Vietnam – Page 2

Bac Ha/Can Cau: Can Cau Market

May 6, 2008 mmm-yoso Memorable Meals, Sapa/Bac Ha/Can Cau, Travel, Vietnam

The morning after our hike, we rose early(still jet-lagging), walked around a bit and had our Banh Cuon and Bun Cha breakfast. At 700 am we settled our tour and room tab and met our Guide for our over-night trip to the village of Bac Ha. Many people make the Sunday day trip to Bac Ha, but it's 3 1/2 (100+ kilometers)hours each way, so we thought we'd be able to miss the tourists by going a day early, and staying over night in Bac Ha and hitting the market before the crush of tourists. And we'd be able to visit the Can Cau Saturday Market to boot.

We met our guide, an amiable and very friendly young Man named Thinh, and our Driver, a very quiet(at first) young man named Thang. Meet our chariot:

We had gone the private guide and driver route. Our car was a diesel Toyota Land Cruiser, with a dead suspension, and the fumes sometimes almost got the better of us. But it was fun being able to stop whenever we wanted, and to have Thinh's vast knowledge to ourselves. We got much more out of our trip by going this route.

Once we left Sapa, and passed through Lao Cai, the road got a bit, well, rougher. Luckily, the previous night's rain hadn't been very hard, otherwise the road to Bac Ha would be washed out, and our trip canceled. We saw major road construction during several stretches of our trip, soon enough you'll be able to make the trip over nice smooth asphalt. Funny, but I think the trip will lose some of it's charm, though your spine and other internal organs may appreciate the modernization.

We passed some sparkling green tea growing(we bought some on the way back) on the hillsides:

And rice paddies in the valleys:

After a kidney crunching 90 minutes, we reached the steep and winding road up the Bac Ha Mountain range. A new road is being built, but was only one-fourth complete at the time of our trip. The weather had changed significantly as we drove through the mountains, and some of the views were spectacular.

It was much drier around here. Soon enough, we skirted more road construction and arrived in sleepy, dusty Bac Ha Village. Remember this photo, and compare it to the same shot in a future post.

After a short "break", we made our way to Can Cau Market. We passed the terraced mountains:

Except in Bac Ha it's corn, not rice, that is king. Can Cau Market is approximately 20 kilometers North of Bac Ha, and we had to pass through one "bird flu" inspection/disinfection station on the way to market.

Stepping into the market at Can Cau is like being instantly immersed in a different world. The market itself occupies several "levels" of an hillside. Food stalls occupy one level:

Dry goods, hardware, herbs occupy another:

And livestock can be found in the valley below:

As we walked past the "food court" and up the stairs, dodging "tipsy" older men walking on unsteady legs, we passed the vendors selling them the treasured local ~~moonshine~~ Ruou Ngo(corn wine). You can see the plastic gallon containers in this photo.

There was one vendor who caught the Missus's eye:

This lady was selling Indigo dyed rice. The Missus wanted to try it out, and with the help of Thinh purchased some. The Missus only really wanted a taste, and had Thinh try to explain that to the woman, but she insisted on giving the Missus her money's worth!

Indigo rice is eaten for good luck, and really doesn't have much additional flavor. It was very pretty though.

Speaking of pretty, as you probably notice in the photos, the attire of the Flower H'mong is distinctly colorful and vibrant. Flower H'mong scattered in villages in the area all come to the Saturday market. Another thing we noticed is that compared to other "markets" Can Cau is relatively "quiet".

You can't help but be enchanted by the bright colors of the Flower H'mong:

It's not only the Flower H'mong who stand out. Blue(Green) H'mong women are also easy to identify, by what else, their bright blue embroidered skirts, leggings, and tunics.

Since Can Cau Market is close to the Vietnam-China border, you'll run into Chinese vendors selling items like herbal remedies.

And of course many of the H'mong sell brightly colored textiles.

It seems that you can get any of your necessities at Can Cau.

Of course, not everybody was happy to be here. This little piglet wanted nothing to do with any of the proceedings. I really don't blame the little critter……

We had noticed that all of the tourists had cleared out by this time. It had gotten pretty hot, and most of them had headed back to their buses. But for us; it was lunch time. We had made it very clear to Mr Thinh, that we didn't do the "tourist eating" kind of thing. And he guided us to the eating area, low benches(after sitting on those little stools in Hanoi, I was getting good at this squat-sit kinda thing), on a patch of dirt shaded by tarps….just like we wanted…..

Directly to our right, the lounge lizard crowd was going strong. This was their "Friday Happy Hour", and they were sure hitting the Ruou pretty hard.

Thinh told us to wait, and got up to grab our food. I did tell him one thing; to please skip the Thit Cho. It really, ahem, didn't look very tasty. Thinh told me, he doesn't care for it anyway.

Thinh returned with a bowl full of simple boiled pork(he couldn't find any Thang Co – Horse meat stew).

Along with a bag of sticky rice, and the standard issue chili paste-lime-salt-herb dip, this was a simple, yet fatty dish. I enjoyed the mild chewiness, and thought the fat parts had some pretty decent flavor. The Missus was kinda grossed out over the look of the dish. This is free range pork, with a decent fat content, it is not the "other white meat".

We also got a piping hot bowl of soup; a clear broth with a strong white and black pepper flavor. The hand cut noodles were a nice al dente, though this pork was on the tough side.

When it comes down to it, I'd take this over Northern Pho any day of the week. The one item that came with the soup that the Missus loved were the simple pickled mustard greens. Salty and sour, the Missus said it reminded Her of childhood.

Now this is where it gets interesting. We had noticed that people were starting to pay more than a passing amount of attention to us. After a few minutes; 2 gentleman of the Giay people spoke to Thinh. Thinh came back to us and said; "they told me that they want to have a drink with you, because tourists never eat with them. They are very happy and proud that you would eat the same food". What can you say? Of course, we were obligated to. So we had first one, than another, than another round. I had Thinh get them a refill of their Ruou(at 8,000 VND – 50 cents, it's a bargain). Ruou Ngo is pretty smooth with a mild finishing bite. After a few more rounds, everyone became less inhibited, and the conversation(with Mr Thinh's translation) flowed. We were told that "they don't believe you're American. They say that you cannot be American, you don't look like Americans. Americans rarely come here, and those that do are afraid of the food, and won't drink with them. They take their pictures and leave right away." This was a common theme for us through the trip, "no, no, you cannot be American, Australian maybe?" In the end, we settled for, "ok, tell them, I'm Japanese, and the Missus is Chinese." About this time, the Missus asked if She could try and have a smoke with one of the men's bamboo smoking pipes(Diếu Cày). The crowds started gathering, I guess the show was about to start.

