Long train to the New Year!

Overnight sleeper to Da Nang is THE way to travel, my friends. Ok, so the bed is not the softest in the world, and sometimes the rocking got a little wild, but I prefer it to the stress of flying(which would be spent more in the airports than in the actual air) or, heaven forbid, a bus. Ugh. And as much as we stressed about the food situation - because 14 hours is a long time to go without a meal, even WITH the overnight sleeping - we really had nothing to worry about. Each car had an attendant, and every hour or so, one or more of the attendants would walk the length of the train with the food cart. And this was no snack cart, offering bags of chips and chocolate bars. No, there were pork-stuffed steamed buns and bowls of Pho for breakfast, and chicken-rice with sauteed garlic greens and soup for lunch, plus plenty of Vietnamese coffee to keep us awake all night, if we wanted. Pro-tip: Each car has a hot/cold water dispenser, so if you want to go REALLY cheap, you can stock up on instant coffee, tea bags and instant noodles, and use the hot water on board. And being boiled and filtered, it is safe fore drinking. But the food was cheap, at $1.50 per bun or coffee, and $3.00 for the meal set.
Best part of train travel? Watching the world slowly go by. We balanced our way along a track set between miles and miles of rice paddies, muddy brown and waiting for planting. We teetered through lush tropical jungle, so different from the vegetation we had been seeing in the north. We curled around mountains and along bays, water bright blue and dotted with fishing boats. We passed through the remainder of a typhoon coming from the Philippines, just rain now, but the water streamed heavily down the windows, and we were glad this time was being passed on a train, and not visiting instead. Eventually, we pulled into Da Nang station, where another wonderful transfer was waiting to whisk us off to Hoi An.

This evening is New Year's Eve, and word is Hoi An is the place to celebrate! The lanterns of the Old Town are turned on, the boats are lined up, lights aglow, ready to parade down the river, and there will be fireworks at midnight. People line the streets, crowding heavily across the bridge into the Old Town, wandering through the night market, along the river where restaurants are teeming with revelers. Out front, a small stage is set for the countdown, dance music blares and people are dancing up a storm. We take it all in, ready to celebrate, but not so much to party all night. We instead plonk down on plastic stools on the sidewalk, at an impromptu restaurant serving Cau Lao. A local specialty, it is a bowl of handmade chewy noodles topped with roast pork, sweet sauce and crispy fried shallots, and lots of fresh herbs on top. It is delicious, and way cheap than eating in any for the fancy places around us.

We wander the streets, weaving in between bikes and scooters and pedestrians, enjoying the atmosphere, when it begins to POUR. Everyone takes cover - under awnings, in storefronts, under random bamboo shelters. Umbrella vendors come out in droves and every shop has a "special" on ponchos...We get soaked. Everyone gets soaked. Eventually it stops and the streets fill up again. Midnight rolls around, we hear one countdown near the stage, but too early, we hear another one coming from a nearby bar, we watch our own clock, and somehow no one gets it right, but the new year comes in, and then there are fireworks...It's lackluster ringing in of the New Year, if you ask me, but it's done solely for our benefit, as Vietnam is not celebrating their new year for another 2 weeks!


And with that, we begin the long walk back to our hotel.

Happy 2020, everyone!

Leaving Hanoi -

It's time to check out of this comfy little homebase here in Hanoi, time to be moving south, to warmer climes - but not before a final bowl of the deliciously-fragrant chicken Pho they serve us for breakfast at Tomodachi House! This morning, it comes with the tiniest little oranges, super sweet and huddle up under their bright green leaves. We look everywhere in Hanoi for these cute little guys, and sadly only find standard size oranges. Boo. We will keep looking! We check out of our room after a lazy few hours, trying to waste as much time as possible, then stash our bags at reception and head out into Hanoi. Tonight, we will be taking the overnight train to Da Nang, and will have to occupy our time until ten o'clock. Here we go!

