Motorbike Madness
Trip Start
Jun 22, 2007
1
9
11
Trip End
Aug 05, 2007
Liuzhou, China
Friday, July 27, 2007
Even though there are several lakes in Hanoi and a classic French feel to the city, I still sensed a dirtyness that caused me to hold back more on the local food that I would otherwise. I think the fact that food areas are always littered and that people typically eat close to the ground on footstools, contibuted to my unease. Furthermore, the barbequed dogs piled up in markets were a bit off-putting. As much as I wanted to try it, I resisted the urge to sample this delicacy and hear I'm not missing too much! Instead, I tried the safer vegetarian options like pho, a tasty and fragrant noodle soup, and fresh spring rolls that I could roll myself. I'm sure the flavors would be delicious to a normal palate but having been in Thailand and Laos beforehand, I found myself reaching for a non-existent bowl of chillis. However, I was extremely impressed by the fresh, zesty herbs utilized in Vietnamese cuisine. In between these "safe" meals, I did courageously try some of John's sauteed camel which proved to be quite decent, though a bit chewy. Big mystery is WHERE the camel came from!?! I have not seen a live camel since I stepped in Southeast Asian soil 5 weeks ago! Don't want to think about it too hard since I also saw cat featured on the menu...
While in Hanoi, I took refuge from the intense heat and traffic in a trendy place serving up Vietnamese fusion cuisine called KOTO (aka Know One Teach One). This cafe turned lounge at night was founded by an ex-Intrepid leader who wanted to make a difference in Hanoi. He has been recruiting poor Vietnamese street kids and turning them into refined cooks and waitstaff, also providing them with lodging and English lessons. I was so impressed by KOTO's philosophy that I did all I could to support the place and sample the students' absolutely delicious eats! Reminds me a lot of the French Culinary Institute's restaurant back home (L'Ecole) although more humanitarian focused.
After 3 days in Hanoi, walking and biking the streets and getting insanely lost in the Old Quarter, we rounded out our last evening with a traditional Water Puppet Show and a final meal together as a group. We said farewell to our leader Bom, Kiwi John, Georgina and Rashmi (although these two we met up with later out on Cat Ba Island). The next day we met our leader for the last segment of the trip, a 23-year old Aussie named Elinor (I feel really old now!). She has lived in China for a few years and is fluent in Mandarin so a perfect fit for our travel to Southern China where very few speak English. We also picked up another passenger, Bruno, a 31-year old Canadian who has been working for Lehman Brothers in Tokyo but is going back to Law School in Vancouver. It's actually quite refreshing to have some new faces and personalities on board! We all bonded that first night together in Hanoi over 10 cent beers - yes, very weak but STILL only 10 cents!!
We all traveled out to the Halong Bay, a gorgeous UNESCO preserved area off the Vietnamese mainland, for a few days of relaxation. Taking in the scenery from land and sea was amazing as the bay is just covered in limestone karsts that magically rise out of the water (more to come in China as well). Pictures don't even come close to capturing the beauty. As for food on the island, it was seafood all the way - prawns, calamari, eel and whole fish. Although the dishes were tasty, the service on the island was some of the worst that I have ever encountered with forgotten orders, loads of dishes that weren't available, and the power going out 4 times in the course of one meal - unbelievable. Nonetheless, I managed to experience a range of fresh and healthy dishes before we venture into the greasy cuisine typical of China. We'll see what kind of adventure that yields. For now, I'll just sit back and enjoy the beautiful views of everyday life on the rice paddies, full of water buffaloes and Vietnamese workers in conical hats - just stunning. Wish I had more time to venture down to Saigon but China beckons this time...