Thinh prepared the tobacco(Thuoc Lao), and the Missus sucked harder than an Oreck Vacuum Cleaner, and you could hear the water in the bottom of the pipe start to gurgle. And then it was; "cough, cough, choke, gasp, gag, blech" and a whole range of gagging and gasping noises(In her spasms, the Missus accidentally blew a smoke ring!). The ~~Mucous's~~ Missus's beet red face told the whole story. "Whoa, that was strong." By now the Missus had become a real novelty(an Asian no less) in this conservative society where women don't smoke, nor drink in public. In celebration of the Missus's (lack off) smoking prowess we had a few more rounds. Because I was starting to enjoy the Ruou a bit too much, I knew it was time to leave. We paid our tab (30,000 VND – just under $2 US), and as we were leaving the proprietor of the pork stall came by with the standard issue used plastic water bottle filled with Ruou. Thinh explained that he wanted to have a drink with us. He made a toast which Thinh translated, "to Vietnamese and Chinese, we are brothers and neighbors, and brothers sometimes fight, but in the end we are still brothers".

We were told an old joke about Can Cau Market. "In the mornings, the people arrive, the husband is walking, and the wife rides the buffalo. In the afternoon, the people leave, the wife is walking, the husband is sleeping, laying across the buffalo." Well, this "husband" really needed an afternoon refresher by now.

This had been one of the more memorable experiences of a trip full of memorable experiences. Can Cau Market seemed a million miles away from Sapa; still unspoiled, the people work hard during the week, and enjoy life on Saturday at the social center that is the Can Cau market. These are good country folk, tough, sincere, and under the hard earned calluses, warm and generous. It was hard for us, and is still difficult for us to fathom. The exotic market, the colorful people of the Hill Tribes, eating, and drinking firewater with the locals. These are the things you read about, that happen to other people, to have lived it ourselves made us feel blessed. Days like these make it all worth while…….

I realize this humongous post may be a bit hard to digest, but I hope you enjoyed it!

Sapa: The Matra – Taphin Death March, But at Least There’s Lunch!

May 4, 2008 mmm-yoso Sapa/Bac Ha/Can Cau, Travel, Vietnam

When I left off, I mentioned sitting down with the Tour Director of the Mountain View Hotel, and putting in our requests for various tours. The Missus had given me a list of items, and I went through each, and ensured that all our requests were clarified. The Missus had wanted to do something called the Matra-Taphin "trek", which I didn’t really know anything about, and frankly didn’t pay much attention to….I just went ahead and paid for it. 15 minutes later, we met our guide, Mai, a friendly young lady of the Black H’mong group. Black H’mong women are easily recognized by their indigo dyed, hemp clothing. As we were walking to the Van that would be dropping us off, I was reminded that the hike would be about 15 kilometers or so. 15 kilometers! Yes, just what my sleep deprived mind and body needed, a "little" 15 kilometer hike……

We were dropped off about 8 miles outside of Sapa, walked down a short dirt road, and started on our way.

And I must say, the rice terraces lulled you into a kind of pastoral peacefulness.

I took my time, and snapped photos while the Missus’s grilled Mai, with all kinds of questions…"why do you where leggings?" "What happens if a Black H’mong marries a Red Dzao?" And on and on….Mai took it all in stride.

Growing rice in Sapa is not an easy task; there is only one crop a year, and a short window for planting. And this year’s window was extremely short. The winter had been cold, long, and dry, and many Water Buffalo, key partners in the tilling process had died, and so much of the planting was taking place without them.

The beautiful landscape belied the fine tightrope that the people who worked the land walked.

The harmony between man and beast was quite apparent, as the free roaming livestock paid us no heed.

And spring had brought on the birth of offspring of those that survived the winter.

Well, most of the livestock paid us no attention. This Water Buffalo seems to be a bit irritated at having his photo taken; as if to say "whatta you lookin’ at?"

As we approached the Black H’mong village of Matra, we saw more and more children. This kid was pretty talented.

He was bawling his head off, and tightrope walking on the dike at the same time!

These are the plants that yield the Indigo Dye that the Black H’mong use to color their clothing.

Hemp is the textile most used by the Black H’mong, many other types of cloth will not "hold" the indigo dye. The indigo plant is processed and made into a powder. It is then made into a liquid that will "hold" to the hemp, often using urine and rice wine, among other additives. The whole soaking process can take up to 2 months. A nice post can be found here.

As we approached the village of Matra, we started seeing many more children. The first thing I noticed, was in spite of the very rural conditions, many of the homes had satellite dishes……after all, you gotta have television, don’t you?

We were really enjoying our walk; learning a lot about life in these villages from Mai, when it happened…..The Attack of the Red Dzao.

Now, we’re not adverse to people trying to make a living, and frankly it comes along as part of the package anytime you travel, whether it’s Peru, Cambodia, Vietnam, you name it. But I don’t think I’ve ever felt more like I was being held hostage(well, perhaps other than having to attend a time-share presentation years ago), than I did on this stretch of trail on the way to Taphin. This gal would not take no for an answer, and even got a bit nasty at the end. "I walk all this way, with baby….you have to buy something! Have to!" And the tough thing was, she invited three of her other close friends.

At least after this experience, we knew what the standard script was. In order, this is how it went every time:

"What your name?"
"Good name, good name!"
"Where you from?"
"How long you in Sapa?"
"You buy from me ok?", followed by "Why you no want buy from me?","If you buy, you only buy from me. ""You have to buy from me." And so forth.

It seems like only the Young Dzao Women are this persistent; the Older Women are funny, on our way back to Sapa we picked up a group of them who looked like they needed a ride. They where having a heck of a time in the van. And though they tried to sell us stuff, they weren’t nearly as aggressive as the younger Red Dzao women. When I returned from vacation, I was reading one of Vietnam guides, which mentioned how "shy" Red Dzao women are…. Hmmm. Luckily, Red Dzao women are pretty easy to pick out by their bright red head-dress and their shaved eye brows. The also shave the front potion of their scalp.

This put Mai in a very tenable position, she could see that we were being aggressively accosted, and we’d been stuck to for over 2 kilometers, with no sign of a let-up. The village of Taphin is also a Red Dzao village, and there was the potential of picking up even more folks trying to sell us stuff. On the other hand; though Mai told us that this isn’t a very popular hike, she does bring tourists this way, and needs to keep up a good relationship with everyone. Her solution soon became apparent, she took us off the regular trail, and we ended up skirting the valley. And we were thankful, not only for the chance to enjoy some peace, but for the views this afforded.

The area around the building you see in the background was where we were headed; Taphin.

Eventually, we came across a concrete "road" where we saw a few tourists on motorbikes, and entered into the village of Taphin. Don’t let the more modern looking path fool you; life here is still quite hard.

One of the concrete paths ended at this cave. The Missus read the sign in Chinese next to it, and told me it was the "Dragon Cave". According to Mai this large cave is where many of the villagers hid during the war. After a short rest to soak up the cool air, we decided to head on over to the lunch spot.

