I remember the first time I stepped onto the streets of Hanoi. It was chaotic yet exhilarating. So much noise, so many people, so many scooters. It took me a moment to get used to it.
My first proud Vietnam moment: crossing the street by myself without getting hit by motorbikes. You have to walk at an even pace with confidence.
First thing I did was get an egg coffee. I found this place on Google maps called COC Legacy Coffee, which was down a sketchy alley, up a few flights of stairs, and finally…
I was the only customer in there. The girl was so nice and friendly and spoke English.
I asked for the egg coffee. It was so creamy and so good. I loved their coffee! They kept it warm in a water bath. I chatted with the girl for a while about their coffee. And then I ordered a coconut coffee. She warned against it, because Vietnamese coffee is strong and nobody drinks two in one sitting. I insisted.
No regrets. I couldn’t choose which one I liked more.
I was meeting up with my G Adventures group at night for our first group dinner at Vi Hanoi.
These spring rolls were amazing. So crunchy.
Bun Cha is the signature dish of Hanoi, so of course I had to get it. This was beyond delicious. I couldn’t believe how good this was.
The next day we went on a boat for an overnight stay in Ha Long Bay.
Kayaking here was unreal.
Hiked up Ti Top
Went into a cave as part of the tour.
In the morning we did Tai Chi on the boat!
Back to Hanoi for a quick food tour.
This banh mi was very plain, I must say.
Another bun cha.
Watched an egg coffee demonstration at Hanoi Coffee Culture.
I realized that egg coffee was different even within Hanoi, depending on which coffee spot you go to.
Next, overnight train to Hue.
life on macro. 