After an incredibly peaceful, computer and television free two days at Ki Em, we said goodbye to the staff and all the dogs, had our final watermelon juice and piled into the van for the two hour trip back to the airport. We arrived for our 6:50 flight at 5:20, only to realize the flight was at 5:50. Thankfully, the airport only has 6 gates, so we boarded with time to spare and before we knew it, we were in Hanoi. Brad and Steph's great connections hooked us up with a friends and family rate at the gorgeous Intercontinental Hotel on the lake, a sprawling campus of pavilions reaching out into the water, when you look out the window, it almost feels like you're floating. A quick change of clothes (the weather went from 75 and sunny to 60 and misty) and we reconvened in the lobby to meet Brad's friend Ben, a UW-alum New Yorker who's been living in Vietnam for 12 years and has been a wealth of information for us. He took us to a great dinner at Highway 4 that started with spring rolls filled with fried fish, dill and wasabi - amazing, and followed by sticky rice with beef and clams loaded with basil. To drink, a rice wine flavored with Chinese herbs, known for enhancing certain aspects of human nature, i.e. virility, and tasting mostly like flavored cough syrup - and there were LOTS of flavors:
Upon returning to the hotel, some of us went to bed and some of us went out drinking and hookah smoking. I'll let you guess which ones. In the morning, we went out in search of more good food and some adventure. Hanoi is much easier to navigate than Saigon, so much to see, and much nicer sidewalks (in most places) and a few less mopeds blocking your way (in some places).
Breakfast was at a fantastic outdoor restaurant with tables in the middle and stands encircling them, you could walk around and point at what you wanted or sit and choose from the menu. There was nothing that wasn't available. We had pho, shrimp pancakes, crab spring rolls and noodles with shrimp.
Beautiful little streets and alleys, all bustling with activity. On every corner, and down every alley, there are men and women cooking and eating: soups, greens, fruits, ducks with eyes and tongues a-bulging, hot dogs, fried dough, fried bananas, things that look amazing, and many that don't.
All day, people are burning piles of fake money on the sidewalk. Brad says it's to offer prosperity to their ancestors, but he also says it realeases carbon poisoning into the air. It definitely emits a constant odor of burning hair.
Countless art galleries taught us about the Vietnamese technique of lacquering, and when we'd seen all we needed to see, we met up with Ben and his adorable son Josiah for a break. We sat on the terrace of his brother-in-law's cafe overlooking the streets. The traffic in Hanoi is reminiscent of Saigon, and from our perch we saw an ambulance attempting to traverse the street for much longer than it should have been. Remind us not to get sick.
Leo and I have been in search of the perfect Bahn Mi, a Vietnamese sandwich with French influence we've grown to love in Brooklyn. At breakfast, the one that appeared was a variation on steak frites, with a slab of what they referred to as filet mignon (my teeth begged to differ) sizzling in a hot plate of boiling oil. The waitress showed us how to cut it, put it in a baguette along with the french fries that were covering it, a slice of tomato and a slice of cucumber, and drizzle it with the oil. Good, not what we had in mind. Ben took us to Church Street, to try the pate version, which is more familiar to us.
This might be the first instance we've encountered where the original authentic version doesn't quite live up to what we're used to.
After lunch, a little shopping. Leo added to his exotic instrument collection...
A quick rest at the hotel and back out to dinner. A fantastic recommendation from Ben, Quan Nem had three things on the menu, and they were out of one. It didn't matter, because the crab spring rolls were the thing to have. We were told there were four in an order, we were not told that each was the size of your forearm. Insanely delicious.
A late night mojito with Ben, and we were exhausted. We thought a relatively early night was in order since tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and only the shadow (and Ben) knows what's in store for us then.... Can't wait to find out.
xoxo
Trixie
1 comment:
I want i want i want those crab rolls.
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