As we turned back and headed down another path, where we came across 2 girls trying to chase down some runaway goats. Their giggling was infectious. And if you enlarge the photo(click on it), you can get a peek at a man sitting on a water buffalo watching on in amusement.

We stopped at the end of the path for lunch. you could tell that this was the place by the motorbikes. And if that didn’t tell you that this was the place to stop, the Water Buffalo parking sure did.

At this point we sat, and Mai disappeared. Only to reappear about 10 minutes later with plates of veggies, fruits, and Banh Mi.

And some really nicely fried eggs(and don’t forget the laughing cow cheese)…when it dawned on us; Mai had carried this stuff in her back pack, than prepped and cooked everything for us.

We felt kinda bad….and we mentioned this to Mai, who told us, "oh no, sometimes I have to carry and make lunch for 10 people, that is heavy." The lunch was deceivingly filling and refreshing at the same time. During lunch we got to know a bit better, She has been a guide for 1 1/2 years, and is only 19 years old! And here’s the kicker, Mai has been working her whole life, whether helping in the fields, or caring for one of her 8 siblings and was never able to go to school, and thus is not able to read or write in her own, or any language. Mai’s English was excellent, so we were wondering how she learned English. Mai told us that she picked up English from tourists. Talk about being resilient…

After lunch, we made our way to our ride, and back to Sapa. In addition to being bushed, I was in need of a shower. We had learned much from our hike, and much of it was due to Mai. If you’re ever in Sapa, maybe you’ll consider getting a local guide, we think you’ll be glad you did. Thanks Mai!

That evening, still strangely full from lunch, we had some street food(that is another post all together) and dodged raindrops back to the hotel. We sat on the balcony watching the lightning, and staring in amazement as we watched the wall of fog move up the valley envelop us. All while sipping on the wonderful Snake Wine from Le Mat. Life was good!

Sapa: Banh Cuon and Bun Cha from Cho Sapa(Sapa Market)

May 1, 2008 mmm-yoso Sapa/Bac Ha/Can Cau, Travel, Vietnam

Sapa lies to the Northwest of Hanoi, close to the Chinese border, in Lao Cai Province. Much of Lao Cai Province is dominated by the Hoang Lien Son Mountain range and Mount Fanispan(the highest peak in Vietnam). It is a region dubbed the Tonkinese Alps by the French, who first settled and started to develop Sapa in the 1920's. And though both Jesuit Missionaries(in 1918) and the French(in 1909) claim to have "discovered" or "settled in" Sapa; the area has long been populated by the "Hill Tribes", called the Montagnards("mountain people", "from the mountains") by the French. In and around Sapa, the 2 main ethnic groups are the H'mong(most notably Black Hmong) and the Dzao("Zao", mostly Red Dzao). Sapa is also known for the mild weather; I was told it hardly ever gets warmer than 30 degrees Celsius(about 85 F), and it does get down to as low as 4 C(about 40 F), this year had been especially cold, and there had been some snow! Some of these facts might have gone through my head(my mind has been called a "cesspool" of useless information), had I not been so tired and hungry. We had been dropped off right at the bottom of a street called Cau May. We decided to shop around and see what prices and rooms were like, and many places will let you check out the rooms before making a decision. We eventually chose the Mountain View Hotel, not because of the price(rooms $10-$15/ night), nor the rooms, which were run down, shabby, and had an "outhouse-ish" smell to them. But because of the view.

And the Missus had some "plans" in mind, where we'd really only stay here for one night.

You can see why they call it the Tonkinese Alps…….

MountainView02

By now, I really didn't care what fiendish plan was simmering in the Missus's head(to my chagrin…..more later). I was just plain hungry. Now in every city, town, or community there seems to be a "central market", you can call it "Mercado Central", A Farmer's Market, or whatever; it is, in most basic terms, a gathering place for the community to shop and socialize. And these markets usually includes a few places serving food. In the case of Sapa, it was simply named "Cho Sa Pa", Sapa Market.

And in the middle of the bustling market, were the food stalls. Heck, call it a food court if you will.

One section served soups, one section fried items, in this section, some major heat was on display.

And the Husband and Wife team specializing in two dishes. The Husband manned the grill(it's universal, isn't it?), cooking the ubiquitous "meat on a stick". You could smell the Bun Cha from quite a distance.

His Wife, slaved over the large pot of boiling water, covered with a metal frame with linen, making Banh Cuon, those wonderful thin sheets of rice floor noodle/crepe.

A scoop of batter was poured and spread over the base.

Covered, than folded with minced pork and cloud ear fungus.

So naturally we had to have one of each. All of the classic garnishes and accompaniments were provided; pickled papaya, a warm fish sauce based dipping sauce, the runny-sweet-mildly spicy hot sauce that I've come to miss, and of course herbs and greens.

Tons of fresh mint, and the Missus, for some reason, really liked the lettuce(?).

The Banh Cuon(15,000 VND – just under $1/US) arrived first, steaming hot.

The Bahn Cuon was topped with fried shallots, and Pork Sung, what we call "Rousong"…..basically dried shredded pork. Not my favorite thing in the world, but in this case I wasn't bothered too much by it. This Banh Cuon was much more delicate than the version I had in Hanoi, and it had a nice bit of stretch to it. Not as much filling as that version, but I enjoyed it more.

The Bun Cha(3 skewers – also 15,ooo VND) arrived soon after.

While the Husband was setting the plate of pork down, his wife ran over to one of the booths just outside of the eating area, and came back with a plate of Bun. This was the best Bun(Rice Vermicelli) we had on the entire trip, just the perfect combination of slightly sticky, and very mildly chewy. The dipping sauce was like almost every other we had, basically a fish sauce "broth". The Bun Cha was "jerky-ish" but tasted very good. Lemon Grass and Fish Sauce were the prevailing flavors, with just a hint of citrus, onion(I'm thinking shallot), and sweetness. We enjoyed ourselves so much, we returned the next morning!

The couple who ran this stall was very nice; the Husband was the more outgoing and social of the two. Somehow, on our second visit, through gestures, we figured out that his Mother ran the stall next door. Looks like the family business is going strong! And though his wife, the quieter of the two, was in constant motion, whether cleaning, or doing some other task, sometimes with their infant on her back. On our first visit, she noticed the Missus's interest in the Banh Cuon contraption. Yep, you guessed it, a Buon Cuon lesson was in order. First she demonstrated.

Now it was the Missus's turn. Can you tell that she's a bit concerned, perhaps about the Missus burning Herself, or maybe seeing their profits being wasted?

Actually, with a bit of help, the Missus did Herself, and me proud. Not a bad job overall.

Yes, Banh Cuon so good, the Hmong eat there…..

After the meal I was ready for a nap, but that was not to be. The Missus had other plans in mind. We returned to see the Black Hmong getting ready for a busy day of "selling".

