We have a 3:30pm flight back from Hue to Hanoi so lots more pool time, where we meet an English family from Devon! Ted's birthplace. Having yesterday met people form Newcastle, Ted's father's birthplace. The world is getting smaller...
Hanoi is capital of a communist country, but the market economy here is in full swing and everyone is on the make. Lots of touts on the street trying to part us from our dong, of which there are 20,000 to one US dollar. We are all millionaires all the time. But great bargains on what you need, or maybe want...
Our flight pulls in late and is an hour late leaving but our drop offs and pickups are there for us in AC cars, whch makes the whole thing better. We get 3 seats each on the plane in the back, which is great as we deplane from both front and back, very efficient. Bus to the terminal is short and efficient and our bags arrive soon after.
WE sigh with relief at returning to the lovely Hanoi Elegance Diamond boutique hotel right in the centre of the Old Town area. It's chaotic, dirty, smelly, frantic on the sreet, but this is a haven of srenity and peace. The junior suite room with the balcony that we booked is somehow not available but we don't like the location of our new one under the bar/restaurant so next morning we move and I'm given the option of 50% off any spa package as compensation. I'm up for that...
Off we go to vheck out one of Ted's listed restaurants - we are loving a lot of the suggestions in Lonely Planet. It's Thang Long Char Ca where they only serve one fish - snakefish! It may be catfish but it's great. You either have BBQ marinated fish pieces in turmeric, or add the fish stomach. We passed on the latter but the guys next to us were relishing it. Eventually you can get fish soup.
Many local families are eating there, very few Westerners. People dress up and go out here big time. Or eat squatted on kids' plastic chairs on the street in front of their house or business!
We have the English menu and it's $8 for the set meal, which is the BBQd pieces of fish, a huge bowl fresh greens (mit, cilantro, basil, dill) and green onions, vermicelli, rice wraps (you do it) dessert and beer! Yup, and the beer. Of course, one is not enough and we order up another 4 of our favourite Bia Han Oi! We each get small bowls with chili, fish sauce, peanuts to add at will.
After we get fresh pomelo, which I'm starting to like here, cross between orange and grapefruit.
They are deicious and it's easy to tell people - no chili for me - and I get fish sauce for dipping instead.
Some fun on the way home. The restaurant is across town so they call us a cab back. Ted gives him the card, he looks, nods and drives a route we don't recognize to another hotel! Nope, we say, not ours. Ted looks at the card again, and he's given the guy the Imperial Hotel card from Hue, must be another Imperial Hotel here I guess...not much later we arrive at our real home and it's still only $5 for the cab fare.
Hanoi is capital of a communist country, but the market economy here is in full swing and everyone is on the make. Lots of touts on the street trying to part us from our dong, of which there are 20,000 to one US dollar. We are all millionaires all the time. But great bargains on what you need, or maybe want...
Our flight pulls in late and is an hour late leaving but our drop offs and pickups are there for us in AC cars, whch makes the whole thing better. We get 3 seats each on the plane in the back, which is great as we deplane from both front and back, very efficient. Bus to the terminal is short and efficient and our bags arrive soon after.
WE sigh with relief at returning to the lovely Hanoi Elegance Diamond boutique hotel right in the centre of the Old Town area. It's chaotic, dirty, smelly, frantic on the sreet, but this is a haven of srenity and peace. The junior suite room with the balcony that we booked is somehow not available but we don't like the location of our new one under the bar/restaurant so next morning we move and I'm given the option of 50% off any spa package as compensation. I'm up for that...
Off we go to vheck out one of Ted's listed restaurants - we are loving a lot of the suggestions in Lonely Planet. It's Thang Long Char Ca where they only serve one fish - snakefish! It may be catfish but it's great. You either have BBQ marinated fish pieces in turmeric, or add the fish stomach. We passed on the latter but the guys next to us were relishing it. Eventually you can get fish soup.
Many local families are eating there, very few Westerners. People dress up and go out here big time. Or eat squatted on kids' plastic chairs on the street in front of their house or business!
We have the English menu and it's $8 for the set meal, which is the BBQd pieces of fish, a huge bowl fresh greens (mit, cilantro, basil, dill) and green onions, vermicelli, rice wraps (you do it) dessert and beer! Yup, and the beer. Of course, one is not enough and we order up another 4 of our favourite Bia Han Oi! We each get small bowls with chili, fish sauce, peanuts to add at will.
After we get fresh pomelo, which I'm starting to like here, cross between orange and grapefruit.
They are deicious and it's easy to tell people - no chili for me - and I get fish sauce for dipping instead.
Some fun on the way home. The restaurant is across town so they call us a cab back. Ted gives him the card, he looks, nods and drives a route we don't recognize to another hotel! Nope, we say, not ours. Ted looks at the card again, and he's given the guy the Imperial Hotel card from Hue, must be another Imperial Hotel here I guess...not much later we arrive at our real home and it's still only $5 for the cab fare.
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