Days 1-4: Hanoi

When we stepped off the bus into the capital of Hanoi, we were hit by its energy. There was a shock of trees, street vendors, cars, pedestrians, and motorbikes. We were staying in the old quarter of Hanoi, and the streets were small and cramped. It seemed as if every inch of the roads and sidewalks were covered with buzzing motorbikes or parked motorbikes. There were women wearing rice hats selling fruit, clothing, and flowers on their pushable carts. It was almost impossible to navigate as there were motorbikes parked on the sidewalk and motorbikes zooming all over the roads. Where there were no motorbikes, there were small plastic tables and little stools for the street food restaurants. We inched our way to our hostel, zigzaging to avoid many obstacles.

After checking into our room, we walked to a pho restaurant which happened to be down a narrow alley and up stairs in an old woman’s living room. She had no menu and served only one item: pho. It was the best meal I’ve had on the trip so far. There was so much flavor in the broth, and the beef and noodles were perfectly cooked. We started our Vietnamese trip off with a bang.

The following days, we visited the museum and walked by the shrines, temples, and historical sites.

Days 4 & 5: Sapa

We took the night bus to Sapa, a region known for its beautiful views and rice fields etched into mountains. We hiked through the rice fields, increasing then decreasing our elevation. We spent the night at a homestay, and Mekael and I even got to help roll the spring rolls for dinner.

Day 6: Hanoi

We returned to Hanoi and sampled Vietnam’s signature coffee drink: Egg Coffee. The coffee is mixed with sugar and a whipped egg, and it tastes like mousse or custard. It was so delicious we tried it twice at two different cafes!

Since it was our last day in Hanoi, we went back to the pho restaurant that we previously went to on our first night in the capital. Not sure how, but the pho was even better the second time.

Day 7-10: Ha Giang

We took a bus up to Ha Giang, where we spent three days motorbiking through the mountain range on the border of China and Vietnam. At one point during our ride, we were only 1.5 miles away from China. The landscape was diverse and steep, frenetic mountains with multiple peaks in a close cluster. The roads wound up, down, and around the mountains. Because most of the land is not flat, the residents farm on angled hill and mountainsides, being extremely resourceful. We drove through small towns and rice fields. Every turn in the road gave us a new panoramic view and opportunity to take our breath away.

Days 11-12: We flew to the south to visit the Mekong Delta by the small town of Can Tho. We woke up at 4:30am to visit the floating market, which obviously is only accessible via boat. We passed boats selling fruits, coffee, and noodles. We hopped into another boat to eat some pineapple and look at some handmade jewelry. We also got on a large boat selling clothing and souvenirs. By 7:30am, the market had slowed down, vendors preparing for tomorrow’s early morning.

Day 13: Cu Chi Tunnels

Shortly after arriving in Ho Chi Minh city, we took a bus to the Cu Chi tunnels from the Vietnam War. Our tour guide happened to be a veteran of the war and was fighting with the American soldiers and other anti-communist Vietnamese against the communist Vietnamese. He showed us his tags and pictures of himself as a soldier, and he told us horrific stories of the devastation he witnessed. He has shrapnel still under his skin, and he let us feel his face for a large piece right under his right eye. He guided us through a few tunnels, which were claustrophobically tiny, dirty, and pitch dark. With the tunnels being over 75 miles long, the communist residents hid from the anti-communist forces for 10-15 years. We learned so much about the difficult challenge of living underground; the people had tunnels close to the river and the Cambodian border for supplies and emergency escapes. We were amazed by the strength and resilience of the Vietnamese people.

Day 14-16: Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh, previously known as Saigon, is a westernized city with wide streets and many international brand stores. There are many motorbikes, but there is more space on the streets and sidewalks for pedestrians and vehicles compared to Hanoi.

It just so happened that friends were visiting Ho Chi Minh at the exact same time we were there. We enjoyed brunch with dear family friends Jeremy and Viet. We were also able to have dinner with Mekael’s old college roommate named Sam as well, who has established a specialty coffee school. Before we knew it, our time in Vietnam drew to a close, and we boarded a bus to Cambodia.