23 July 2018, Monday
After a 12½-hour train ride, I arrived at Hanoi’s Ga Gia Lâm railway station at 5:30am. I didn’t sleep particularly well on the train so I was still a little groggy when the train pulled up at the station. After disembarking, I looked for a ride to take me to my hostel in the Old Quarter.
According to my research, there are a lot of taxi scams in Hanoi where the drivers overcharge you, or they intentionally take you to the wrong hotel and then persuade you to book the hotel that they sent you to. And according to my research, a reliable taxi company is Mai Linh. I managed to find a Mai Linh taxi quite easily as their green-coloured taxis were easily recognisable. The ride to my hostel took 15 minutes and the fare came up to VND 78,000 (S$4.68).
(Exchange rate: VND 10,000 = S$0.60)
The accommodation I had booked was called Cocoon Inn Hanoi, located at 116 Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Old Quarter. I originally booked two nights but decided to change it to just one night after I found out that I could take an overnight bus to Hoi An tomorrow, thus saving one night’s accommodation. It cost me just US$8 (S$10.50) for a night’s stay in the 10-bed dormitory.
I must tell you that for this Grand Adventure, I had planned all the transport connections and accommodations meticulously up till this point in Hanoi. Before I set off on this trip 84 days ago, I wanted to plan as much as possible in advance and I mostly accomplished that. My goal was to reach Vietnam safely and to plan off-the-cuff from then on.
This was because I was familiar with the countries from Vietnam onwards – Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. The expenses in these Southeast Asian countries are generally lower as well, so I could exercise more flexibility in terms of making last-minute accommodation and transport bookings.
The hostel had a tour desk and the staff were very helpful. They helped me book my overnight bus ticket to Hoi An, which will depart at 6:00pm tomorrow. The ticket cost VND 644,000/US$28 (S$38.64). I also bought from them a SIM card with 4GB mobile data per day, valid for one month, and it cost VND 280,000 (S$16.80).
The hostel also provided laundry service, which was chargeable by weight. I then gathered my dirty laundry and handed them over. They would be washed and returned to me tomorrow morning. Not to bore you with the details, but these are just some of the basic and mundane administrative things that needed to be done when you’ve been travelling for a long time. As it was still way too early to check in to the room, I deposited my big backpack at the hostel while I headed out to explore.
One of the reasons why I didn’t want to stay another night was because this was my second visit to Hanoi. My first was in 2012 during my 30-day backpacking trip in celebration of my 30th birthday. I enjoyed my visit the first time round, but I didn’t think that I would need to spend a lot more time here again.
Cocoon Inn Hostel was located in the heart of the Old Quarter so it was very convenient. I quickly gained my bearings and walked towards Hoàn Kiếm Lake. The lake looked exactly the same as when I first saw it six years ago. It felt like déjà vu when I caught sight of the distinctive red wooden bridge leading to Ngoc Son Temple, which was located on a tiny island. Even the large tree with its branches hanging over the water looked exactly the same.
Hoàn Kiếm Lake was an oasis in the middle of the bustling city but it was also a hive of activity at 6:40am. As I walked around the lake, I saw groups of locals doing their morning exercise. Some were doing calisthenics, some were dancing while others were brisk walking. There were also people playing badminton and capteh, a traditional game involving kicking a feathered shuttlecock to keep it in the air for as long as possible. It was lovely watching the locals going about their daily routines.
Next, I visited Đồng Xuân Market, which was located near to Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Đồng Xuân Market was established in 1889 and it is Hanoi’s oldest and largest indoor market. The indoor market is housed within a three-storey building and there are said to be about 2,000 stalls. The indoor market functions as a Day Market and it is open from 6:00am to 6:00pm daily.
I walked through the three levels briefly but there was nothing of interest to me. The reason is because the Day Market is a wholesale market and it is catered to locals, selling essential goods. If you’re looking for a more fruitful shopping experience, you should target the Đồng Xuân Night Market instead.
The Night Market runs from 6pm till midnight but only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. It takes place not within the indoor building, but on the street in front of Đồng Xuân Market and on the surrounding streets in the Old Quarter, which are closed to traffic. At the Night Market, you’ll be able to buy cheap clothes, shoes, bags, fashion accessories and lots of street snacks. Pity I just missed the Night Market last night.
