Hanoi Bleg

You know what? Bleg is like the worst word ever, except for vlog, which is even worse. Nonetheless, John and I have decided to go to Hanoi for a long weekend this month, and I wanted to solicit our well-travelled readers for suggestions as to what to do. I was considering going to Halong bay for one night around on a boat, but maybe it would be more relaxing to just potter around in Hanoi? I haven't been in ages, so please tell us fun stuff to do. I really want to eat this one street food where they heat a cast-iron plate in the image of a cow and then cook strips of marinated beef, green onions and a fried egg on it. Mmmmm. And pho, obviously. And sketchypaté (tm) sandwiches. And basically everything, because Vietnamese food is the greatest. Ben Wolfson, please feel free to chime in in comments on how to put the right diacritical mark on the o in pho. Command shift tasty!

Comments

[Laura]

I vote potter around in Hanoi. Last time I was there we rented pushbikes and rode around more or less aimlessly, eg to Lenin Park where I can't remember whether there was anything actually happening or not beyond feeding ducks and so forth.

Get someone to take you out to a suburban karaoke bar.

Halong Bay is great but if you have been there before I wouldn't go just for an overnight trip. If you had longer then Cat Ba Island is a good place to spend a couple of nights.

Dont go near the horrible circus whatever you do.

[Jacques Albert]

Perhaps a bit like apples and oranges, John. I'm sure Taekwondo is great for conditioning and perhaps also enhances virility, but military training during wartime leads to a bit more serious kind of blood-sport, nicht wahr?

Cheers, Dr JA

[dsquared]

Hanoi to Halong Bay and back again in a long weekend is quite a routemarch unless the trains have got better in the last ten years. The water-puppets are pretty cool.

[belle waring]

yeah, OK, potter around hanoi it is. that and some bad-ass ninja training.

[ben wolfson]

One of the ways you can do it is to go to the Wikipedia article about Phở and engage in some sweet sweet copy/paste action. Note that the resulting character looks out of place. I don't think there's an html entity for it; it looks that way in the wikipedia article as well.

[Doctor Memory]

Seconded the recommendation to just putter around Hanoi: it's a great city for it, and the traffic is almost manageable by Vietnamese standards. Do the Temple of Literature, the Water Puppet theater, Ho Chi Minh's tomb, then just meander over to the old walled city district and wander wander wander.

[Andrew John]

I add my vote to "just wander around".

[belle waring]

hm, b-wo; that looks weird. I mean, the bit on top of the o is fine, but I don't think there's also supposed to be that thing on the side, is there?

[The Modesto Kid]

"I don't think there's also supposed to be that thing on the side, is there?"

Vietnamese alphabet

[The Modesto Kid]

Aw I fucked up the italicization again?

[Phil]

These problems all arise from the fact that HTML is one of the few created alphabets (if you will) not constructed by some representative of the Roman Catholic Church. Or maybe the Jesuits just bungled the creation of the Vietnamese alphabet? Cyrillic turned out okay, but St. Cyril is also, you know, a Saint. I'm not sure who was responsible for the latinized Turkish alphabet, but that turned out pretty well. We can postulate some sort of Vatican-directed conspiracy.

[javier]

In Halong Bay, I booked passage aboard the Emeraude -- a copy of a French steamer that once plied these waters in the early 20th century. Certainly the largest boat at 55m (180 ft.), the elegant Emeraude has 38 cabins, a fine-dining outlet, and plenty of room to stretch my legs. The luxury trip comes with a price tag, of course, but the 2-day, 1-night cruise is well
worth it.

Leaving Hanoi at 8am, I checked in at the private Emeraude pier and be shuttled to the boat. Before checking in to your cabin, we enjoyed welcome drinks and a quick orientation. Compact, as ship cabins always are, onboard rooms are decked out in hardwood, with nice fixtures like air-conditioning, a private reading lamp, slippers for shuffling about the decks, and a tidy,
compact bathroom area with toilet, shower, and a separate room for a small sink stand. Everything onboard is retro, which means pleasing hardwood, brass, and fine linens. The oversize wicker chairs on the top deck are cozy, and I can find shaded areas as well as sun-worshipping space. A casual,
friendly atmosphere pervades, especially when the corks start popping.

Dining onboard is a delicious buffet, and most guests find themselves sharing a meal with new friends. Lunch on day 1 is followed by a stop at the Surprise Cave, then an afternoon of cruising and great views of the islands. The boat docks in a quiet harbor and guests have an opportunity to, on their
own or with a guide, explore nearby Trinh Nu and Hang Trong, the Virgin Cave and the Cave of the Winds, or take a dip in the bay. The back of the boat is low in the water and there is a sturdy ladder making it easy to get on and off (the adventurous will join the crew for dives off the upper decks).

Dinner is a sumptuous affair of fine local cuisine (heavy on seafood) and good Western options. Enjoy drinks on the upper deck as you watch the moonlight glisten off the bay.

Day 2 starts with tai chi classes on the sun deck as a brilliant sunrise paints its colors on the arching canvas of high limestone peaks jutting from the glassy waters. Blissful. After my exercise, tuck in to a hearty Western-style breakfast. The boat returns to the dock by 9:30am, and a direct transfer finds myself back in Hanoi by lunchtime. The trip is quite memorable, and a ride on this retro ship, outfitted to the nines, is unique
to Halong Bay. The price for the overnight cruise is $290 for a luxury cabin for two and $490 for the one-suite room. Transfer from Hanoi costs $100 for a four-seat vehicle. Check the website at www.emeraude-cruises.com or call the offices at the Press Club in Hanoi (tel. 04/934-0888; fax 04/934-0899).