We briefly returned to Hanoi after Sapa for just 1 night before heading out again…this time to Saigon. The plan was to stay in Saigon just for 1 night, and then leave on Sunday, March 30 to Mui Ne.
Our time in Hanoi and Saigon was brief, but there are still pictures worth posting here. We arrived in Hanoi early on Saturday morning, at about 6:30am. After killing some time at Hoan Kiem Lake, we were fortunate to be able to do a super early check-in into our hotel at around 8. We then ventured out into the streets in search for food and some local weekend fun.
You can get fresh meat and seafood ANYWHERE:
One amazing thing about Vietnam – you can find your favorite Vietnamese food from a street vendor. No joke. I even saw a bánh khọt cart today! I somehow spotted a woman pushing a cart with bánh chưng rán (sticky rice with pork and mung bean wrapped in banana leaf, steamed, and then fried)! I eagerly flagged her down and satisfied my taste buds with this classic Vietnamese comfort dish.
For dinner, we met up with Bao and friends again for some “Korean” hot pot.
Then I had an authentic Vietnamese evening by getting a scooter ride (with useless helmets that don’t even fit) through town for some drinks.
Most of the next day was spent traveling to Saigon. This was my 3rd visit to Saigon. The first was in 2006, the second was in 2012, and now in 2014. I swear, every time I return, it gets crazier. There are more and more tourists, more hustle and bustle. Here is a photo from our hotel room window. You’ll find a surplus of late night-goers spilling out onto the sidewalks and enjoying their Saturday night:
And the following day, Sunday, we were up bright and early again, on a bus ride to Mui Ne. More on Mui Ne in the next post! =)