At 9am, I got a little hungry so I went around to search for Bánh mì, which is the Vietnamese word for bread. The Bánh mì is a type of short baguette sandwich filled with various savoury ingredients like chicken or pork, topped with a healthy dose of vegetables like cucumbers, carrots and coriander leaves. But what makes the Bánh mì so special is that the baguette crust is very crispy and thin, and the bread filling is very fluffy.
Bánh mì is a very popular snack and it is commonly served at breakfast, but eaten throughout the day as well. It didn’t take long for me to find a stall and I bought my first Bánh mì for only VND 15,000 (S$0.90). So yummy!
As I wandered along the streets aimlessly, I came across a circular building that looked out of place among all the other buildings in the Old Quarter. Parts of its exterior were covered with bare, irregularly-shaped stones. On the two upper levels, there were tall and narrow openings that acted as windows. The building’s design looked like it was meant to be a defensive tower. I later learned that was the Hang Dau water tower and it was built by the French in 1894. It is certainly quite a landmark here in Hanoi.
After all the walking, it was time to take a break and indulge in my favourite cà phê sữa đá, or Vietnamese iced coffee. Like the Bánh mì, you can find it everywhere in Hanoi and it is usually very cheap as well. The best way to experience the cà phê sữa đá is to drink it in a local no-frills café. I found just the one café and paid VND 25,000 (S$1.50) for a cup. It felt so good to sip on strong, ice-cold coffee and just watch the world go by.
I also bought one mango from a street seller for VND 25,000. The lady was wearing a traditional conical straw hat and she sliced the mango for me on the spot. One thing I love about Hanoi is that you can still experience the old way of life on its streets, especially in the Old Quarter.
At 2:00pm, I went back to my hostel to check in. The dorm room was clean and it came with an attached bathroom. I liked that there were privacy curtains for each bed (that’s actually my number one criteria) and that the individual locker cupboards were big. I then took a shower and had a rest before going out again.
Having missed out on a few movies during the summer, I decided to go to the National Cinema Center to watch The Incredibles II. The ticket in the VIP section cost only VND 65,000 (S$3.90), which was much cheaper than Singapore. The so-called VIP seats were actually just further away from the screen. The normal seats would have been good enough, and they cost VND 60,000. Just a small difference of VND 5,000.
For dinner, I had a simple plate of vermicelli noodles and a cup of sugar cane juice, amounting to VND 60,000 (S$3.60).
After the movie, I hopped on a GrabBike back to the Old Quarter. I don’t usually dare to catch a ride on a motorbike because it feels scary being so exposed. However, despite the crazy traffic situation here, Vietnam is actually the safest place to ride a motorbike. I mean, being a pillion rider on a motorbike, like GrabBike.
This is because there is safety in numbers. The first thing you notice when you arrive in Hanoi is that there are motorbikes everywhere, and I really mean everywhere. And everyone rides a bike – the young, old, men, women. It’s like a bicycle to the locals. And because there are so many motorbikes around, the cars cannot drive too fast or they will collide with the bikes. And the bikes also cannot go too fast because there are too many of them around, so overall, all the vehicles move at a slow speed.
Despite the seemingly chaotic traffic situation on the roads, the motorbike riders are skilful enough to weave in and out to avoid collisions with each other, and more importantly with pedestrians. I remember during my first trip to Hanoi, my parents and I were flabbergasted at how people could cross the road seemingly without a care and yet they weren’t knocked over by the oncoming motorbikes. The secret is to just walk straight confidently and the bikes will know how to manoeuvre out of your way. So yeah, the point I’m making is, it is safe to ride a GrabBike in Vietnam, and a very fun experience too.
For the rest of the night, I walked around the streets and shops in the Old Quarter. Everywhere I turned, I couldn’t escape seeing the shirt/shorts/skirts/dresses with colourful prints of tropical fruits like pineapples, bananas and watermelons. Being the latest fashion trend, they were all the rage and every single shop was selling them. I must admit that they actually looked very nice. Most of all, the material was soft and comfortable so they made perfect sleepwear. I bought a few assorted pieces for myself and my family members.
With a few shopping bags in hand, I made my way back to the hostel and retired for the night. And that’s about it for my first day in Hanoi. One more day here tomorrow before I catch the overnight bus to Hoi An. I’m quite excited about Hoi An because I’ve never been there before. Ok, time to rest and recharge!