Before I get to today, I’d like to add something about yesterday evening, when we cycled to the old town of Hoi An for dinner. The town was full of tourists. In the evening, you can take a small boat trip on the river. The boats are decorated with colorful lanterns, which can be quite romantic. There is a lot of hustle and bustle. We made our way to a restaurant (recommended by Roswitha and Klaus – thank you!). On the way, with so many restaurants to choose from, we kept wondering whether to stop for an early dinner, but we made it to the Korean restaurant 윤식당, which was probably the best meal of the trip – fantastic.
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And that brings me to a point that strikes me. This Korean food was a dream. I can’t say the same about Vietnamese food so far. It’s delicious, no question, but not as refined. There’s meat/fish fried or boiled, served with noodles/rice, plain or fried, and vegetables, all with a great sauce. The best thing here are the soups Phở (explanation of the word, very funny and with many more words exactly like this: When the French colonized Vietnam (French Indochina) in the 1880s, they brought with them a stew made of vegetables and beef, called pot-au-feu). There is a meat/fish/vegetable broth, accompanied by rice/egg/wheat noodles, herbs, bean sprouts, and anything else you like—very tasty!.
The culture is very different from what we (or at least I) are used to. (Marita, I often think of you; you told me exactly this before my trip, and now I can understand it well.) When I was in Cuba for this project, I also saw a lot of poverty. But the people danced a lot, sang, and seemed happy. I don’t see that as much here. Maybe I just can’t read it. It seems to me that everything is very busy. Is there relaxation? Fun? Joy? Surely, but where? In the evening, sitting on the waterfront promenade and looking at the many colorful boats, this question arises.
What is this difference that keeps me at a distance?
The people are very nice and distant, just foreign to us..
Today we continued another 100 km north by train. This train connects Lao Cai on the northern Chinese border (approx. 400 km north of Hanoi) with My Tho, approx. 100 km south of Saigon. The main route between the two major cities is approx. 1,700 km long and was built in the 1880s during the French colonial period.
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Outside the station there was a locomotive, and in the compartment (a 4-berth sleeping compartment where the beds remained as such during the day) there were artificial flowers on the table. There were stalls on the platform where passengers could buy food during the stop, but we were also served on the train.
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Traveling through the countryside, you naturally see a lot…
Railroad crossings, lots and lots of construction activity, even right on the coast, conductors (?) in the countryside, locomotives at the destination station (Klaus, thinking of you!).
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Once I arrived in Hue, I immediately explored the area around the resort. What do the shops look like here? Can I take some more photos of shops here? As the weather was slightly damp and we had only arrived in the afternoon, many shopkeepers seemed to have closed their shops. In addition, due to the climatic conditions, the stalls are rather enclosed, with large roofs, as it seems to rain significantly more here than in the south. The shops in the area are less suitable, as they are often surrounded by large signs with writing, which I don’t like.
I’m thinking of spending another day or two up here taking photos if I find the right spot. There’s also supposed to be – ta-da – a floating market with a few boats, 25 km away (40 min drive, 5:00 am wake-up call). Of course I’ll check it out, we’ll see…
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And then in the evening, the first and probably only wine of the trip at the resort. The food was all chi chi, the presentation was the main focus. The rooms, the service, and the atmosphere are great!
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