Reginald Mundain ... With Reservations

Friday, May 18, 2012

Halong Bay...Just Another Unesco World Heritage Site

Halong Bay is one of those magical places. You have to be there to appreciate it, pictures alone can never do it justice. Limestone formations jutting from the ocean, pushed from the sea bed by tectonic plate movement aeons ago, then eroded by wind and wave action give us the visual feast that is Halong Bay.

We pre-booked our overnight tour to Halong Bay from a travel agency located in the bar of the Bamboo Cafe. Was this going to be another one of those tourist traps?

after a 3 hour bus ride we finally reached the Halong Bay Marina

we pulled out of the harbour in our tender....

...we passed some beautiful junks

...I could only hope that our junk would be as nice ... it wasn't

....once on board we were assigned our stateroom

... it was mundane enough BUT was located very close to the engine room
when Mundain had specifically requested and was promised that it would be "far away"
I had the evidence on the receipt but didn't bother to ruin someone else's cruise by forcing them to move

I calmed down as soon as lunch was served on board, about 1/2 hour after arrival...
...starting with fresh steamed clam appetizers which were almost totally consumed
by the time I remembered to take a few pics.

a light vinegarette slaw acted like a palate cleanser

followed by firm and juicy steamed prawns....

leading up to a flaky and moist fish steamed in soya...

then finished off with stir fried calamari and peppers...
by now any disappointment with my stateroom location was a distant memory...burp!

shortly after lunch, the itinerary provided for either a guided paddle boat tour
or a self-guided kayak tour , for up-close inspection of the limestone formations...

Mrs. Mundain, still recovering from a sprained ankle chose the guided tour for us
and as you see from my mundane expression, I was not too pleased

we approached a sea level cave bored through the rock...

and could see light on the other side...

entering the tunnel of the chamber, the air felt immediately cooler...

overhead, stalactites hung...

in the distance, many more formations and a floating village...

a late afternoon breeze ...

kicks up a slight chop on the water ...

by early evening the seas calmed again as we approached the Kissing Rocks

and the sun sat low on the horizon as we passed the famous formation

we anchored ...

in a beautiful bay, watching the osprey floating on the updrafts
then diving furiously for fish, talons first

I perched on the top deck waiting for the sunset

as the sun dropped lower, and lower, its rays lengthened
then finally shimmered reflectively on its palette, the sea

each ship having claimed its moorage for the evening...

tucked safely on the leeward side of a protective island...

before the sun finally set

the next morning after breakfast, we sailed for the Amazing Cave...

Mundain at the foot of the trail ascending the Amazing Cave

Having recently visited the Mulu Caves of Borneo, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I thought the Amazing Cave would be "no big deal".

I was wrong, as usual, as the following photos will attest...

We emerged from the breathtakingly beautiful cave and gazed onto Halong Bay below

reminding Mundaine of Santorini, Greece ...
maybe that's because the Greek calamari we ate whilst in Santorini
was imported from Vietnam (true fact)

the descent from the Amazing Cave revealed a heretofore unseen
beautiful, sandy beach gently lapped by emerald waters

the charming boardwalk back to the junk
protected the limestone from being downtrodden

an Mrs. Mundain hobbled along, still not fully healed

Mr. Mundain lagged behind as usual, pretending he was a real photographer

rounding the bend to the launch area....

...enterprising Vietnamese vendors sold live seafood swimming in
wicker baskets suspended from their boats...you cannot get much fresher than that

So Long Ha-Long, it's been great meeting ya!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Hanoi

We split the cab fare from the airport with Silas, a young traveler from The Netherlands and we're pleasantly surprised when the taxi pulled up to the Hanoi Royal View Hotel in the Old Town-Hoan Kiem Lake District.

Where Saigon's streets were broad, Hanoi's were narrow and congested...mostly with motorcycle and foot traffic. Our hotel was on a street crammed full of footwear merchants.

...not bad for $40 a night

...really clean rooms complete with laptops and wifi!

our hotel was on "shoe street"...you can see why

for our first meal in Hanoi we settled on The Orchid...

a quaint little eatery up a couple of flights of narrow stairs

...with a peek-a-boo view of the street scene below

our drinks arrived and things boded well
as we nibbled on spring rolls for appetizers...

...until the thin starch/msg based egg swirl corn "soup" arrived

stir fried local "Morning Glory" greens were not too bad

the main dish was underwhelming, especially compared
to Vancouver's Vietnamese offerings...it just doesn't seem right
that cuisine in the home country is surpassed by that in its overseas communities...
maybe if you're a Bourdain and not a Mundain, they'll feed you the good stuff...

Hey, I don't want to sound like a whining ingrate, having just consumed a 260000 Dong meal when the average Hanoi worker only earns $200 US a month (about 4,000,000 Dong).

We were willing to search out and pay accordingly for some tasty Vietnamese eats...but since dinner at the Orchid worked out to only $11.30 US for drinks, appies, sides, mains, and fresh fruit dessert, I had absolutely no right to complain.

A couple of days later, my better half decided to move hotels. After scouring the internet she found The Meracus, unbeknownst to us, right next door, at a paltry $30 a night...hotels are extremely cheap in Hanoi and include wifi.

HGTV? ... "interior decorators gone wild"

welcoming mocktails...all smiles...
did we just win the lottery?

French provincial, marble floors, artificial flowers all for $30?

rose petals floating in the sink welcomed us to our bathroom...

and more rose petals were arranged on the bed...

for $30, we got more than 4 bare and stained walls;
the room was spotlessly clean and "artwork" was included...

as was breakfast...

...your choice of continental, American or Vietnamese ...

all provided in an over-the-top opulent dining room,
accompanied by the best service we experienced in Asia to date

...champagne taste on a beer budget...
a Mundain fantasy fulfilled

If you visit Hanoi, stay in the Hoan Kiem Lake District ... can't beat the
Location! Location! Location!

...a mere two blocks from our hotel lies tranquil Hoan Kiem Lake

pay 10000 Dong ($.50) to cross the bridge

or be a cheapskate and just take a photo...

but if I hadn't paid I wouldn't have been able to...

enter the 19th century Chinese Garden...

or gaze at the city reflected on the lake...

or explore the traditional Chinese temple...

or have the fragrance of burning incense tickle your olfactory senses

...while observing ancestral worship rituals

All that sight seeing worked up an appetite so, not to be deprived, we set our sights on the New Day Restaurant, an eatery highly recommended by locals and tourists alike.

...Chinese spinach (aka Ong Choy) stir fried in garlic

Curried Beef Brisket...

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken...

Dinner for two with drinks...227000 Dong ($11.35)!

Again, very inexpensive but, for taste and quality. when compared to....

On our last full day in Hanoi, we decided to go all out in our quest for top notch Vietnamese cuisine. We found our way to The Avalon, a trendy hipster place with a reputation for fine dining.

Under the Avalon umbrella, the operators run different operations on each floor of the building (ie., lounge, jazz bar, cafe, club), with the restaurant located on the top floor.

Check it out on Trip Advisor, it has a 4.5 star rating, with most people ranking it 5.