Still in a bit of a stupor; I sat down with Mr. Phuc, and went through what we wanted to do in detail. I really didn't pay attention to what I requested for this morning………

Hanoi: Bun Cha Dac Kim, and We’re Off to Sapa

April 30, 2008 mmm-yoso Hanoi, Travel, Vietnam

Leaving Hanoi without trying some Bun Cha would have been criminal, we just could not do it. The mere thought of Bun Cha is enough to send me into full blown salivation mode. We decided to go with the highly recommended(by at least a half dozen people) Bun Cha Dac Kim(aka #1 Hang Manh). By watching the constant stream of motorbikes parking and leaving, and the foot traffic, you knew that this was the "right" place.

An SRO(Standing room only) crowd of customers, wedged elbow to elbow, on 4 floors no less, speak to the popularity of the place.

All this activity going on in one small space. Check out the cooking/prep area. Somehow, when I read about restaurant designers discussing "Open Kitchens" I don’t think they have this in mind. Check out the heavy duty wristband on the gal manning the "fry station".

You’d better bring your "A" game, when ravenous customers are practically looking over your shoulder!

As good as this Young Lady was, she had nothin’ on the gal assembling the Bun Cha.

Twisting, turning, moving, at a high rate of speed within tight quarters, she had more moves than Richard Simmon’s stunt double!

After waiting for a short while, we were guided up the narrow stairwell that reminded me of the time I toured a submarine, and ended up on the third floor. They managed to squeeze us in at the end of one of the tables, and I sat; "half cheek" style. We placed our orders, well, this place serves Bun Cha and Nem Cua Bể(Fried Crab and Pork Spring Rolls) so there’s not much "ordering" to be done. There was one Woman who ran the floor, with 3 "runners".

And blam-blam-blam, everything arrived in a flash. Fresh herbs and lettuce.

What seemed to be the standard Bun(Rice vermicelli) in Hanoi, mushy and sticky.

A mild fish sauce with pickled papaya.

And the star of our show, the meat! All to complete the ubiquitous Bun Cha, classic street food gone good….

As the grilled ground pork meatballs and thin slices of grilled marinated pork covered in broth arrived, it hit me. Here I was, having what I consider to be one of the 2 or 3 "classic" Northern Vietnamese dishes, what I’ve often times ordered as "Bun Cha Hanoi" on various menus….in Hanoi! Reality was a bit different. The meat was a total polar opposite of what I’d thought it would be. Going against character, the meatballs were very, very soft, like Mom’s best meatloaf, . The slices of pork were much more tender than anticipated as well. The broth and Nuoc Mam Cham(fish sauce based dipping sauce) were very mild, almost borderline bland.

The Nem Cua Bể were nothing like any Cha Gio I’ve ever had.

The very thin rice paper was light and crisp, and without any hint of oiliness. The filling was light, like an airy crab mousse. The Missus dumped all Her meat into my bowl, and went to work on the Nem Cua Bể……

While eating we noticed something that we saw repeatedly in Vietnam and Cambodia; greens and vegetables were eschewed. More than half the people left all the fresh herbs and lettuce untouched. This was explained to us later; "we are a poor country, most times our standard meal is vegetables and rice. When we go out, we want meat." Duh(smack to my forehead)….I shoulda been able to figure that out myself.

Total for the meal 80,000 VND(approx $5 US). This was the most stuffed I felt in Hanoi.

Off to Sapa we go…..

After a full day visiting the Museum of Ethnology and Hoa Lo Prison(aka "The Hanoi Hilton"), we had to head off to catch our train to Sapa. Banh My in hand(that’s a whole ‘nother post) we were dropped off at the train station. As we walked toward the station, the Missus heard me humming:

"What are you humming?"
"He’s leaving, on the midnight train to Sapaaaaaa…"
"Ugh"
"How about…. When my Baby, When my Baby smiles at me I go to Sapa…"
"Just stop it, Okay!"

And this is where our next "adventure" began. We entered the train station, and could find no indication of trains headed to Sapa.

I had remembered reading that there was a separate station for destinations North of Hanoi, so I went outside to look around.

And to the right of the main building stood the "Hall of Passengers Before Entering Into Railway Station for Northern Lines"(what a mouthful). So we walked into the waiting area. We had been told that we needed to "exchange" our tickets for "real" tickets, but couldn’t figure out where. Finally, we saw a group of tourists enter, and their Guide (Danny from Saigon) explained the process to us. Before the train leaves, the Ticket Agent will man the "counter" and exchange our tickets for boarding passes, and he told us he’d give us the "high sign" when the time was right. Just as always, after some confusion, everything worked out. (Thanks Danny…) About a half hour before boarding time, we got the sign….but no one was at the counter! Danny pointed at the stairs:

And there She was, motorbike helmet and all, our Ticket Agent, sitting on the stairs handing out boarding passes. Now here’s where Beach had really helped us out again; even though reservations were tight, he had arranged for us to have an entire 4 berth cabin (all the 2 berth cabins were sold out) to ourselves. Thank God! It seems that all Vietnamese Males like to chain smoke, drink, and talk really loud. And for some reason, our cabin kind of reminded me of something I saw earlier in the day.

Happily, our cabin did lock from the inside, and I wouldn’t have to be worried about getting "shivved" in the night, nor anyone getting "too familiar" with me….. In fact, water was provided, and the bedding smelled like bleach, which in this case, we were happy about. Just be glad none of the photos of the "WC"(No, not that "WC") came out……

Due to the noise factor we didn’t get much sleep, so we were ready to go when we arrived and people were being roused at ~~The Gulag~~ Lao Cai at 5am.

As we had experienced before, the arrival was controlled chaos. It was pitch dark at the Lao Cai train station, and we were herded onto mini-vans for the hour-and-a-half drive to Sapa.(30,000 VND, just under $2/ US)

We had not made plans for Sapa, other than what Beach had done for us. And we could see nothing in the darkness as we drove. We would just be dropped off at a destination of our choosing in Sapa. Would things work-out for us?

Would it be worth the effort?

Well, here’s the view from our $15/night (versus the $10/night – no view) room in Sapa:

What’s the verdict???

Hanoi: Finally, Bun Rieu, and more of Hoan Kiem Lake

April 27, 2008 mmm-yoso Hanoi, Travel, Vietnam

Our time in Hanoi was running out, with all of the activities, and sight seeing, it seemed that our last day in Hanoi just snuck up on us. And still no Bun Rieu. It’s not like we hadn’t tried, it seemed that we were always too late, or too early, as in the case of the food stalls at Dong Xuan Market and Bun Rieu Nam Bo. We even attempted to find the stall at 23 Bat Dan recommended by on of our guides, and the staff at Hanoi Elegance, but to no avail. After walking around aimlessly, we settled for Bun Rieu Cua from the stall down an alleyway, right off of Hang Bac, just a block and a half from our hotel.

