Trip - Vietnam D1 - Life in the City

Hi Blog,

With many worries, the time has come to travel again... As stated in the title, this time we were going to Vietnam. People who know me understand that I prefer not to travel abroad frequently in order to save money; personally, I would like to travel once a year, but this year has already passed... My mother asked me to accompany her because my auntie could not go and no one was sharing the room with her, so I simply accompanied her.

Anyway, before I get too far off track, let me stay focused and broaden my horizons to include countries where I have never considered visiting.

Many of my friends have mentioned that Vietnam is a beautiful and simple place. My concerns were about safety... I guess I should just be cautious.

I am ready, let's go!

Thank you to my elder brother for taking us to the airport.

This is my first time entering terminal 3.

Okay, mother. I should not be complaining about my wallet or spending power; instead, I should be grateful that you are still healthy and accompany you on your travels around the world.

Thank you, aunties, for inviting my mother and me along on this trip.

Yippee! Family trip!

It appeared that I was the only male in the group, so I will need to look after them and become a photographer. Haha!

Come, aunties, and say hello to Kitten!

I told my mother and aunties to trust my phone camera, and they got a satisfactory photo with a blurry backdrop.

(Credit V) I guess I will shamelessly ask my cousin to assist me in taking a few photos so that I do not go without.

I guess we were too early to check into the terminal, so they will sit and drink coffee, as is customary for aunties.

As for me, just sit and chill...

I was busy figuring out the best twist to support the camera.

It is time to go take the flight, so breathe in and out... Everything will be okay.

Ooo! VN660 is a blue plane.

It looked like I would have to say goodbye to Singapore for a few days.

My first time taking blue coloured plane.

It appeared that I sat in the middle seat... I preferred the window seat!

The funny thing about flying in a Vietnamese plane is that once the passengers are seated, the pilot immediately starts moving and takes off!

Interesting and pretty air stewards' attire.

Normally, the plane I took would come to a halt along the plane running route, but this one did so for less than a minute before continuing on!

Flying like Peter Pan!

I had not had a plane meal in a long time, and this trip covered it. :)

I may not have had to sit next to a window seat, but the person next to me was our tour leader, so I was able to easily take photos of the sky.

Look at this! It is an ocean of clouds.

Can you see the mountain's tip from a distance? Honestly, I have no idea what that mountain is.

After two hours, we could see the Vietnamese landscape; it appears that there is a lot of agriculture farming.

Thanks goodness, we landed safely. According to the tour leader, we will be taking a bus to the arrival hall.

Landed, yippee!

I was curious as to why some airports require bus transportation while others do not.

It is around 4 p.m. in Singapore, but Vietnam is an hour later (according to the world time zone). However, given its latitude, Vietnam's timing should be ahead of ours. Anyway, it does not matter; what matters is that the sky is slightly hazy.

Waiting for all passengers to board the buses. Thank you VN660

A typical walking path to the arrival hall.

Clean and quiet, but more staff are needed because the queue is quite long.

The best part about going with a tour guide is that I will not have to worry about getting around.

He will be our Vietnam tour guide, and he did his best to inform everyone about Vietnam facts and things to be aware of.

Mr. Sun appeared so red and large in Vietnam's sky! Similar to its flag. 🇻🇳

But the redness is somehow related to air pollution... I was wondering if it was just in Hanoi or if it happened in other cities as well.

In Vietnam, there are many motorists on the road! This is similar to Malaysia, Taiwan, Batam, and Thailand, but Vietnam's traffic is one of the most distinct. I will explain further later on.

This photograph depicts the Vietnamese lifestyle, particularly in Hanoi.

Some people commented, "I love taking pictures of electrical poles. Why?" Because of the electrical pole... It tells many stories about whether or not it was organised and how people lived their lives... Because their lives depend on it, the complexity of the wiring reveals a lot about the people's and government's mindset: just get it done as long as it works, and leave the rest to experts. Perhaps I read too much.

Anyway, we were told to disembark from the coach bus and walk to our dinner destination, which was great because I could see more.

Living conditions in a typical Vietnamese household.

I want to sit there and be a part of the lifestyle, but the area where I stood was very congested with traffic, and I do not have anyone to help me capture the proper angle; I guess I will just imagine myself.

There are numerous mini-shops selling goods to tourists and locals, but I am not sure how successful their operations are...

The majority of the houses are narrow and built close together, with varying architectural styles.

Even if they do not have shop houses, they can conduct business using their transportation.

The majority of Vietnamese work in service-related fields, so they are humble and hard-working in this regard.

Despite the chaotic traffic, they are truly simple people who are somewhat zen within themselves... Which I admire, but some people may feel lost and hopeless about material prosperity.

Our first meal in Vietnam - Nhà Hàng Anh Hòa 1

(Credit Tour Guide) Family shots!

I tried to take a selfie with my food, but did you notice anything? Yes, the soup dripped out without me knowing it. 😂 Luckily, it didn't make a mess.

That's a pretty awesome spread for vegetarians!

It was 6 PM and the sky got dark.

Yes, the lamp's light volume indicates that this city is slightly polluted.

A typical way to handle trash...

Our hotel for these days

Nice and clean lobby

Lanterns appear to be an iconic item for Vietnam.

The breakfast area is conveniently located at the back of the lobby.

Our hotel room has that usual wooden floor vibe.

The marble wall toilet looks nice, but there are many difficult-to-clean spots.

A typical white, clean hotel bed. A clean bed is preferable to me. I know some guests will be concerned about stains and such; not me.

But there was something unusual about what I saw out the window... Oh my! The hotel room window can see into someone else's home! If a couple does anything heaty in the room without realising it, it is a free show! 😂

Even if they see this rubber seal resting in the room, I believe they will be meh and ignore me.

