Vietnam was a very, very long and lovely dream
[Continued from June 24]
It’s been 2 days since I got back from my Vietnam sojourn and my entire stay there felt like a long, wound-up dream. It was a lovely respite that felt long yet so quick for one week.
The country imparted my worldview with such a fresh perspective; the sights, food, people, and urban and rural landscapes were similar yet so different from what we have here in the Philippines. Vietnam’s charms and quirks really pierced my heart, and now, I have the worst travel hangover ever.
The travel hangover hit me hard this first day of the work week. It began when my sister and I landed in Manila, but it’s much stronger today – the dreaded Monday.
I cannot believe that exactly one week ago, I was on a ship traversing Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay, eating seafood to my heart’s content. Everything was well until my skin started to itch and rashes started to emerge. (In another life, I’d be happily eating more seafood if it weren’t for my allergies 🥲)
Also, exactly one week ago, my sister and I were watching the latest season of Bridgerton on my phone with Ha Long Bay as our live backdrop and screensaver.
I miss those moments when I was surrounded by nature, watching anticipated TV series without abandon and worry that the next day would be another work day…
So much has happened within that week, but the time just sped up. So, to sum up and preserve my fondest memories in Viet Nam, here’s a list of all the fun, unusual, or even exasperating moments from our trip!
I was constantly called “beautiful” there because my eyes were “bigger”. I did not expect that my features would stand out in Viet Nam at all. I thought that as SEA brothers and sisters, we would look alike. But no! Haha. At first, I thought people were trying to score tips with these remarks, until after a driver asked for my IG, and that every day, someone was complimenting me for my looks and eyes. Sellers were also trying to determine my ethnicity, and eventually got it right, saying that I have big and beautiful eyes.
Some American begpackers almost stole our arranged transportation to Ninh Binh. Even up to this day, this incident still infuriates me because my sister and I had to prove our identities to the limousine-van driver over two white dudes. It started when we were waiting at our pickup point, and saw our van pickup passing by (we sent a message to our driver, saying that we would be at Dolphin Mart at 26 Tan Chau). The van stopped a block away from Dolphin Mart because they were hailed by two white dudes carrying two big backpacks of their own - one was topless and the other looked like he hadn’t taken a bath in a week. We saw them talking to the driver, and the driver eventually loaded their backpacks on the back of the van. When I saw this happening, I immediately shouted to my sister that we walk faster. We ran and hauled our luggage for our dear lives just to catch up to the van. After sprinting for one block—irate and short of breath—we saw the two guys entering the vehicle. I thought they booked the same van, but it turns out that they were taking the two slots that we paid for. The audacity they had? To enter a vehicle without knowing the destination?! What annoyed me even more was that I had to prove my identity to the driver who showed his phone and my name on the booking app. After the driver believed that I was indeed, Luisa, he told the two white dudes to get out of the vehicle (though not in words, but with hand gestures). The driver then loaded off their backpacks that were already stuffed in the back. While the driver was taking away their stuff and putting our luggage, the American dude asked where I booked my transportation, trying to gaslight me or maybe trying to buy my transport. It took me a while to process my anger and shock while were in transit, but that was my first true encounter with a begpacker. I really thought begpackers were a work of fiction online. But, yes, our ride was almost filched by a begpacker. Gahd.
On a more positive and lighter note, the food was truly exceptional; I don’t even know where to start. Well, to begin with, vermicelli was life-changing. It was almost at every dish I devoured - from pho and banh cuon, to banh xeo. Despite this, the dishes were varied, and you have something to eat for every mood or occasion. If you want a hearty, soothing meal, opt for pho or banh cuon. If you want something fried and more vibrant, cha gio or banh xeo will immediately uplift your mood. If you want a quick yet filling meal, a banh mi will do! All of them are amazing! For me, my favorite dishes would have to be banh cuon and pho. The pho from Pho Hoa here in the Philippines doesn’t taste a single bit like the pho from Viet Nam 😑 Unlike what I’ve tasted, the legit pho isn’t rich and biting in terms of flavor at all. It is subtle, with different flavors that are married and carefully balanced together. It is soothing and warm. You should taste the heartiness of the broth, notes of mint and coriander, and the balancing acts of garlic and ginger. Yes, it is amazing and life-changing.
The people were very kind, polite, and helpful. Aside from their ego-boosting compliments, they were also very approachable despite the language barrier. They were very eager to help us out when asking for directions.
Ninh Binh was the zen I never knew I needed. The place literally means “serene” for a reason. I wanted to be buried like Le Dai Hanh, one of Vietnam’s first kings, whose tomb was peacefully sandwiched between the two beautiful limestone mountain formations. According to our guide (and legends online), he specifically requested to be buried there because he wanted to have these two mountains as his “bed.”
It took two days for me to process that I am on vacation, and in a different country! It's probably because I hadn’t slept right after working at 7 pm. We headed straight to the airport after working and waited for our 2 am flight. After this, I vowed to myself that I would never book a redeye flight EVER again. I even caught myself saying that it felt like days were being subtracted in my life because of the exhaustion and drowsiness I felt.
I’m starting to feel like I’ll be back again in this beautiful country! Someday, someday! 🤞