This alleyway was usually fairly crowded, but at this time of the morning, it was nice to actually see some pavement.

And it did look rather delicious…..

This lady was really nice….we managed to order using, the point method, and either the "no" nod, or the "thumbs up". After trying to keep up with the process which was completed in a flash, with minimum wasted motion, you could tell she was a pro.

From the rinsing of the bowl, to the heating of the noodles, it was difficult to follow.

But the result was one mighty fine looking bowl of Bun Rieu.

On the positive side; this was one super hot bowl of soup. We’ve had many a bowl of lukewarm Bun Rieu. Also, the crab cake had a nice pungent-briny flavor, and nothing we’ve had approaches the flavor. We found the broth to be very mild, and lacking any real tangy-sour-salty-savory flavor, even the addition of garlic and fried shallots really didn’t help much, and the bun was way too soft. The mix of greens provided was very fresh, and the chili paste was potent.

Being unable to hit any of the recommended Bun Rieu stalls was probably our biggest regret of our stay in Hanoi, but perhaps on one of our future trips. Still who’s going to really complain about a 15,000 VND(just under $1 US) bowl of Bun Rieu.

The Missus was intent on visiting the Museum of Ethnology, but it was still much too early. We decided to take a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake. As documented in Wandering Chopstick’s post, it seems like all of Hanoi turns the area around the lake into a giant gym in the morning. In the aprk across the street from the lake, there’s gigantic exercise class going on.

As Peaches and Herb would say: "Shake your groove thing, shake your groove thing, yeah, yeah
Show ’em how we do it now"

Well, maybe not, but they sure had the moves down.

There are several sections that have Badminton going on. From just friendly games (here’s the Missus getting smoked by Grandma).

To some really, very competitive games. We stayed to watch the game for a while, and boy, Mom sure had a nasty forehand!

Of course there’s Tai Chi.

And what was a sidewalk became a place to "pump you up!" I don’t think I’ve seen cement weights in a very long time……

And there were those that gave new meaning to the phrase "no pain, no gain", my neck hurt just watching this guy.

By this time, I, ummm, was getting a bit thirsty. We crossed the still only mildly busy street, and headed over to Highlands Coffee. Not much to say about the place, other than the coffee is pretty expensive by Hanoi standards, and was not nearly as good as we’ve tried in other places.

The best thing about Highlands Coffee, which is situated on the third floor of a building right across the street from Hoan Kiem Lake, is the view. Which even on a hazy morning is quite nice.

Meanwhile, the Missus was preoccupied watching people crossing the street. Her photos don’t convey the abject terror struck in our hearts watching first a dog:

Then a Blind Man crossed the street.

We were a bit late with photos and missed the part where about a dozen motorbikes were zooming around the guy. Amazing stuff.

It seems that Hoan Kiem Lake is the venue for weddings, or at least wedding photos in Hanoi.

We saw at least a half dozen wedding parties while walking around the lake. It made for a pretty surreal scene, the Bride and Groom, surrounded by dozens of tourists. So if you’re the couple in this photo we apologize, but the Missus and I think you were a beautiful couple. We send you both our best wishes for a long and happy marriage!

Hanoi: Cha Ca Thang Long

April 25, 2008 mmm-yoso Hanoi, Travel, Vietnam

During the planning stages of our trip, I started making my list of dishes, and a few places that I wanted to check out. Of course, being a fan of Cha Ca Thang Long(tumeric fish with dill), I had the famous Cha Ca La Vong, made popular by Patricia Schultz’s 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, and seen in every single travel show on Hanoi, on my list. But after asking around a bit, and reading a post or two, we thought that’d maybe we would try elsewhere, and on Beach’s and a NY Time’s article, the lower-keyed Cha Ca Thang Long Restaurant seemed to fit the bill.

So upon our return to Hanoi from Halong Bay, we dodged the endless procession of motorbikes and walked on over to Cha Ca Thang Long.

At first glance it seemed that the restaurant hadn’t taken down the Christmas decorations! But the interior of the restaurant was very clean, and I guess red is the color of choice.

Every table comes equipped with a brazier loaded with heating gel.

And a rather large bowl of scallions and dill.

And in an instant, all of the ingredients of Cha Ca arrive; the wonderfully spicy, but sweet orange chilies, shredded scallions, skinned peanuts(a very important detail…..a gentleman told me the peanuts have to be skinned), a bowl of wonderful fresh herbs…

A plate piled high with Bun….

Both the Missus and I each had an entire set of ingredients……it was turning out to be quite a collection of plates and bowls. Meanwhile, one of Young Ladies, started toward us with 2 little bowls, as she approached our table she spoke to us in Vietnamese. As soon as we replied in English she stopped dead in her tracks and beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen, and came back with two different bowls. These had Nuoc Mam(Fish Sauce) in them.

Laughing, I told them, "no-no, mam tom, mam tom, shrimp paste….please!" "You want shrimp sauce?" "Yes, yes, please……"

And while the fish sauce was quite nice….pungent and biting like a stiff drink of whiskey, the Mam Tom was a revelation. Rich and savory, pungent as expected, but it had been whipped until foamy, making it very light. and there was an unmistakable sweetness, with a mild sour flavor. The Missus went through 3 bowls of this stuff, and 2 little bowls of the chilies during the meal.

The brazier was lit, and our pan of fish arrived. I went to start cooking, and with a smile, the Young Lady, waved me off, and started cooking the Cha Ca for us.

Her own version of quality control I guess. She mixed in half of the dill and scallions, gently mixed everything together, and served us.

Our observations on the meal? Strangely, the dill had almost no flavor, which threw off the overall flavor. The fish was very moist, tender, and without any hint of the dreaded "muddy flavor", but was on the bland side. I had been expecting this to be a tad oily, but that was not the case at all. The Bun was very mushy and sticky. Kind of a mixed bag for a meal. Though the fish was very moist, compared to the version a good friend’s Mom made for us, the flavor came up a bit short.

The service was probably the best we had in Vietnam, amazingly efficient, and generous. As soon as we were out of something, they would bring out replacements until we told them to stop! The price was also quite good 160,000 VND for 2. About 5 bucks each. The based on the what we heard and observed, the clientele was completely Vietnamese.

Cha Ca Thang Long
21-31 Duong Thanh
Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Gastronomy eats at Cha Ca Thang Long here.

A Market Comparison – Hang Be Market(Hanoi) and 99 Ranch Market

April 22, 2008 mmm-yoso Hanoi, Markets & Grocers, Travel, Vietnam

"Market….." Nice word. What comes to mind, when you hear the word "market"….or "Asian Market"? If you live in San Diego, it might be this:

But if you happened upon Hang Be Market located on Pho Gia Nhu starting on the corner of Hang Be in Hanoi, instead of fluorescent lights, and tiled isles, you’d see this.