Since we haven't REALLY adventured further than the Hoan Kiem Lake area, we head a little further, aiming for the top tourist sights in Hanoi. First up is the Temple of Literature, a temple dedicated to the teaching on Confucius. Also the site of the first university of Vietnam, the students and disciples here learned the ways of being a gentleman and living a well-respected life. They wrote poems and essays, and were tested - the most prominent receiving their doctorate and having their names inscribed on large stellae. Presented on the backs of a turtle, there are 42 stellae on site, dating as far back as the 1100s, and all the was up to the 1700s, when the last tests of this temple were conducted.

The gardens leading up to the temple are a calming refuge from the busy streets and honking scooters outside. There are several small lakes in each courtyard leading up to the main complex, and the Mandarin-inspired architecture can be seen everywhere. Best thing? Watching people tossing coins onto the curved roof tiles from the second story of the main temple building. It's like a mad game of Vietnamese Plinko, where nobody wins!

Across the street from the temple of Literature, we spotted rows upon rows of paper lanterns floating on the breeze, and were drawn in to the Cultural and Artisanal Village surrounding Ho Van(Van Lake). Seemingly set up for kids, and need a LOT more animation(maybe because it's Monday?), the ring of bamboo houses offered glimpses into the culture of Vietnamese life, teaching us the symbolism behind much of the things we have been seeing on our travels thus far. We learned about the importance of food and share a meal with your ancestors. We learned about fishing, the traps uses and some techniques involved. We leaned about lanterns and incense, conical hats and dragonflies, and watched a family of cats run around among the displays. I can only imagine how much fun, how animated this place would be, with a guide in each of the bamboo houses, explaining the culture behind the displays.

Our next stop brought us to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, but not before walking through what seemed like the boulevard of Embassies. There was a guard in front of every gate, and the architecture and flags flying out front shouted their countries: Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, Spain, Morocco, Iran, and right next to the entrance of the Mausoleum complex, Canada! Go us with the prime location! A quick, though very lax, security check, and we found ourselves walking down the biggest boulevard EVER. In fact, it was so big that the Mausoleum was shrouded in a light haze, making it look like a painted maquette in and old-fashioned movie!


The mausoleum only being open in the morning, we contented ourselves with wandering through the complex area, filled with gardens and temples, a rather large museum(also closed), and guards in white suits who were a little too whistle-happy when anyone walked on the sidewalk. We spent quite a while just watching them panic every time a tourist got a little too close to that restricted area! Further along, we found a more relaxed area surrounding the one pillar temple, which actually IS in one pillar. We bought some fresh fruit from a vendor and relaxed on a bench in the shade. And that was enough for the mausoleum - it's big, and it's impressive to behold, but it really is just an over-sized tomb, and after open hours, that's ALL it is. Time to move on.

We killed a few hours sipping more delicious coffee at The Note Coffee, then eat what is supposed to be some of the best Pho in Hanoi(though I don't agree - maybe a close second!) and picking up a few last minute snacks and drinks. Tonight, we head to Danang via overnight train, in a 4-berth sleeper cabin. Comfortable, safe, and one of the cheapest ways to travel, plus we save on one night's hotel room! Time to be lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the train...

Goodbye, Ha Long Bay

Another blissfully calm sleep and gentle wake up on our little cruise boat in Bai Tu Long Bay, the mist swirling in between the limestone karsts, making the view outside our window hazy and mysterious. Another gorgeous sun, so dark it is almost red as it sneaks out from behind the dark shadow, hazy obstructing it from view until it is ready to shine brightly for us. Another varied and filling breakfast to sustain us for the morning's activities, eggs on toast, fried rice and caterpillar hot dogs, chunks of watermelon and bananas that taste not green, and plenty of yummy coffee. Another meal paired with entertaining conversation with our fellow 3d/2n cruisers, a younger couple from Australia who are just finishing their trip as we are starting ours. We share stories of our travels, they give us suggestions for places to see, we talk about all the food...it makes the days more enjoyable, being able to share it with others.


