Vietnam, Part 1: Hanoi

Vietnam. There is so much to say about this country, the many different cultures that exist within its relatively small space, the contrasts that define it, its tangled past with my country and the experience of spending time there now. It's been intimidating to write about this trip, so I've decided to break it up into various posts. These entries won't even try to cover everything; I will limit myself to my experience, which is a limited experience! I spent two weeks exploring mostly central Vietnam during spring break of 2016.

As all trips do, this one began as soon as I started researching the country and became real when I booked the ticket. Some of my older family members and friends asked me about the historical places I might see and I admit that I brushed off their comments; I wasn't going on a historical site-seeing trip. I wanted to see a new country, have some outdoor adventures, try new foods and enjoy time away from school.

Although plenty from my trip will look like vacation, it is impossible to visit Vietnam and not learn about its past. While I am still no expert, all of this history does intermingle with any trip to this fascinating country, adding perspective to even the simplest plans for a holiday.

I started my trip in Hanoi. It's an easy city to fly in and out of and there are direct flights from Yangon! I spent most of my time wandering the city (my favorite way to get to know a place), drinking coffee, sampling food and I found a great yoga studio, too. 

Yoga class, vegetarian lunch and kombucha - yes!

Hanoi street at dusk

I hope the above video works for you so that you get an idea of what the traffic is like in Hanoi! It is world-famous for a reason!

Old jets outside of the war museum

City park - view from rooftop bar

I walked around the park pictured above and enjoyed a happy hour nearby. While I love all that cities have to offer, I live in another very busy city and after a few days I was ready for a change of pace.

GOAL: I am going to publish one post per week, from now until October break. My plan is to post on Tuesdays (Look Ma, this week I'm early!). That means you will get four new posts from me in the next month! Stay tuned!

My favorite food blog right now:

Simple Vegan Food Blog - it's written by a Spanish couple, but in English! They focus on what the title says, simple recipes that are vegan. Some are Spanish-inspired, which is a bonus for me. Their tortilla is amazing. I have missed eating tortilla ever since I found out I was allergic to eggs years ago.

My playlist as I trained for the Camino de Santiago (subject of a future post):

• Grimes - Art Angels
• Chvrches - Every Open Eye
• Bomba Estéreo - Amanecer 
• twenty one pilots - Blurryface

Recent Reads:

• The Space Between Us - Thrity Umrigar - this one was for my Yangon Book club and for me it was a very compelling and fast read, exploring issues of class, gender and friendship across generations in Bombay.
• Tiny Beautiful Things - Cheryl Strayed - by the author of Wild, this is a collection of her responses to an advice column that she wrote. Great stuff about love, life, relationships and Strayed's delivery always emphasizes compassion. 
• Room - Emma Donoghue - I started this book and had a hard time putting it down... finished it in just four days! There is a movie version, too, which deviates quite a bit from the plot in the second half of the book, but it is a well-done film.
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) - Mindy Kaling - fun and funny. 
• Bluebeard - Kurt Vonnegut - I have been a Vonnegut fan since I first read Cat's Cradle in high school. This isn't one of his best novels (in my opinion), but it presents some interesting points about art, especially its longevity.