Though it’s more likely you’d get run over by a motorbike than get your shins rapped by a Little ol’ Lady pushing a shopping cart at Hang Be! I thought I’d do a little comparison of sorts, there are a few similarities, and maybe a few differences…….

I know 99 Ranch Market is pretty well known for the variety of veggies and fruits.

Actually, I think the fruits at 99 Ranch Market are not a strong point…many of the offerings are often over-ripe, bruised, or of low quality. Still, there’s always a nice variety. When it comes to "greens" 99 Ranch Market always has a nice selection.

At Hang Be Market, you won’t find the huge stacks of oranges perilously stacked, but you will find a good variety of different items.

You gotta love the Dragon Fruit in Southeast Asia, it is leaps and bounds better than what I’ve had in the States; it is much sweeter, and the Missus ate the stuff by the kilo. And lest you think this is all locally grown; the oranges are from China(quite good), Dragon Fruit and Durian from Thailand.

A note about prices:

You’ll notice quickly that most places won’t post prices, so you’ll have to bargain. The Missus had a very original way of bargaining…..She was especially frustrating for one lady. She would bargain hard…..the lady always wanted something like 25,000VND per kilo, the Missus would start at 15,000 VND….and so forth. Finally they’d settle on 18,000 VND. By then, the Missus was so tired, She would just hand the wad of money to the lady who’d just pull out what she wanted! Why bother bargaining? I guess the "bargaining fatigue" was just too much. Regardless, the Missus bought 2-4 kilos of Dragon Fruit almost everyday.

It was fun seeing uncommon(for us here in the US) items for sale, like Betel nuts.

Buddha’s Hand anyone?

99 Ranch Market has a pretty large meat department.

And though the signs are sometimes unintentionally humorous; looks like the "prok for stew" has been selling pretty well today. There is a nice variety of items from the butcher counter and prepacked trays of meat.

No white coats and hats, or the "singing of the saws" at Hang Be.

Just fresh meat on metal tables, meat is ground to order.

And some items screaming "I dare you to eat me"!

It is all fresh….

Ah yes, the Seafood Department at 99 Ranch Market.

For many people I know, 99 Ranch Market is the place to go for fresh and live seafood in San Diego. There’s always a good variety, and the prices are reasonable.

At Hang Be Market, the variety might not be quite as large, but as with the beef, everything is fresh.

And most of it is caught locally.

And if it’s not still alive…..

It’s still "breathing". These were bought up in an instant.

Someone requested a photo of Rice Paddy Crabs.

Here’s one of my favorite photos from Hang Be Market.

Even more stuff. Teas and spices from 99 Ranch Market.

Teas and spices from Hang Be Market:

A pretty large variety…..

And of course there is that staple; rice. We found the rice in Vietnam to be of very low quality….full of grit, lots of "brown bits", and unpolished.

But why have rice when you can have……..Bun!

Fresh Bun looks wonderful; pure and white as the new fallen snow, it is brought to the market in baskets lined with banana leaves.

One of our Guides told us how Bun was made; rice is first fermented, then ground and sifted. Water is then added to form a dough that is kneaded. The dough is then pressed through an aluminum sieve with tiny holes into boiling water. The Missus’s verdict? "Too much trouble, why don’t you just eat rice?"

And then there are those things that catch your eye:

So what’s going on here? This gentleman is burning the hair off a pig’s feet.

And those items that would be pretty hard to find in the states.

One constant we found in every market, was a barber!

We visited Hang Be Market 3 times, once during each period of the day, during the morning, afternoon, and evening. Each visit offered something different. And on one of the visits, I started comparing the market set-up of Hang Be Market with 99 Ranch Market. Strange, I know……

Miss Oishii Eats visit to Hang Be Market can be found here.

Someone tell the ~~Ham~~ Missus not to quit Her day job….

Pho Cuong(Hanoi) and Halong Bay

April 20, 2008 mmm-yoso Hanoi, Pho, Vietnam

During our trip to the Handicraft Villages around Hanoi, we spoke to our guide Mr Hung, regarding food in Hanoi. Among the places recommended, was a place for Pho, Pho Cuong. We mentioned that we hadn’t enjoyed our previous encounter….but Hung assured us that this place was "the best", and very close to our hotel. As with all the recommendations we received, whether by people we knew, or by people we met in Vietnam, this rec’ was seconded, this time by one of the staff at the hotel. I was still not sure if I was ready for another bowl of Pho, but we went to the alley right in front of Dong Xuan Market, and found the Bun Rieu booths weren’t ready yet…so I thought what the heck. And ended up just up the street from Pho Thin.

As we arrived, we realized that we had walked past this place yesterday, and I had remarked about how busy the place was…. The Missus, walked right up to the cooking area; fascinated at how quick the whole process was.

The young man with the pad and the pencil is right at your table when you sit……I now know where all the Pho places in San Diego get this…..

The photo on the right is one of the Missus’s favorites; She always cracks up when She sees it….."You could place that Guy in any Pho place in San Diego. He has the universal Pho gear….white shirt, pad, with pencil at the ready. We should take photos as all the places we go to, and do a line-up, and see if people can figure out which one was taken in Vietnam!"

Meanwhile, the Missus was checking out the entire process. You gotta give it to these guys….they didn’t even blink when the Missus walked over and watched them make my Pho Bo Tai Chin.

First the noodles go for a dunk in the boiling water:

Then the meat….rare beef, and fatty beef(like brisket), is given a dunk.

All covered by the broth, scallions, and a sprinkling of pepper. Meanwhile, even though your Pho is ready in a flash….your check hits the table even faster!

The broth, was darker than the version I had earlier….

I really like that all soups are served scalding hot. The broth was just mildly beefy, but very salty….very salty…..

The rare beef was a slightly chewy, but not bad. I enjoyed the fatty beef, nice flavor, if a bit high on the fat-sinew scale. The noodles were a bit wider than noodles in the US, and the texture was more like Bun…it had no elasticity. Better than Pho Thin…….

After finishing my bowl(16,000 VND – $1), I told the Missus; "ok, no more Pho, no matter who recommends it……"

Pho Cuong
23 Hang Muoi St
Hanoi

When we got home, I found a post by Stickyrice on Pho Cuong, which can be found here.

The Missus waited to eat(other than the Banh Gio we had earlier) until we returned to the hotel. Right outside the Hanoi Elegance 2, on Ma May Street were a group of street vendors.

One of whom sold this….red bean porridge.

Which the Missus couldn’t wait to get Her hands on…….it brought back many childhood memories…..and She even waited around until the woman finished making the Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Mung Bean Filling.

She grew up eating these in China….brought back nice memories for Her. We also, met a nice young lady who worked across the street, and had a delightful conversation. She practiced English, and asked many questions, and we got to ask about life in Hanoi.

