant coffee shops to the winding alleys in the French and Old Quarters, Hanoi is a wandering traveler's dream city.
Meaning "between rivers"(Hà Nội) in Vietnamese, the city of situated near a confluence of rivers, giving the city of compact feel. Crossing the street feels a bit like being a rock slowing rolling from one shore to the other, while currents of motorcycles and scooters fluidly part ways around you. Even eating lunch on the sidewalk on small plastic stools, less than a foot off the ground, gives people-watching a new and hurried vantage point.
Famed foody, Anthony Bourdain, on one of his many visits to Vietnam mused, "All of the things I need for happiness: Low plastic stool, check. Tiny little plastic table, check. Something delicious in a bowl, check." While it is unavoidable to come across such eateries - they are every couple of steps - it is hard to know what you are eating and how to order correctly. Being new to the city, a guided food tour was welcomed and rewarding! Starting with a tame bowl of fish noodle soup, progressing to squid dishes (and some more exotic fare*), and ending with fruit and yogurt dessert and coffee, it was one of the more delicious three hour walks one can have!
 |
| My favorite of the food tour: rice noodles, tofu, mint leaves, cucumber, and a fermented shrimp paste sauce. |
 | |
| *For the more adventurous: dog (left) and half-boiled duck eggs (right) Not pictured: a tray of wriggling worms to make worm-patties. |
Despite not being as big of a tourist draw as some other Vietnamese cities, Hanoi does have it's share of sites, in addition to a number of well-manicured parks, leafy avenues, and museums, this list includes the mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh himself is embalmed for all to see.
 |
| The Red Bridge located on the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake. |
 |
| Ho Chi Minh's final resting place. |
After a couple of days eating, walking, and braving the rainy chill, we headed east to the coast for a three day tour of the mythical Ha Long Bay. Ancient legend says that a dragon came to help the early Vietnamese fight off Chinese invaders by placing islands in the way, preventing them from storming the port and giving shield and hiding places for the warriors to attack from. The dragon then decided to stay because of the beauty of the area; Ha Long derives from the words for "descending dragon" in old Vietnamese.
 |
| From the roof top deck of the Indochina Sails cruise boat. |
 |
| Despite the quite bays and narrow channels, Ha Long Bay is a aqua-highway. |
While most of the time in the bay was spent relaxing on the "sun" deck marvelling at the many steeply sloping islands seemingly tossed about at random, there were a few opportunities to get out and hike or kayak. One such stop was Sung Sôt Cave, found within Bo Hòn Island. Paved and well-lit - like a disco - this wasn't so much "caving" as it was akin to mall walking, however, the space was impressive and some of the formations and geology was interesting. Geologists and anthropologists believe that many of the island in the bay house caves within them and that they were, at one point, connected, allowing early residents of the area to move between them.
 |
| Sung Sôt Cave inside Bo Hòn Island. |
 |
| Boardwalk around Bo Hòn Island |
 |
| Quick dip: Yes, it's December. Yes, it's cold. But you might only be in Ha Long Bay once! |
Another island that most all cruise boats stop at is named after a Soviet cosmonaut, Ghermann Titov, who visited the island and said it was nice. Obviously, if your foreign comrade gives you a compliment, you do the only respectable thing and rename the island after him - and Ti Top Island was (re)born. Arguably, the view is spectacular and offers one the best panoramic vantage-points of the bay, if you can crop out the other couple hundred tourists trudging along with you and ignore the parking lot of cruise boats floating below.
 |
| Welcome to Ti Top Island! (I'm going to start complimenting more things when I travel.) |
Some Ha Long Bay photos taken by P. Shafe and L. Emerson.