Vietnam is one of the official taxi providers - it looks like a police car 😂 and according to the local tour guide, this G7 taxi is legitimate and will not scam you.

Vietnamese architecture intrigued me because it combines various architectural styles. Consider asking a group of people to distribute a tall wrapped gift on their own or a bookshelf containing a random arrangement of books; you can see how that goes.
Additional: After returning from my trip to Vietnam, I believe I have another best way to describe the country's residential buildings: they are a sprawling version of Kowloon City. If you have ever visited Kowloon or seen a documentary about it, this is a great way to look at it.

Most restaurants or eating stalls have seating areas that extend out onto the road. It is dusty, for sure, but they seem fine with it.

And the cars or motorcycles will simply drive in close proximity! They described this as "eating by the edge."

Many of my friends and colleagues recommended that I visit their night market, Old Quarter. We took Grab to the main gate of Đồng Xuân Market.

It's one of the busiest spots in Vietnam.

Want a drink? Take a seat!

If you do not know how to recognise Vietnamese words, you might mistake this for a Thai market.

A commemorative statue honoring the World Wars.

The building is Đồng Xuân Market, but it is closed at night for night market stalls.

Lanterns are everywhere here.

When I asked my friends what they sell in Vietnam, they had trouble describing it to me; I assume these are the products. I wonder if there is a demand for these.

Aside from their iconic lantern, their pointed cone hat is probably the most iconic.

Because it is a Buddhist majority country, these items are commonly sold here. To be honest, Buddhist teachings do not encourage people to obtain these things... One of the main teachings is to lighten or dilute our belongings or desires.

In Vietnam, nothing beats "the chaotic flows of people and vehicles in all directions without pause and yet no accidents at all!"

Just like the buildings around here too!

In the crowded market, I noticed a dark alley leading into their residential area; as you entered, the noise subsided and the atmosphere became more serene. Perfect for introverts, but there is no one to help me take photos here...

Anyway, I can't hang out there for too long and have to head back to the crowds.

My cousins are café hoppers, so we made an unplanned coffee stop to allow the elders to rest their legs.

Even though I did not order a drink, I felt fortunate to be able to sit on the café's second-floor mini balcony and enjoy the night market.

Looking at the crowds, busy browsing, and wondering what lies ahead... Is there anything better or more appealing to their interests?

Wefie moment before we moved again.

This is how food stalls are set up: simple clear glass shelves for food, plenty of stools and mini tables, and large price tag and menu signs. The local guide told me that they are doing it illegally. When the cops arrive to sweep the street, the stall owners will simply pack and flee, asking you to hold the stool and claim it as your own.

It is unfortunate that these elderly people continue to work in order to make ends meet. Along the night market, there are many sellers of helium balloons, which appeal to younger audiences.

The larger the cloud of balloons, the more appealing it is to the target audience. Singapore can totally get in on this business too!

My cousins suggested that we try this dessert stall. I am curious what makes this stall stand out from the others; perhaps they have a proper seating area.

We eventually got to dine like locals, seated on low chairs and tables.

Fortunately, they have an illustrated menu because we do not understand anything, but the illustrations are not much help because they are so small and make it difficult to tell which is which.

I ordered a durian pudding at an affordable price. 😋

I just passed another dessert stall (not just desserts; other stalls serve other foods), and it appears to be everywhere. Check out how the locals ate and were served.

One interesting observation I made was that Vietnamese stall owners were selling Grab jackets to tourists (made of various fabrics), and I saw a group of friends buying them and hanging out as a gang. I envy their friendship.

Another quiet valley leads to the residential area. However, to be honest, it is quite clean.

Remember I mentioned the chaotic traffic earlier? When I (a Singaporean) saw a traffic light...

The light is just for decoration along the street - chaotic.

Because we could not get a Grab back to our hotel for a while, my cousins suggested we take a "Richshaw ride," also known as "Cyclo" in Vietnamese. The rider claimed a small fee of around 100k dong (SGD 5), but I felt something off... The rider summoned his companions to pick us up.

I could not express my concern to the others, so I just held that feeling and went with the flow. This was my first time taking a Rickshaw ride.

Despite numerous attempts to have wefie moments with my mother, the instability and bumpy ride prevented me from getting a clearer picture.

Riding in a rickshaw is a slow journey, and to add to the chaos, he took us to the wrong location before realising it was further away from what had been agreed upon (in fact, the moment he took a different route... I knew something was wrong), and they said it would cost 300k dong (around SGD 15). I told my cousins that this was hard work, so we should just give it to them.

When we arrived at our destination, which was not in the Old Quarter, where most Rickshaw riders do business, I handed over 500k dong (the only completed note I had) to the rider, who gladly accepted it without hesitation... However, my thoughts were conflicting... But I tried to keep it positive to bless them - I hope they have a good day and stay safe.

Here is the design of the Vietnamese currency. It appeared that I did not have them all, but you will recognise his face; he is the President, Ho Chi Minh.

My first experience in Vietnam felt like a whirlwind date with an enigmatic woman. I knew little of her language, and she, despite her efforts, struggled to express herself in English. Yet, her enthusiasm for communication was infectious. While I initially observed her from a distance, cautious and reserved, I quickly became captivated by her vibrant energy.

The city, much like her, is raw and bustling, a symphony of sights and sounds. Her instincts for survival are evident in her resilience, reflected in the ingenuity of her street vendors and the rapid pace of development. This dynamic, unpredictable nature makes her an intriguing and captivating individual – a place I long to understand better, much like a friend.

Jeff