Day 4 - Hanoi and Ha Long - Part 3

August 19, 2019 Matthew Johnson

From Hanoi we rode in the shuttle bus out to Ha Long. It’s about a 2 hour drive. Our driver made a pit stop at this roadside pearl shop. I guess Ha Long is known for its pearl industry. I think every tourist bus stopped here and I’m pretty sure the drivers get some kind of kick back for stopping. We sure didn’t ask to stop. But it worked for them. We ended up buying several gifts.

The area next to the pearl stand was very picturesque

My brother-in-law Lam and I tried some local beer while we waited to board the boat. It was pretty good!

Wonder which one we’re boarding? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

We were super impressed with the accommodations on board the boat. The rooms smelled like jasmine and everything was clean and beautifully put together. It felt so luxurious!

First on the agenda we met the crew and listened to a safety briefing (and had a drink or two) while we ate lunch. 😊

After lunch we convened on the top deck to watch the scenery and took a group photo for this years holiday card.

Up next, kayaking and swimming!

Day 4 - Hanoi and Ha Long - Part 2

August 19, 2019 Matthew Johnson

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The day started off early with a bowl of Pho from a place just a couple of blocks from our hotel. When we arrived at around 7am there was no line. The soup was some of the best I’ve ever had.

Hailey and I liked the broth so much we drank every last drop from our bowls! That’s how you know it’s really good.

I asked the owners if I could take a photo of the cooking pots. They said yes. It smelled aromatic and full of flavor. They obviously go through a lot of beef bones making the broth each day. They said they open at 6am, close for the hot afternoon period, and then open again for the evening/night. They run out of soup every day.

After a fulfilling breakfast we walked about half a mile to the train track shops. I don’t know if this area has an official name, but I do know that one of the things we really wanted to see were these shops that open up right onto the tracks. All the shops know the schedule and so will pull back any wares before the train comes roaring past.

The video in the previous post shows what that looks and sounds like from the 2nd floor of a tiny coffee shop.

We were the subjects of this photo shoot!

The coffee here was fantastic, strong and full of aroma. They had an egg cream cafe that we tried. The owner told us to be sure to not stir it, drink the coffee and foam all together. It was sweet, salty, a bit sour. Another coffee to add to my list of favorites!

After a bit of sight seeing, marveling at the way the train rushes past all the shops, and drinking our coffee, we headed back to the hotel to check out and pile into a bus for the 2 hour drive to Ha Long.

Up next, Ha Long Bay. One of UNESCO’s Seven Natural Wonders Of The World. Stay tuned!

Day 4 - Hanoi and Ha Long - Part 1

August 17, 2019 Matthew Johnson

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Not sure if I’ll be able to post again today because we’re headed out onto Ha Long Bay to spend the night in a boat. I did want to share this though before we leave. This was soooo cool!

Day 3 - Hanoi

August 17, 2019 Matthew Johnson

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The day started early with a first breakfast at a small noodle restaurant half a block away from our hotel. The soup was aromatic and satisfying.

After that we went back to the hotel to check out and have a second breakfast at the hotel, because the food there was also very good and not everyone wanted to get up early for noodle soup.

Then off to the airport for our flight to Hanoi. The cab ride there was another opportunity to see Ho Chi Minh City traffic. It flows a bit like water. Everyone knows how to behave and communicate with the light tapping on the horn. The honking is to let others know you’re there not so much to express anger at other drivers.

Once at the airport we went through security. This was different than in the United States. We were allowed to bring full water bottles through. We did have to take our shoes off and empty our pockets though.

Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:35. It ended up being delayed. Turns out that VietJet books a flight every hour and then just cancels one if it’s not full enough and moves all those passengers to the next flight. Well, that gave us some time to get another meal! There was pho, banh mi, and a other local specialties for sale. The kids had pho, and a banh mi and I had a banh mi. It was good. Not the best ever, certainly tastier than a lot of airport food I’ve eaten.

The trip to the plane was fun. We all piled onto a transit bus and drove out onto the tarmac. It had just finished a torrential rain and the air was heavy with humidity.

Once in Hanoi it was all food and sight seeing.

This was a true street food experience. The food was absolutely amazing!

Tomorrow morning we head out to Ha Long Bay for a night in a boat motoring around the Bay!

Day 2 - Ho Chi Minh City - Part 2

August 16, 2019 Matthew Johnson

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After lunch we headed back to the hotel for some downtime in our air conditioned rooms. It was getting hot and humid outside.

So many interesting side streets and alleyways.

Feeling refreshed we decided to head to the river and see the “fancy” part of town. This area is being heavily developed with many chain store brands and high rise skyscrapers. It retains some of the colonial style as the City Hall building is in this part of town.

And you can get boba on your Frappuccino here too

Tredle machine exhibit. We stopped back here later for dinner. It’s attached to a big indoor food court.

We all think this looks like Stark Tower. Avengers assemble!

But to get to the riverside boardwalk we had to cross two very busy streets! 😱

And almost as soon as we made it across the street the skies opened up and we had a firsthand experience of the rainy season. ☔️

We couldn’t get these 50 cent ponchos on fast enough!

Needing to get inside and also being a bit hungry we found an indoor food court were everyone could hunt out and choose the type of food they wanted. Plus the restaurant had some neat architectural and design details. All the table stands we’re made from old tredle sewing machines for instance.

Dried off and warmed up we headed out to walk back to the hotel. The lit up buildings and wet roads and sidewalks made for some good photo opportunities.

Later that evening Tien, Noah, Hailey and me headed back out to the night market one more time for a light snack and more sightseeing.

And that was the end of day two. A day full of exploring, time with family, and some crazy adventure.

Tomorrow morning we take a flight to Hanoi.

More adventure to come. Stay tuned!