Other tidbits to look forward to:
- Last days in Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Traveling to Vietnam
- Becoming a millionaire
- Trying the DELICIOUS local food
- Busy Beer Street
- "Flashback City"
Last Days in Chiang Mai
My time in Thailand came and went all too quickly. I really enjoyed the people of Thailand and I would rate them as some of the friendliest in the world. The food was delicious even if it made me cry on several occasions and the life was simple yet never boring.
I was very fortunate to meet the people I did while living in Thailand and I know this is becoming a cliche in my life, but I really felt at home in Chiang Mai. I made great friends with locals and expats alike, played some wonderful gigs, and very quickly adjusted to the daily life. Here are some of the people who really highlighted my trip:
Teuw, the bar owner at C.U. Corner Bar in Chiang Mai. She was the first person to offer me a gig in Chiang Mai and I ended up playing there twice a week for the short time I was in town.
Nui, one of the bartenders at C.U. Corner Bar who took time out of her days off to show Scott and I around to some of the most authentic food in the city.
Wan Sai (I really don't know how to spell his name...), our local noodle guy who always had a big smile on and although we couldn't communicate verbally, we always enjoyed his company and his food.
A and Nui, the chef and owner of our favorite local restaurant. We asked them to surprise us every day and they always delivered! The food was amazing and their kindness always astounded me.
The night before Scott and I left, I played one last gig at C.U. Corner and A came out to join us. He sat down and ordered a small bottle of rum and some bottles of soda water to mix it with. He proceeded to take it down and followed it up with another one. We joined him for a drink or two of rum but he was a true champion. He sang along to some of the songs he knew and we had an absolute blast hanging out and talking with him after I had finished my set. His catchphrase is "Come on!" and he would say it whenever we would tease him or tell him jokes. He is such a delightful person and a true friend.
The last day before we left, we went to Nui and A's restaurant for one last delicious surprise dish. They hooked us up with some delicious cabbage and chicken over rice and then for dessert they served us warm, heartfelt hugs. It was sad to leave them but I know that if I ever go back to Chiang Mai, I'll always have a seat at the best restaurant in town.
Traveling to Vietnam
Traveling to Hanoi from Chiang Mai is relatively painless. The Chiang Mai airport is pretty small but they had a lounge which we had access to due to our fancy-shmancy credit cards. Scott and I got to enjoy some complimentary beverages and food while we waited for our flight and it was pretty sweet.
The flight was only about an hour and a half and it was a relatively smooth ride. Once we landed, we had to go through a bit of a chaotic visa process but once we figured it out, it was smooth sailing. We passed through customs, grabbed our bags and hopped into a car that was waiting to take us to our apartment.
As we started our ~30 minute car ride from the airport to our new digs, we had the opportunity to see quite a bit of the city. Hanoi is a city of 8 million people which makes it comparable to Chicago. It has big skyscrapers, lots of traffic and it also has quite a bit of smog. It reminds me so much of Shanghai (although it's only a third of the size) and brings me back to the chaos of everyday life that I grew to love.
Our apartment is on the 6th floor of a building in the more traditional part of Hanoi and the view from our balconies is pretty great.
Our location is amazing as we have a supermarket on the bottom floor of our apartment building and countless restaurants and shops right across the street. We also live by a small lake that is surrounded by cafes and a produce market. It's a great place to go for a run in the morning and see all of the fishermen looking to land a couple of big ones.
There is also a huge lake just about 35 minutes north of us by foot. It's around 12 miles around and it's a bit more of a bougie are with many expats occupying the more expensive housing surrounding it. I've explored the area a little bit but Scott and i have plans to check out a local craft brewery that's right on the water. I'm looking forward to that!
There are brilliant buildings surrounding the whole lake including many pagodas that are beautifully lit at night.
Becoming a Millionaire
One of the fun parts of Vietnam is that their currency system is based on large quantities instead of a single unit. One USD equals 23,000 Vietnamese Dong so when we went to the ATMs to withdraw some cash, we became millionaires on the spot. It feels pretty weird to be walking around with over two million of the local currency but it's quite the norm out here. The bills are in quantities of 500,000, 200,000, 100,000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000 and there are also smaller bills such as 5,000 and 1,000. They do not use coins and everything is rounded to the nearest thousand. Let me flash some cash for you:
Eight, 500,000 Dong bills = 4 million Dong!
