Good morning Vietnam

Colorful, loud, and vivid – Hanoi.
When I asked Jasper to describe the city in three words, he added in a fourth: chaotic.
On our flight, Jasper had an upgrade to business-class pillow: my shoulder, and slept from takeoff straight through to our happy landing in Hanoi. We grabbed our first Grab (taxi like uber) into the city, checked in at the hostel, and wandered around the Old Quarter. Jasper had his first banh mi (solid 4/10), and I had a coconut — priorities.
Then off we went to a one-star Michelin pho place before heading back to the hostel, both pretty tired and not very talkative anymore.
Our dorm situation? Let’s say... interesting. We shared the room with two slightly weird German guys and were welcomed by a lone pair of violet underwear. I immediately thought: Great. Me and three guys in a room without windows, 33 degrees in Hanoi...
But plot twist: the room turned out to be super well-ventilated, and the AC was set to the perfect temp. I actually had a restful 9-hour sleep, only interrupted once — when one of the guys stumbled in at 4 a.m.

Next morning: early wake-up, a bit of exploring, and a taste of the famous egg coffee. So sweet it should come with a diabetes warning. Jasper went for a noodle soup salad with beef, and then we joined a market tour plus cooking class.
We met some fun people from the hostel and made plans for dinner and drinks later that evening.
But first: massage time at Anna Spa (highly recommended), a quick stop at Train Street (where the train literally brushes past cafés), and a visit to the Temple of Literature. At Anna Spa, the two masseurs were living their best lives, making fun of Jasper for his body and foot size.
We took a Grab back — or tried to. My driver was completely lost. At some point, we ended up in the middle of the street, surrounded by honking cars and motorbikes rushing past us from every direction. Total chaos.
Mom, i‘m glad you did not see ths. At least I was wearing a helmet! (Already a level-up from the Dom Rep.)
Back at the hostel, the driver just grinned, charged me half the price, and said: "Welcome to Vietnam."
Later on, we did a Vietnamese liquor tasting — quite the experience. Dinner was bun cha (7/10), followed by rooftop drinks with the hostel people.
We played a game of guessing people’s nationalities, which lead to funny acquaintances. The night then got a bit out of hand — in the best way.

This morning I actually woke up early enough to stroll through the city on my own for a bit (Jasper had come home later and was in full recovery mode).
We then grabbed a Grab to a pagoda. And can we just say: it’s not just Jasper’s feet or body — his head is clearly also too big for Vietnam (see photo).
Lunch was bun bo nam bo — And wow, I need to learn how to make this at home. It was that good.
To wrap up our Hanoi chapter, we went back to Anna Spa, where she greeted us like old friends. Now we’re sitting on the bus to Ha Giang in the pouring rain (only six hours to go!) and can’t wait to explore the stunning north of this breathtaking country.Читать далее