Our morning's activity is heading into one of the larger formations in the bay to tour inside a large cave. This cave was often used by the fishermen as a refuge from major storms in the area, but also as a hideout during the war. After climbing up 97 steps, we descend slightly into the cave, which opens up its giant maw and swallows us up into its depths. The spaces are huge in here! Several small areas branch off from the main chamber, ceilings dripping with mineral-rich stalactites, floor uneven from the footfalls of so many people before us. This cave is considered a public area, not like the majority of Halong and Bai Tu Long bays, which are protected places by the government, and require special authorization to access.

Of course, being a public access cave, you can imagine that EVERY cruise on the bay is stopping here for the morning, unloading boatload after boatload of passengers to make their way up the climb, down into the cave, out the other side to the lackluster photo point, and back again. Of all the activities we enjoyed on this cruise, the Thien Canh Son cave tour was our least favorite, though still relatively enjoyable.

Back on the boat, we sadly have to check out of our cozy cabin, with its big, luxurious bed, breezy balcony and crazy doorbell swan(a story for another time). Bags packed, we adjourn to the top deck to watch the bay pass by, limestone formations and fishing boats making way for barges, cruises ships and the tall hotels of nearby Ha Long Bay. We can see the end of this wonderful experience, but NOT YET! First we eat one last amazing meal, but the staff makes us work for it, in the form of a cooking class!

We are taught the intricacies of making a simple-yet-complex Vietnamese specialty, fried spring rolls. The process is easy, but long, so this is an activity that families save for the weekend, and everyone lends a hand, chopping vegetables, mixing filling, and filling and rolling the delicate rice paper rolls. We all pitch in, and are rewarded with heaping plates of the crispy fried treats alongside a delicious lunch of Bun Cha, a noodle dish made famous by Barack Obama. And believe me, they LOVE to mention that fact when introducing the dish! Too bad PM Trudeau doesn't have as much pull over here - there is no steamed bun or sweet fruit dish associated with our head of state, I'm afraid!

And that's all she wrote for the Ha Long Bay cruise. Stuffed, we disembark by tender to the mainland, collect our luggage and are ushered into bus transfers back to Hanoi. We get split from our Australian friends, and as good as the ride from Hanoi was, the ride back is uncomfortable, cramped and stuffy, and we are only too happy to find ourselves off again, in the middle of hectic Hanoi, and back at Tomodachi House. I find that sometimes, a poor finish at the end of an adventure can almost ruin the whole experience, and I like to keep a positive attitude about it, but I wish tour companies would put more effort into their closing moments, as often, this is what travelers are marked by the most. Still, I loved my time in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long, and THAT is what I will remember with fondness.


Our evening in significantly less eventful, but still filled with tasty goodies. Mario and I fight against the pull of sleep in our comfortable(and upgraded!) hotel room, and venture back to the Hoan Kiem Lake area, discovering that it has been transformed during our absence into New Year's Eve party central! The surrounding streets are closed, there is music and streets food everywhere, and groups of school kids are participating in activities of all kinds. Next to the post office, the stage is set for the festivities and sound checks are being conducted. An old bamboo pole dance, similar to playing elastic, traps people's feet as they attempt to hop through. Game areas are populated by people attempting to build the tallest tower with blocks, not unlike Jenga. We get approached by a group of students participating in a scavenger hunt, needing to learn the definition and pronunciation of English terms and phrases. And some of them are hard! You try to explain "Literally" and "On cloud nine" to someone who is learning English! Forget that - just try explaining it to someone who DOES speak English fluently! It's not that easy!



 We walked and we ate our way all the way around the lake, fruit in sweet milk and coconut coffee and big steamed dumplings, and stopped for one last bowl of fried mixed noodles before finally retiring to our room for the night. One thing is for sure, we will certainly not go hungry here!

Full day.

Well, this day really had it all.

It had a very early start, partially due to residual jet lag, but as a result, Mario and I found ourselves arriving first on the upper the deck to enjoy the sun rising over the limestone karsts that surrounded our boat. One of the deck hands was still mopping the deck, it was so early.