It's taken some getting used to when you buy a meal and it comes out to cost 50,000 Dong although with a quick bit of simple math, you realize it's the equivalent of just over $2 so you don't feel so bad when you hand over 50,000 to the restaurant owner.
Speaking of food...
Trying the DELICIOUS Local Food
The food in Thailand was amazing no doubt about it. The spice level was hot yet flavorful and the flavor profiles were delicious. However, Vietnam's food is INSANE! It is soooooo good I can't even wrap my head around it. The local pho blows any kind of pho I've had in the states away by miles. The Banh mi sandwiches are out of this world and the different types of food I never knew existed (and still don't know the names of) never disappoint. I can't wait to try so much more food over the next several weeks but here's a bit of what I have had:
Pho Bo (beef pho) an instant classic. I've already had 3-4 bowls of this stuff and it is absolutely fabulous. The noodles are on point, the broth takes hours and hours to prepare correctly and the peppers, spicy sauce and vinegar take it to a whole new level. Considering the weather has been mid 60s and high humidity, this dish is the best way to keep your bones warm. I've been told it's a good idea to check out many different pho places due to the fact that their broth is different. Don't have to tell me twice!!!
Nuong - Tay Bac (good luck pronouncing it...) - was an absolute delicious feast. Under the clay shingle with the meat and veggies on it are some hot coals that heat the shingle up and cook the food. There were many different cuts of beef and pork as well as kimchi, potatoes, onions, eggplant, okra and mushrooms. Once it's cooked, you either wrap it up in lettuce or simply dip it into a spicy sauce and throw it down the hatch. Here's how it looks before you get started:
You oil up the clay shingle and then later use butter as the meat is cooking. It was a two hour affair but it was well worth all the time and effort. The meat and veggies cook up very nicely and all of it was topnotch. You'll notice that the big bowl on the left in this picture is empty, let me show you what was poured into it.
When they serve this local wine they put ice in the bowl, cover it with plastic and then pour the wine over it to chill without watering it down. I will be very honest and tell you that the wine tasted like cough syrup but that didn't deter me from having a couple toasts with some locals that hosted me through the experience.
That's Lam on the left (it's his restaurant) and Thuy flashing the peace sign. Just a couple friendly locals I met that offered to show me some local cuisine. As I mentioned before, the food was amazing but there was SO much! I didn't want to keep eating but I was told we had to finish it so I put my big boy pants on and got to work. I did my best to put it all down with a "smile."
Busy Beer Street
Scott and I read up about the Old Quarter of Hanoi which is the more touristy part but has a lot going on. There is a really busy alley that is filled with bars that have small chairs and tables in front and it reminded me of Little Italy in NYC where all the maitre d's are trying to get your attention and have you come dine at their restaurant. It was quite busy and crowded so Scott and I just stayed for a beer before wandering off to find something a little less in-your-face.
We stumbled across a nice little bar with excellent prices (20k for a draft beer) and met a couple of nice people with whom we swapped stories of adventure. The Old Quarter seems quite lively and I've been looking for some gigs there but so far no luck. Hopefully this changes soon as I would absolutely love to play here in Hanoi.
However, I've met a local musician who is a pianist and she and I played a little bit in a cafe just the other night. There was no crowd but it was very cool to play some songs and sing in harmony with her. Hopefully she and I will be able to book something before I leave but we've already been here almost a full week! It blows my mind!
"Flashback City"
Hanoi greatly reminds me of Shanghai in so many ways - the lack of traffic rules (next week I'll show you a video of how to cross the street in rush hour traffic), the sounds of the city, the smells of the city and of course the feel of the city. I'm a big city kind of guy and I'm definitely getting my fix here in Hanoi.
As I walk through the streets, my mind is constantly bombarded with flashbacks from living in Shanghai and it takes me back to the streets of Shanghai almost 10 years ago. I catch myself laughing out loud at distant memories I haven't relived in years and sometimes I accidentally start speaking Chinese instead of English when I go into a shop or restaurant.
In the part of the city Scott and I are staying in, it doesn't seem like there are many English speakers which adds to the fun of getting by without being able to communicate verbally. I've learned a few words here or there but Vietnamese is a difficult language! Thank goodness for pictures and google translate.
I'm really looking forward to meeting more locals and sharing those experiences with all of you! Fingers crossed that I get a gig lined up as well.
I hope you have a fantastic week and I'll catch you next time.
Cheers,
Tony G
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