All of this happened before 8am! Soon enough our van loaded us up for our trip to Halong Bay…..

In Vietnam, they don’t tell you anything, Part 1:

After the 3 1/2 hour trip, we entered a crowded parking lot……hundreds of people milling around.

The driver pulled up, and simply said, "ok, you get off now…." And every question asked was answered with that statement, "you get off now…." So we all got off, and kind of huddled together, and just waited….. the driver drove off……and we waited. Eventually someone came around to meet us, collect out passports(!), and walked off……and we waited…..and finally we were herded onto a boat that ferried us out. But it was a fairly disconcerting hour and a half…. When we returned from our overnight boat "cruise", we watched the same thing happen to the next batch of "wide-eyed and confused" travelers….

But Halong Bay is lovely!

The classic photo…….

It was overcast, but that just added to the sense of mystery.

And some of it was stunning….

If a bit crowded….

One of our favorite parts was the walk to Hang Sung Sot(aka "The Amazing Cave").

We enjoyed the walk through the cave, and our Guide Lan, was amazingly kind, and very patient, especially with a very demanding, rude, and borderline bi-polar visitor….who would be making demands and being very rude one minute…and a second later would be sweet and nice! One of the features of this cave, which is comprised of 2 huge chambers is the "phallic rock"…which is illuminated by pink lighting!

The view from the cave is simply beautiful……it’s where the first photo was taken. Also, off to the right is a view of an enclosed lake.

Which I found beautiful.

This merchandising lady was very resourceful.

She was on one end of dock when we arrived….and moved to the other end as we left.

Our cabin was cozy…..we thought it funny that the shower is in the middle of the bathroom….how do you keep the toilet paper dry??? ;o)

And even though it was near the engine room, and the kitchen, that wasn’t an issue, because we were up early anyway. Lan was an excellent guide……She had spent time in China, and was fluent in Mandarin, and had a blast chatting with the Missus.

Everyone anchors in the same spot for the evening, and it almost seems like a city on the water.

Thank God for jet lag……we got up at 430 am, and managed to have a few moments of peace. No sunrise because of the overcast skies, but we’ll take the wonderful solitude….most everyone else had been up late, except us.

The following morning we moored at one of the floating villages.

As mentioned by Sharon in Her Blog, the variety of items being sold (Pringles anyone?) is quite amazing.

Kayaking around the village and bays was enjoyable.

Even with the intermittent drizzles…..

The Missus was proud of Her "kayaking classes", "aren’t you glad I took kayaking classes? NOW ROW…."

And She did take some nice photos….

Sorry, no photos of the food….which wasn’t bad, 6-10 courses every meal, with some interesting items, many of which seemed Thai-Khmer influenced…and some odd things like French Fries. Most of it was mild as to appeal to the most pedestrian of diets, which we expected. I did manage to take a photo of the galley…

We also got to know a couple from Minnesota, currently living in Singapore, visiting with their son, who was impressively well mannered and behaved. Thanks to them(thanks Tomi!) we got a lead for a driver in Siem Reap.

Someone did email me, asking if Halong Bay is worth it….I’d say without a doubt, yes! Perhaps just once…..the Missus and I thought that things were a bit crowded(many, many boats), lots of fumes, and when you actually get close to the water you notice the amount of oil…and plastic bags/bottles in the water. I’m hoping this is eventually addressed, because it is a treasure.

The crew of the Santa Maria were very nice, and the price of $97/each is very reasonable. There are only 8 cabins on the Junk, so you are able to carve out your personal space.

Hanoi: Banh Cuon, Bia Hoi, and what to do in Hanoi at 430am……

April 18, 2008 mmm-yoso Hanoi, Travel, Vietnam

We were still pretty full after our wall to wall multi-course snake meal, and pretty wiped out as well. We had been running on adrenaline since arriving in Hanoi, and it was starting to catch up, we were tired, and needed to slow things up a bit. Luckily, making a decision for dinner wasn’t very hard, on the previous evening we had seen a lady making Banh Cuon right around the corner on Hang Bac….and it looked pretty darn good. So we walked on over and had a seat on the little plastic stools, and decided to share an order of Banh Cuon. It was fun watching our sheets of rice flour being turned into, nice elastic noodles.

Speed and economy of motion were in full display…..

While the noodle was cooking, a full complement of side dishes and garnishes were set out, including some fresh herbs, a hot soupy nuoc mam based dipping broth with Chả Quế(cinnamon pork sausage), limes, and sliced orange chilies, which, in addition to being mildly spicy, had a nice sweet flavor.

Several times during the process, the Missus made a play for the Banh Cuon.

But the Woman would shake her head and make the international sign to stop……I guess no Banh Cuon was to be eaten until it’s time!

These noodles(almost like Cheong Fun – but more delicate), though not the best we had on the trip, had a generous amount of minced pork and cloud ear filling, and the fried shallot topping was quite tasty. It is also deceivingly filling……total cost 20,000VND(about $1.25 US – I’m pretty sure we were charged "tourist price" on this, but that’s fine).

Bia (A)Hoi……..

Sufficiently satiated, we decided that we just needed to try Bia Hoi, aka fresh beer, brewed daily without preservatives, and low in alcohol content, we thought this would make a nice little night cap. We stopped at a little stand, full of plastic kiddie seat and tables, and had a seat, knees tucked almost to our chins, on a little corner of Hang Buom.

This light, highly carbonated beverage is a microbrew in name only…..the fragrance is that of beer, but the taste is very close to that of non-alcoholic beer. It is very cold and refreshing, and best of all, a glass costs about 20 cents US! In spite of what we read, all of the Bia Hoi places we passed were full of tourists. We chose this one because, even though it was full, it didn’t look as packed as others….and there were a few locals having a brew. We sat next to a table fo 4 Asians, 3 guys and a woman, and wouldn’t you know…they start talking in Chinese! Turns out they’re from Guangzhou….. The Missus was having a nice conversation with them, when the young man to our right starts talking in Chinese as well. He’s from Taiwan……what are the odds????

As the Missus’s conversation passed from one topic to another….I managed to sneak in 3 more glasses of Bia Hoi, and finished off the remainder of Hers. 5 glasses of Bia Hoi – 15,000VND(less than a buck!). You know….maybe I can get really used to this……

What to do in Hanoi at 430 AM…….

Yes, jet lag was rearing its ugly head….it was 330am and the Missus and I were wide awake. So what to do? Well, Hanoi seemed a very safe city…we decided to take a walk at 430 in the morning…there’s no way I’d do this in most places, even at home in San Diego, but there were people out and about…many of them Women. The great thing was how few motorbikes there were on the road. But what the heck was going on at 430 in the morning? Well, after walking all the way up past Dong Xuan Market, we noticed some activity on one of the streets just East of the market….taking a left on Pho Nguyen Thien Thuat we stumbled onto a street live with activity….