It had a Tai Chi session led by our captain (!), followed by the sun poking it head out from behind the clouds, giving us hope that the day would be warmer and sunnier than the last.

It had a delicious and filling breakfast, with eggs, toast and jam among other things, inciting mockery from Mario that I was eating a western breakfast when there was so much Pho to be consumed! (Spoiler alert: Mario will be eating eggs tomorrow!) Sadly, this was also the last time we saw most of our fellow cruisers, as we were staying on for an extra night, while they were heading back to shore after a visit to a cave. We waved a sad goodbye from our balcony as they sailed away on the tender.


It had more awesome kayaking! On our day trip away from the cruise, we got to enjoy more kayaking, this time around a different section of Bai Tu Long Bay. With a smaller groups and a more relaxed vibe, we headed on a tour around the limestone karst, stopping at a couple of beaches to lay in the sun and wade in the warm water. We also adventured into a large cave, once used as a school for the children of the fishermen. Mario relished in the self-guided exploration of it all.

It had ALL THE MEATS. Seriously, the lunch we got fed after all that kayaking, back on the day boat, involved so many delicious little dishes of food, and I think we covered all the meats - stir-fried pork, curry chicken, grilled chicken wings, grilled squid and blackened prawns. And before you say anything, we had stir-fried beef, simmered tofu and crab cakes at dinner, so yes, I think we did have ALL THE MEATS.


It had a lazy afternoon lounging in the sun on the upper deck of the day boat, followed by more time lounging on the upper deck of our cruise boat, once we returned from our day out. A nice hot shower to get rid of the salt in our hair, a strong Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk, and we were like happy lizards lying in our lounge chairs.


It had the saddest dance party in the world. A new group of 2-day, 1-night cruisers showed up, joined us on the top deck for the sunset/dance party before dinner, took a few photos, then basically went back to their rooms to hide until the meal was served. Nothing like last night, where the group was so animated, dancing and drinking and being generally festive, I'm surprised they made down to dinner in one piece!

It had another amazing meal with so many courses, we could not finish it all. The meal was the same as yesterday's, with the artfully carved, artistically presented dishes, but we, being on our second night, were served a slightly modified meal as to not be repetitive. We enjoyed a sweet/savory cucumber salad, fried prawns and squid, fried fish simmer in tomato, as well as simmered tofu, stir-fried chicken, stir-fried beef, steamed rice, and big chucks refreshing dragon fruit for dessert. We were stuffed.

It had another creamy egg coffee to finish off the night in the cool air on the top deck.

It had another relaxing evening in our "deluxe stateroom", watching the karsts float by from the comfort of our big, cozy bed.

Yup. That day really had everything.

I'm on a boat, y'all.

That's right, I am typing this from the large, cushy bed of my deluxe cabin(completely with private balcony!), while I watch the silhouettes of the limestone karsts of Bai Tu Long bay float past my large panorama windows. So we are treating ourselves to a little luxury time around, no big deal. I am loving the relaxed nature this trip has taken, but the day certainly didn't start out that way!

After this morning's deliciously simple breakfast at Tomodachi House, a deeply-aromatic chicken Pho set meal, we found ourselves stressing out about our pick-up for the cruise. We sat in the lobby from 7:45 onwards, waiting as patiently as possible for any sign that we had not been forgotten. After 35 minutes, we tried calling and messaging the company, inquiring as to the state of our trip...when a seemingly stressed out tour guide came speeding down the street to collect us. We were all picked up a little later than predicted, and you could see it in his face, if not in his polite greeting and ushering us onto the bus.


A 4-hour bus ride, a stop at a massive gift emporium to try and get us to purchase "locally-made" goods for inflated prices, and we found ourselves in Halong City. Here, we joined a multitude of other groups being ushered onto small wooden boats, which brought us to even bigger boats, one of which we would be calling home for the next two nights. It was like arriving at summer camp - the excitement of finding our cabin, meeting the people we would be cruising with, learning about all the fun activities we would be taking part in, even though we already know the whole itinerary by heart. Mario and I rush to explore our room - a deluxe suite - with big bed, big shower, private balcony, and strangely, rose petals and blooms all over the bed! Curious...

