From Thailand to Vietnam’s capital, we are now in Hanoi. At the time of writing we’ve been in Hanoi for around 48 hours and here are our first impressions of the city!
The people
As I mentioned in my Thailand favourites blog post, the Thai people are so outwardly friendly, that we initially thought that the people in Hanoi seemed unfriendly in comparison. The people we’ve encountered haven’t been outwardly friendly, however, once you say hello and give a smile, it’s always returned, and normally followed by a pleasant conversation.Â
They may not shout hello and try to draw you into their shop (which is the experience we had in Bali and to a lesser extent, in Thailand), but we found this refreshing. There’s a complete lack of pressure to buy anything from shop keepers here, and it makes bargaining a little trickier, but everyone has happily spoken with us once we strike up a conversation. A bit like when you go shopping in England I suppose!
I also made a lovely friend on my first day wandering the streets. Tu is a shopkeeper of a ceramic store, and she gave me her wifi and marked a bunch of her favourite places to eat in the area on my maps. The next day I brought Ben to the shop and we had another great chat with her! We haven’t bought anything yet- but we’re waiting to return from the Ha Giang loop so the ceramics aren’t bumped and bashed unnecessarily.
I love the ceramics in Tu’s shop. I even asked if she shipped to the UK, she gave me her honest answer, which was unfortunately it’s just too expensive. Ben better make room in his pack because I need at the very least a new mug from Tu! If you know me, you’ll know I find it very hard to show restraint when it comes to hand made ceramics (my mug collection is a work of art if I do say so myself).
The shopping
Vietnam is known for its rich artistic heritage, namely handmade textiles, lacquerware and pottery. For this reason, and because it’s the tail-end of our trip, we wanted to look around for some final souvenir shopping.
On our first day, I took to the streets and browsed all the wares available. From silk lanterns to handmade table runners, multiple tailors, hectic markets, ceramics and more, Hanoi really is a hub for beautifully hand crafted goods.
I had no cash yet, but it meant I could browse without the risk of any impulse buys. I selected my favourite shops and marked them as a target for the next day. The favourites were Madame Ha, selling cotton, linen and silk, Lahn leather, for handmade leather goods, and of course, Tu’s shop Hai Van, for it’s incredible ceramics and her bubbly personality
The food
It wouldn’t be us if we didn’t talk about the food. I’ll be honest and tell you we’ve only tried one thing: The Banh mi. There’s a reason that’s the only thing we’ve tried. It is so good. I’m telling you.
A crusty bun stuffed with meat, sauce and veggies. What could go wrong? Somehow they’ve managed to absolutely perfect the blend of flavours. Our current favourite is peppercorn and beef. My my. We’ll have to try something different soon, but it’s going to take a lot of banh mi’s to get sick of them.
Over here they have their famous egg coffee, which sounds gross when you put it like that, but it’s really a sweet egg custard layered on top of strong coffee. I’ve yet to try this one, but on a warm afternoon I did order a coconut coffee. Strong coffee layered onto a creamy mixture of whipped coconut, and sweetened milk. Iced latte move over. This is a refreshing delight.
The city
The city itself is bustling, hectic and busy. Crossing the street is not for the weak and requires the utmost concentration and courage. You have to lock your eyes with the myriad of approaching scooters, with a look that says ‘I dare you to run me over’.
Okay, maybe not that serious, but it is a case of all the cars and scooters will still go on the green man, and you just have to walk out in front of moving traffic anyway, but with confidence, and that’s the key. If you hesitate you’ll probably end up causing more damage than if you just kept walking straight ahead. They have a system, roll with it.
The architecture
The architecture is a curious mix of french contemporary and rustic, narrow multistory buildings. Passing through small streets reveals a nook with climbing vines and hanging lanterns. On the other hand, it could easily reveal a street chopping up animal parts, with tables covered in pig or chicken feet.
It’s the variety and contrast that makes the city of Hanoi so enticing. You want to keep exploring to see what you’ll walk into next. Which honestly, could be anything.
Happy to make Hanoi our temporary home
We often say we’re not city people, but Hanoi, you’ve intrigued us so far. We’re happy to make this part of the world our base for the next week and a half. I’m so excited to get some shopping done, try an egg coffee and explore more of the thousands of nooks and crannies around this special city.
