Vietnam: Along the Chinese Border. Real Time Report

If you ever get near Dalat, give me a shout.

Found more pictures.... lots more pictures....

Red River northwest of Hanoi:



Moo:




Bac Ha market:

If this can help anyone - I rented the XR250 from Flamingo and rode with my girlfriend on the back. Not very comfy for her, she still gives me shit for it so many years later. I took my own Wolfman luggage (2x soft panniers), they fit very well and carried all our stuff. Pack light obviously.

More photos from rural Vietnam:






One of our typical "safe lunches" when on the road:




Random dinner in a random small town -- when we didn't know what to order and there were no menus, we'd start with google translate, then give up, then just point to 3 or 4 items and see what showed up.

Menu roulette:



The pizza was surprisingly OK, the beef stuff in the green bowl was pretty good, and the fried noodles were good.

HOWEVER- the white bowl with brown sauce, beef, onion, and tomato was AWESOME. We think it was the dipping sauce for the fried noodles.

****Does anyone know what this brown sauce is?****

Random photos from Hanoi at the end of our trip:






Mural street: 21.038167, 105.846652




Kitchen too small? Move the prep work to the train tracks:

Just wanted to let you know that this pushed me over the limit. I am on my second night in Ho Chi Minh City. No riding on this trip except on the back of a Grab bike. I’ll be heading to
Da Nang on Wednesday and then Hanoi some time later. Love it.

My one mistake, or blessing, is that I’m
Staying right off Bui Vien. It is past 3 am and I can hear the music in my room(which I just got back too:) ).

My fiance has had some comments at work that were not very nice.....along the lines of "now you are all set because you are marrying an American"....not in a joking tone either.

FOOOOOODDDD

Recommended lunch spot in Hanoi: S'Patisserie

https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...7e7add72d27d09!8m2!3d21.0255306!4d105.8524782

Order the pate on rye bread (the plate in the background) - it was delicious:



Fun fact- the patisserie was full of french people.

It was pretty much the same thing as an American going to McDonalds, except this food was delicious.

Speaking of McDonalds-- obligatory meme:





Maison Marou Hanoi

Not exactly a locals place (because 1 desert is about $5 usd, while the minimum wage in Hanoi is about $180 per *month*)

https://www.google.com/maps/place/M...8050fe95df6006!8m2!3d21.0219893!4d105.8498697



We had this. It was even better than it looked.



A different delicious, yet relatively ridiculously expensive, desert:






Back to eating like locals, here's what you can get for the price of one fancy desert.

Hạnh Ngan Dé

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hạnh+Ngan+Dé/@21.042846,105.8425783,21z/data=!4m9!1m3!2m2!1srestaurant!6e5!3m4!1s0x3135abba9db4ec73:0x6703cfa8ca77451a!8m2!3d21.0428829!4d105.8426372

2 bowls of delicious duck and 2 beers for $5.37 (and the beers were more than 1/3 of the total bill):






More outstanding local food: Phở Xào Phú Mỹ

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Phở+Xào+Phú+Mỹ/@21.0335096,105.8463659,20.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x3135abbe7ef72287:0x714ca8495fe5748e!8m2!3d21.0336262!4d105.8464463







Close to the tourist area, but delicious nonetheless:

Bun Cha Ta Hanoi

https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...1c581d2e1774e31b!8m2!3d21.03434!4d105.8543859

I have those scooter lanes and never use them since they a

I am sure they were jealous because 1) your fiance gets to speak English for free, they have to pay to learn. Able to speak English is very important these days, you get much better jobs. 2) in their minds she and your kids will get American education which is a dream for all, but only 2% of parents can afford. 3) if you are good looking, which of course you are because in our eyes you guys are all tall and handsome, then they should even be more jealous because their husbands are most probably skinny 120 lbs 5 feet tall. Lol

It's cool you tried fried phở at 45 Bát Đàn, since it's our favourite spot to eat out when we first met in Hanoi in 2004. I used to joke with my wife that the owners daughter would be very pretty when he she grows up, she was 12 years old then, and is over 20+ now. Glad you liked Vn street food.

Phở Xào Phú Mỹ

Might have to wait in line but worth it. Delicious!

This guy is clearly excited

Time for a temporary break from gluttony to talk culture.

Here are our recommendations for museums in Hanoi (in order):

1) Thăng Long Imperial Citadel
2) Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison Memorial)
3) Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology (a little ways west of the Old Quarter)
4) National Museum of Vietnamese History
5) Vietnam Military History Museum
6) Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum
7) B52 Museum (currently closed for remodeling, but I had been there before)
8) Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (reminded me of the Reagan library, but possibly less propaganda at HCM's place)

B52 Lake isn't a museum, but it's near the B52 Museum and it's a must see.

There are a ton of other museums that we didn't get to.


Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology:

Wafer is 5'1" tall (not 5'2" like she claims). Regardless, this is a really tall structure:


Oversized load:


How to make a traditional leaf hat:

Don't worry the Banh Bao guys will be make sure you are awake before 6.



(the 4 minute video above is phenomenal)

From the "ride report" that I made last year for my family:

Was this from a restaurant or an outhouse?

Astonishing trip and report.

On a political note, for those Americans who regret (or do not regret) the 1960s-1970s war, you should know these people also repelled Ghengis Khan. Yes that Ghenghis. Not once but 3 times. Nobody else did. These people are wonderful in peace; avoid them in war if you care to dabble in war.

I worry about the bugs, my GF takes unkindly to them.

In for the pictures, thanks

Here's a list of my top 3 favorite craft beer bars in the entire world:

#1 = Moeder Lambic, Brussels
#2 = Beachwood BBQ, Seal Beach
#3 = Standing Bar, Hanoi

https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...0b02eeeb1e7400!8m2!3d21.0469307!4d105.8401984

Note: Craft beer is just over 1/2 of what it costs in the US, which is still 4 to 5 times more than what a Bia Saigon costs....



(John McCain parachuted into that lake in the background (technically on the other side of the causeway, but close enough))


Peachy Craft Beer Pub is in a very convenient spot overlooking the tourist night market.

The beer list is decent (no where near the list that Standing Bar has), but for Hanoi it's pretty good.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/P...8ebca25acc8a411!8m2!3d21.032611!4d105.8513071




Umbrellas and architecture:


Awesome coaster:





Best brewery name ever:




If you make the unfortunate mistake of wandering onto "Beer Street" in the Old Quarter be aware that you can find a quiet spot with good beer and cocktails at The Hill Station.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/T...d97289a85ed5af!8m2!3d21.0356293!4d105.8518157

Well said. Incredibly nice people, just don't try to invade.

I don't know how true it is, but I have read that after WW2 the Allies offered control of French Indochina to Chiang Kai-shek and he said something like "Under no circumstances!"

This is the good stuff - 34% deet:

Yet another reason I stay away from the back-packer areas.