After a seriously impressive buffet lunch, we continued by small boat to a local floating fishing village, once booming but now all but vacant, due to families wanting their children to go to school on the mainland. Some of our fellow cruise passengers board bamboo boats, steered by locals, others(like us) pair up in kayaks, opting to do some(limited) self-exploration. I discovered that I really LOVE kayaking, and found that the small loop through the karsts, dodging in between groups in bamboo boats, was not nearly long enough. Upon realizing we had completely the circuit, I told the guide we were going for another round! Sadly, he didn't approve.


I loved the freedom kayaking gave us to get up close to the rock formations surrounding us, letting us examine the layers of erosion at their base, the clusters of barnacle remains on their sides, the roots from precariously-perched trees dangling high up above. We glided through the floating village, past large docks where small houses sat, now abandoned by families who have chosen to move to the mainland, or who have been forced to move elsewhere, by the government, if they want to continue fishing. The bays, here in Bai Tu Long and in Halong, are becoming more and more controlled for environmental reasons and protection under their UNESCO status, and it's not only the tourists that are affected.

A quick visit to a pearl farm, for "learning" and (what else?)shopping, and we are whisked back to the big boat for the evening. Up on the top deck, music blasts and lights flash, and the staff is preparing our awesome sunset welcome party, with no sunset in sight. Sadly, the grey skies have persisted for most of the day, keep the weather pleasantly cool, but offering no views of blue skies for our photos, and certainly no colours nor sun for our sunset. Nevermind, the drinks flow easy(easier for some!), a platter of refreshing fruit empties quickly, and everyone mingles and dances while the boat glides along.


Afterwards, a parade of gorgeously-presented dishes pass one by one across our dinner table, the meal being served family-style. A shrimp cocktail flower bouquet graces our table, as we tuck into crab cakes cooked in their own shell. Crispy spring rolls are perched on the top of what looks like a pineapple-sweet potato turkey-bird. Moist, flavorful fish, baked whole and smothered with a savory sauce, is caught under a carrot fishing net. Even the apple slices, crisp ans sweet and the perfect way to round out the meal, are carved into little rabbits, Japanese-style. I can certainly find no fault with the food on this cruise!


Sadly, the squid fishing that Mario was so excited for is a bust, though we do get excited at the fact that we can see the translucent little buggers swimming around just below the surface of the water, skipping over the waves sometimes to get closer to the light, but running circles around our lures. No midnight snack for us, I'm afraid. We'll try again tomorrow. After another lusciously-creamy egg coffee to round out the great meal, we watch many of our fellow cruisers head back up to the top deck for a little more music and dancing, but Mario and I retire early to enjoy the quiet solitude of our cabin with the awesome views. And with such an inviting bed, it isn't long before we both fall asleep.

The long, long travel day

How long can one person function on little to no sleep? We tested that query during today's very long travel day. It began easily enough, wasting time in our home airport, enjoying a nice meal in our new favorite restaurant, wandering the halls of the empty terminal, this being Christmas Eve, and NO ONE wants to be spending Christmas on plane! We have our choice of places to sit, chairs to lounge in, but the people-watching leaves much to be desired.

Our first flight, to Beijing, is a torturous, 14-hour long haul. Now, Mario will say different - he likes this new 787 we find ourselves in, with its quieter cabin, and he's enjoying the flexibility the aisle seat is giving us, getting up the stretch several times and drinking tea in the galley. I find the time long, especially with the cold I am fighting off. I watch a few movies, and try to sleep some, but with no luck - my neck cramps from too much leaning to one side, the seat too big(or too small?) so the head rest doesn;t sit in the right place...Two hours before we land I am ready to be on the ground. Eventually. we are.

