Inveterate Travellers: Vietnam

90 million people and 80 million motor bikes or scooters are two of the most significant statistics to remember. Every city is crowded and vibrant, with people of all ages making a living in any way they can. The average income is around $2 - $3 per day and there is a huge gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. The country is becoming a very tech-savvy nation and there was huge development happening wherever we went. Free wi-fi is available almost everywhere, but the government still blocks some social media sites on a regular basis, as we found on several occasions.

We flew into Hanoi and had a few days to acclimatise to 35 to 37 degree temperatures and 85% humidity and explore the ‘old town’ before a trip up to Halong Bay on the coast, where hundreds of magnificent limestone islands rise out of the sea. We spent 2 days and 1 night on a junk, cruising the seas around Halong. Hanoi still has a significant French colonial influence, with some beautiful old buildings and quite a few wide boulevards, particularly in the “French Quarter”. The ‘old town’ in central Hanoi is crowded and extremely busy and we spent much time dodging motor scooters and marvelling at the industrious people. Streets are laid out quite regularly in a grid fashion and businesses are grouped – one street might be hardware street and another will be dedicated to shoes, whilst another may be electronics.

Everywhere we went we enjoyed bia hoi (fresh beer), brewed daily without preservatives or additives and to be drunk that day. It is incredibly cheap – usually 50 cents to 75 cents a pot – and very enjoyable. Eating out is fantastic with a wide range of local fresh food available and many local variations on a theme, giving regional variety. More often than not, we could enjoy a dinner of 3 or 4 courses with a couple of beers each, for a cost of $10 to $12. Sometimes we went a little up-market to ‘named’ restaurants (recommended by others or from Lonely Planet) and the cost was rarely over $20 for the two of us. Only if we ordered wine did we exceed that level of cost.

Dodging motor scooters is a bit of a game and zebra crossings are generally ignored, giving western pedestrians a false sense of security. The secret to crossing streets in the face of hundreds of scooters coming at you, is to step onto the street and don’t hesitate when crossing. The scooters will go around as long as they realise that you won’t stop or hesitate. It took us a couple of days, but we realised that we could get around quite comfortably without getting mowed down.

A couple of highlights of Hanoi were the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and the Hoa Lo prison (or “Hanoi Hilton” as the Americans termed it). Hoan Kiem Lake in central Hanoi is a lovely area, surrounded by gardens and we were struck by the beautiful gardens and plantings wherever we went. Beautiful temples are everywhere and there are still a number of Christian churches worth visiting including St. Joseph’s Cathedral in the Old Quarter. One of the best memories we’ll carry is the fantastic food in Hanoi – amongst the best regional food we’ve eaten.