So you’ve heard of all those early morning wholesale markets, that sell to the various restaurants….. Welcome to Hanoi’s much smaller version of Tsukiji Market. Except instead of fish….

It was full on, wall to wall beef…..

The street was full of hacking, haggling, and hurrying, as beef and pork was divided up, bought, and driven off on the backs of motorbikes. Bones were cracked and chopped right on the asphalt.

And purchased for what could possibly be todays or tomorrows Pho.

And since we need to give pork equal time. This little piggy went to market….

And never made it back home…..I saw one of the ladies divide this guy up in less than 5 minutes! I wouldn’t want to get on Her "bad side".

Around the corner is the produce section.

All headed for a food stall, and possibly a small plastic table near you……

It was quite a sight, the chilies were beautiful, and the veggies fresh. What else would you expect from a wholesale food market anywhere? All while the rest of Hanoi slept…..

I hope you’ll excuse the photos….we took all of them without the use of the flash……

Fish sauce or hot sauce anyone?

We felt so lucky to have stumbled onto this lively impromptu market…a few hours later, you’d never have known this place even existed.

As we walked back toward our spot for Banh Gio we noticed these ladies hard at work dividing up, and bagging charcoal.

Talk about hard, dirty work!

We were on our way……to breakfast, and later to Halong Bay…..but the memory of the women bagging charcoal somehow remained on my mind for a while.

Hanoi: 9 Courses of snake at Le Mat (snake village) Part 2 and Bat Trang

April 16, 2008 mmm-yoso Hanoi, Memorable Meals, Travel, Vietnam

After "meeting the snakes", and a couple of shots of snake wine and tea, we were dropped off via motorbike back at the restaurant. The Missus and I decided to go ahead and have our "9 courses of snake". Even though it seemed somewhat touristy, you only live once, right?

We had also invited Hung, our Driver, and Huong(who couldn't make it)…we had noticed that most times Drivers and Guides and their customers would part ways during meal times…the Tourists usually having a hearty meals, and the Guides would just wait, hang out with other guides, or run errands…..we wanted to reverse that notion, and made it a point to eat with our drivers and guides as much as possible, what better way to learn about the place you're visiting!

Soon enough various garnishes, were brought out including the salt-chili-lime dip, some really pungent, but delicious nuoc mam(fish sauce), herbs so fresh and full of life…they almost shone in the sun.

Some rice crackers….

And pickled figs, a nice palate refresher……

More snake wine of course(not as good as what we had just had), rice wine with black bee(strange medicinal-honey flavor), and one bottle that looked like chop suey lizard, snake, and other "stuff"…..pretty nasty stuff. Of course this was the one I was told would "make you strong", usually a good sign of something that would want to make you scrub your tongue with a brillo pad after consuming it……

And of course, you could not proceed without….

A glass of blood, which tasted of rice wine, but left a weird coating on my tongue, and bile which was a bit astringent, but tasted mostly of alcohol. Eat, Drink, & Be Merry has a nice post on "snake shots" in Taiwan.

There was one last piece of business….

When they brought the Cobra Heart out, it was still bouncing around a bit….the Missus decided that She wanted it, and I had no problem with that. She chugged it down with ~~a shot~~ two shots of snake wine.

First course – A Hot and Sour Soup.

There are several different types of sour……this was an example of what I can only call "dead fish sour". It was terrible; I started having doubts……

When the next course arrived, snake meat roasted in betel leaf.

A classic "La Lot" (rolled in betel leaf dish), much like what you'd order in most places with Beef. The snake meat was very mild (tastes like chicken anyone?), which amplified the sweetness of the betel leaf. Very nice.

Stir fried(Xao Lan) snake:

The snake was tough as heck in this dish…uninspired.

Snake egg rolls:

Yes, another classic preparation….these were fried perfectly, and in this case the slight chewiness of the snake meat was a plus. Other than that, not much flavor…..but hey it's fried!

Snake rice.

Another bland, "tastes like chicken" dish.

Deep Fried Snake Skin:

Topped with some dill, and dipped into nuoc mam….chicharron ain't got nothin' on this dish!

Roasted snake meat:

Not bad….texture like chewy, grilled eel…in fact the fish sauce in this dish made it even taste like a mild eel-chicken in flavor.

Minced snake bone:

This was excellent…went through 2 servings of Rice Crackers! Crunchy texture like roasted rice…..nicely flavored!

Chinese-style medicinal snake soup:

Tastes exactly like it's description………..medicinal soup….

Dessert, which I was so full and never tried……

All in all, a really nice experience, even though much of it does "taste like chicken"…..the visit to Quoc Phuong Ecological Farm, and Mr Huong's hospitality made it worthwhile.

And at $10/US a person, I'd say it was, at least to us, a fun experience. After lunch we wanted to make sure and thank Mr Huong; so we walked back to the farm, and made sure to thank him in person. As we were leaving he gave us a signal to wait….grabbed on old vodka bottle, which he rinsed out, and proceeded to fill from his stash of snake wine. Never underestimate the power of "Thank You!"

The last stop on our little day trip was the ceramic village of Bat Trang.

Though Le Mat and Bat Trang are but a few kilometers out of Hanoi, it's amazing how different they are from Hanoi….so peaceful, relaxed, and quiet.

But the relaxed vibe disguises the really hard, tough work that goes on in Bat Trang.

Working the kiln of Bat Trang is heavy, hot, and hard work.

There are a number of shops along the road….

Selling all types of ceramic products

Some ultra mass produced, others looking a bit higher in quality….

As with the other handicraft villages, you kind of wander around, and if you find something that catches your eye, you wander over, and suddenly you're right in the middle of a production line.

We walked down an alley, and right into a workshop.

Right up close and personal…

I'll never look at that mass produced tea pot the same…..so much of what we use without a thought is someone's handwork.

Meanwhile, the Missus had found something that had caught Her attention. This woman, who we'll call "smiling eyes" (when we entered the workshop, you could tell she gave us the biggest smile, even though she had a mask on), was working at her station….she could crank out her pieces at an amazing rate.

Seeing that the Missus was interested, she gave Her a quick lesson…

Then it was the Missus's turn….amazing…from the audience to the production line in minutes! Only in Vietnam!

Everytime the Missus would do something that would potentially mean a few missing digits, Smiling Eyes would come quickly to the rescue while emitting a high pitch "oh-oh-oh"…..

Using the "3 strikes rule", after the Missus ruined 3 pieces, She decided to leave this work to the pros!

Plus we were dog tired….

On the way back to our Hotel, Mr Hung stopped at Cafe Hao, and bought us some coffee. Nothing like Vietnamese coffee culture….a cup can last several minutes, or several hours depending on your mood.

His way of thanking us for lunch. This version was the best I had on our trip. It seems we had come full circle, the day started with a cup, and ended with a cup! Now I'd say that's a productive day!