Travel Diary

Okay, where were we? Ah, yes. It’s Sunday now in Vietnam and I’m asleep on the third floor of the Airbnb. How is my room? It’s nice. Plenty of space and a large sliding glass door exposing a great deal of sunlight. Plus, a nice balcony should I wish to go outside.

For now, I wish that not. In fact, I wish for less light so I can sleep. There are blackout curtains which do fairly well. I close those to sleep better. The room has a small end table, though no desk. Most importantly, it had A/C with a remote. I keep the temp high but definitely keep it on. I sleep for a couple of hours.

In time, I’m awakened. It’s time for the first tour: a street food tour of the city. This would turn out awesome, even though my mind and body were not in the best shape for it. It was just one of most unique things I’d ever done in my life.

We all went out to the large street and met the main guide—accompanied by four others. They would each be driving motorcycles and whisking us throughout the city. It was a bit of a surprise, but obviously and adventure too. My driver was a nice young lady who spoke good English. We all then headed to our first stop.

Riding the scooter was pretty fun, though you have to accept the risk level. You’re mixed in with countless other scooters and cars, all with some degree of order in the midst of chaos. There are very few accidents considering what takes place, but still, they do happen. As I wasn’t driving or even navigating, all I could do was hold on and take it all in.

Our first stop was a street food place that sold Vietnamese pancakes. It’s called that but it’s not really a pancake at all, but rather a flat shell that gets stuffed with some tasty veggies and what not inside. Quite a delicious meal. I tried to eat as sparingly as possible as we had many stops planned.

We ride over to an old part of the city. Here, the apartments are considerably in a decaying state, but still used by people who have no wish to leave. Their lives are here and they will remain until they pass away. It’s nothing fine or fancy, but it’s home. Stairs have flattened middle sections so people can park their motorbikes inside their flats. It’s very common here.

Once that area is covered, we ride to a spot for some Vietnamese pizza, and, no surprise, it is quite good. We then stop at a flower shop and learn about the lotus flower, and even how to peel it and fold the petals to get the iconic look. We even see how the inner silk is sometimes used by the people. After that, it’s time for a very special treat: beef stew!

Whereas my stomach wasn’t in a great state to appreciate this food, I could still tell that it was exceptional. The stew coming out still boiling in clay pots. You can then take it out of the bowl with chopsticks and eat it with other items. Plus, you can dip some fine flaky bread into the broth too. I regret not being able to consume more of this, but I certainly enjoyed the few bites I did have.

Next stop was another fine food place. It had some great roasted shrimp and other savory items. Or so I’m told. At this point, my stomach was just not having it. I knew my limit was reached. The guide did escort me to a restroom, but it was at a gas station and even back home, those places are not ideal for more complicated matters. As well, there was no toilet paper. You pretty much have to carry your own in Vietnam. Most toilets do have makeshift bidets, or rather spray nozzles on hoses, but nope, not always toilet paper. Know that in advance. It was a nice effort, but no mission accomplished on that task.

Okay, despite an upset stomach and digestive tract, I did have to try a coconut ice cream type desert. It was like a flan and far too good try pass up entirely, so I managed a couple of bites. Totally worth the discomfort. And while I can’t find the photo of it, I’m pretty sure we had another dessert type treat that was a coconut ice cream like treat but with corn. Sounds odd, but very very good, even though I only had one or two bites.

That pretty much rounded out our street food tour. Some of the places were so good, we returned days later to have more. Alas, no beef stew though. But back at the flat, I was able to use the Airbnb restroom as long as needed, and then we went out to the party street.

This area of the district was filled with night life. Loud, LOUD music playing and people everywhere walking about. Many ladies beckoning men to come inside and buy a drink and watch the ladies dance on platforms. That’s a big thing in some places as there were countless places doing just that. Not sure what else goes on as I didn’t ask, but not much would surprise me. They also have live bands performing, and some are pretty good. Some even have westerners doing the performing. Again, it’s incredibly lively and a tall beer did sound pretty nice, but no, it’s a sober year for me, and that cannot be broken.

Back at the Airbnb, I unpacked my backpack and got sorted out. Then it was time to rest. I knew it would take a little time to adjust. I just had no idea it would take as long as it did.