Here are some of the highlights of my Vietnam weekend:
DAY 1
Jestyn and I arrived from Singapore after a three and a half hour flight around 6pm Hanoi time. Ray and his Mandarin class buddy Mark arrived earlier around dawn after taking the midnight flight from Manila. We all met at the Old French Quarters district.
living in the Old Quarters
Ray introduced me and Jestyn to hostelworld.com. Basing his choice on the excellent reviews and because he liked the idea of living in the Old Quarters, Ray ended up choosing Ngoc Minh Hotel.
Arriving at the Old Quarters with no expectations (we asked Ray to do all the research), Jestyn and I were kinda doubtful of Ray's choice. Stepping into the Hanoi French quarters reminded me of Sampaloc, Manila - very old, crowded and cramped. (I remember saying to myself this must be the Vietnamese version of Pigalle!). Jestyn feared Ray brought us to the Red Light district of Hanoi=). Nevertheless, we felt at home when we arrived at Ngoc Minh. Save for the pink flourescent light in one corner of our room, the hotel looked decent. The hotel staff greeted us with a warm welcome. The rooms were very clean and very cozy.
For USD 28 per night, with a balcony, cable TV and free breakfast, the room Jestyn and I shared was not bad at all.
Later, we learned that the Old Quarters is actually the cultural centre of Hanoi. It has a history dating back to 2000 years ago. It is near the Hoan Kiem Lake, it has the biggest night market in Vietnam and it has lots of quaint shops and cafes. All the streets are named after the old crafts the streets were previously (and in some cases, currently) famous for. Below is a shot of a typical Old Quarter street. Of course since this is Vietnam, the streets are littered with motorcycles.
chaca la vong
"Chaca what?"
This was how I reacted when someone in the office told me to make sure I try out chaca la vong in Hanoi. I remember thinking it was some street lingo I was not introduced to and I was surprised to hear the phrase from my very "cultured" colleague (to hear him say something unrefined is unthinkable, hehe).
It was described to me as something I would probably not eat - fried fish rubbed with turmeric. The turmeric alone was enough to turn me off. Add to this was the fact that I was told this was the only thing they serve in that section of the Old Quarters. No other options in the menu, period.
So how did I end up having Cha Ca La Vong as my first meal in Hanoi? Well, Jestyn, Ray, Mark and I foraged around the Old Quarters and by mere chance found Cha Ca La Vong Street. After relaying the Cha Ca introduction story (and explaining that this the only dish they serve), we ended up ordering for a cha ca meal for four.
A cha ca meal consists of the fish fried with turmeric and various greens mixed together with rice noodles, nuts, brown fish paste similar to the brown Philippine bagoong and more leaves.
Preparing for the worst, I sampled the serving of chaca la vong meal prepared for me. Believe me, it was good! It had a hint of turmeric but the combination of the nuts, the veggies, the fish paste proved to be a perfect mix with the rice noodles.
Bia Hoi
After some shopping around the night market, we decided to end the night with the local fresh beer (as in no preservatives) - Bia Hoi. Jes and I left Singapore resolving to try this in Hanoi. So together with Mark, we ignored Ray's warning of a rumor of a cholera outbreak=)
The bia hoi is stored in big aluminum tanks as shown below. Notice the plastic bag of ice on top of the tank. This contains the blocks of ice that chill the beer.
Obviously, seeing the tank was enough reason for Ray to skip Bia Hoi=)
The Bia Hoi joint we went to serves local Vietnamese food. After seeing the menu, we decided to just stick with the bia hoi=)
The bia hoi reminded me of San Miguel Pale Pilsen without the aftertaste. Very palatable and very smooth, it was for me a great way to end my first day in Hanoi.