Now, our 8-hour layover in Beijing was once upon a time going to include a rapid tour of the Great Wall, but it apparently has opening hours(!), and we are past them, so we spend our time wander the VERY big international terminal. Having been build for the 2008 Olympics, it is an immense space, with more gates and seating than necessary, so it is easy to find a spot to lie down. Which we do, since there is not much else to do! For such a large terminal, there are few shops, even less due to construction, and not much of anything else to occupy one's time. Walking the oriental garden wastes 5 minutes, searching for a lounge that doesn't over charge takes another 10, and the great search for the free showers, which was ultimately a lost cause, certainly didn't use up more than 20 - which left 6.5 hours. So we slept, sprawled out on rows of chairs, in the darkness and relatively warmth of gate 9.

Another 4-hour flight, during which we DID sleep, and we arrive in Vietnam. Thankfully, our Visas are approved in less than 10 minutes, our back packs are just falling onto the luggage carousel when we arrive, and our hotel pick-up is waiting outside the front with my name on a card - I call that a stress-free arrival. Thank goodness, since it is 5 in the morning, and my brain is turning to mush from lack of sleep.

But the day is only beginning! Remember, it's about 6 in the morning, and though Mario and I have arrived at our hotel, we are far from checking in! In hindsight, booking an extra night, allowing us to check in early, would have a good thing, but we'll just have to remember that for the next trip. For the time being, we freshen up in the lobby washroom, leave our bags in the care of the hotel, and leave to explore Hanoi.

Mario says, after walking the same circuit around the city several times, and visiting much of the "sights" in the area, that he is glad we are not spending a week in Hanoi, as we might run out of things to do - fast. I agree - though there are enough food options to last a lifetime! Our breakfast consists of beef noodle soup - Pho - eaten atop low tables from even lower benches on the sidewalk, which will later disappear, leaving room for a hat shop. We enjoy several strong Vietnamese coffees, trying out different cafe options, from tourist kitsch to business classy. We eat banh mi sandwiches on a street corner, tuck into fried beef noodle balls in front of St. Joseph's Cathedral, and taste doughnuts on our walk down Hang Bong street. Note to self: trust your instinct - don't accept free samples of street doughnuts. They are NOT free. Also, don't let Mario eat free doughnuts, either.

We spend a lot of time people-watching. The park around Hoan Kiem Lake( a sort of central park in Hanoi) in teeming with people in the early morning, taking part in the morning exercise routine. Groups of ladies are dancing up a storm - tango, line dancing, different choreography - while a nearby speaker blares music. Further along, a group smashes away at a badminton bird, and older men stretch and walk and do tai chi their own way. A few joggers make their way through the pack. Later in the day, tourists take their place, posing for pictures in front of the lake and the Buddhist temple on an island, touts offering cyclo rides or tours on buses. The dynamic has totally changed, and our early morning wanderings offered us the chance to seen the two opposites.

The other thing that hits me is the bombardment of stimuli to all of my senses. The noise is obvious, the city filled with more scooters than vehicles, the put-put-put of their engines only being drowned out by the cacophony of honking, a language unto itself! What gets me is the smells as we walk: the smokiness of incense from a temple, or offerings burning in a tin can outside a storefront, the savoriness of garlic and ginger frying in large woks next to food stalls, the sweetness of mango and pineapple from a woman cutting fresh fruit to sell or the fragrance of flowers hanging from a bicycle passing by. We snack most of the day, and my sense of taste bounces between the sweet of the doughnuts, the savory of beef noodles, the salty of fish sauce, the bitter of too-strong coffee. Total bombardment, heightened by fatigue.

Like another Beijing layover, we drag our weary bodies back to the hotel 8 hours later, shower off the grime of 36 hours of travel, and collapse into bed. We rise after dark, the smell of tasty things coming from a wok just below our hotel window. The streets have totally changed again, and we head out into the night for a light dinner, drinks for our trip tomorrow and cash from the ATM. The city has treated us well today, but I think the big cozy bed is still calling my name...