{"id":765,"date":"2023-12-31T02:10:53","date_gmt":"2023-12-31T02:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/?p=765"},"modified":"2023-12-31T02:20:39","modified_gmt":"2023-12-31T02:20:39","slug":"sat-30th-dec-hanoi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/?p=765","title":{"rendered":"Sat 30th Dec &#8211; Hanoi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vietnam has been more chaotic than I expected. Being outside, exposed to the onslaught of the Hanoi, is something to steel yourself against. To prepare for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The smog was relentless the whole day. You are not so much in a city, as a cloud of little particles, which, taken singularly, are used to being invisible and unnoticed, but when gathered in a crowd of themselves, fuse into a translucent shrowd. The smog is obliquely, existentially filled with dread &#8211; it&#8217;s not a natural disaster but one induced by humans. Unlike a cyclone or flood, it almost feels just that we have to suffer the smog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s not what I imagined a major Vietnamese city to be. There&#8217;s less of an economic upper middle class and also less of a poverty stricken class, compared to what I imagined. Singapore had common glimpses of Crazy Rich Asian lifestyles. Thailand was obviously poor, and squalor sat easily next to splendor. There seem to be a lot of people in Vietnam, doing fine, living a &#8216;normal&#8217; life. Is this the socialism at work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite all that (or all that results from the fact that), Hanoi is endlessly stimulating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"270\" height=\"215\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image_editor_output_image-436124246-17039854511003262540070931391695.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-802\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Egg coffee is the continuation of Caitlin&#8217;s journey to discover every unhealthy way to drink coffee in South East Asia. The egg referred to is egg white whisked with condensed milk for a foamy, sweet layer on top of the coffee. The coffee in Vietnam tends to be more black than Kopi previously enjoyed. DW. Declan doesn&#8217;t enjoy the strong expresso underneath the sweet, pillowy meringue-like topping, but I find this heavenly. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0243441014089812708018219798-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0243441014089812708018219798-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0243441014089812708018219798-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0243441014089812708018219798-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0243441014089812708018219798-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0243441014089812708018219798.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A universal truth of SouthEast Asia is that old ladies love to play distorted music at levels above the design limit for the speakers they are pumped from, move around in various synchronized states and smile while doing so. DW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/2023_12_30_09_34_35.m4a\"><\/audio><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The choice of track by elderly ladies doing dancercise in the park. DW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_025032474963533773836289570-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-760\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_025032474963533773836289570-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_025032474963533773836289570-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_025032474963533773836289570-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_025032474963533773836289570-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_025032474963533773836289570.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hanoi is much smoggier than I was expecting. In hindsight this makes sense, but it hadn&#8217;t occurred to me until we landed. DW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0513347076879238651723456419-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0513347076879238651723456419-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0513347076879238651723456419-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0513347076879238651723456419-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0513347076879238651723456419-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0513347076879238651723456419.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The area around Lake Hoan Kiem is closed to cars on weekends, which provides a respite from constantly being on guard for rogue road users. In a cute twist, dozens of rental mini remote control cars are wheeled out for kids to drive around in and presumably get their eye in before they are thrust out into the unforgiving streets. DW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0400176724947838862305476359-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-761\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0400176724947838862305476359-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0400176724947838862305476359-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0400176724947838862305476359-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0400176724947838862305476359-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0400176724947838862305476359.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Vietnamese National Museum was enjoyable until we got promptly kicked out at 12 on the dot for the 2 hour mandatory staff lunch break. As a result, Caitlin may now never find out what happened at the end of the Vietnam War. DW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318075921501887728666288470.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318075921501887728666288470.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318075921501887728666288470-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318075921501887728666288470-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318075921501887728666288470-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While we wait out the two hours lunch break for museum staff, which, I have to admit, weren&#8217;t doing all that much during opening hours, we get a coffee. In front of us is a typical Vietnamese couple: woman trying to talk to man, while man engages only with his phone, cigarette and jet black coffee. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0810191384992635547414621122-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-763\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0810191384992635547414621122-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0810191384992635547414621122-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0810191384992635547414621122-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0810191384992635547414621122-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_0810191384992635547414621122.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Hoa Lo prison was our other designated cultural experience. The museum was split into two main sections for when it was used by the French against the Vietnamese and by the Vietnamese against the American pilots. The key themes conveyed were that Vietnamese prisoners never lost the revolutionary spirit and American pilots were very generously treated. DW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/2023_12_30_15_35_43-edit_part.m4a\"><\/audio><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An authentic experience of crossing the road in Hanoi. DW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318067775813039806537828464.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-787\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318067775813039806537828464.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318067775813039806537828464-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318067775813039806537828464-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318067775813039806537828464-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shops in Hanoi commonly have a little ramp, like the one in this hairdresser. In Australia, this would be mandated for disability access. In Hanoi, it&#8217;s designed for motorbikes to rest. This goes part of the way to explaining why even on a footpath, you&#8217;re not relieved from fear of vehicles. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318059777422100273380959746.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318059777422100273380959746.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318059777422100273380959746-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318059777422100273380959746-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318059777422100273380959746-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I haven&#8217;t seen these little plastic chairs anywhere else in the South East Asian countries I have visited. The seats are always tiny, and I am sure Derek Zoolander would take disagreement with them. They are used for a variety of purposes: street food vendors use them for outside seating, shoe shine hawkers have one in their bag to make any curbside an office, or these guys playing a game of what I think is checkers (I really hate boardgames). CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318051745425598368428774775.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-789\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318051745425598368428774775.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318051745425598368428774775-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318051745425598368428774775-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318051745425598368428774775-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318051745425598368428774775-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Or just to hang.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318043042137969581604015339.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-788\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318043042137969581604015339.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318043042137969581604015339-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318043042137969581604015339-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039318043042137969581604015339-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I am surprised by the lack of high rises in the area of Hanoi we are in. There are a lot of interesting narrow buildings instead. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039843995442824896479880230132.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039843995442824896479880230132.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039843995442824896479880230132-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039843995442824896479880230132-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wp-17039843995442824896479880230132-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A challenge we partake in at least twice a day is: where is safe to eat. We don&#8217;t mind paying the extra money to eat at more reputable restaurants (around triple the cost) but these restaurants are pretty touristy in the old quarter of Hanoi. By touristy, I mean serves pizza alongside pho. I think we&#8217;ll settle for semi permanent street vendors that are busy &#8211; if local Vietnamese eat there, that must be a good sign? For dinner we ate something completely new that I&#8217;ve never seen before &#8211; it was a beef broth that was thicker and saltier than pho, with fresh rice flower crepes, one filled with minced meat, the other with an egg. Tasty. CR. It was Banh Cuon Cao Bang (there may be accents on letters I have missed). DW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_1347286533016211936831697280-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_1347286533016211936831697280-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_1347286533016211936831697280-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_1347286533016211936831697280-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_1347286533016211936831697280-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pxl_20231230_1347286533016211936831697280.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Badminton appears to be a common pasttime for Hanoi youths. They play it everywhere from back alleys, footpaths with nets strung up at head height and in the middle of (somewhat) quiet roads in between the swerving scooters. DW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vietnam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holiday","category-summer-2023"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=765"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":806,"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765\/revisions\/806"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}