Guest Post - Ang in Hanoi

This is a guest post by my travelling companion on this trip, Angela Poafpybitty. 

Here at last in humid Hanoi! Was what I wrote yesterday when we arrived and I started to think about what to say about my first big travel experience so far. Since then it's been all doing and seeing and exploring and sleeping. 

I have lost track of what day it is multiple times since we've been here and I blame the airports entirely. Having not flown such a long distance since half a lifetime ago (literally, the last time I flew outside North America was 15 years ago) I had no idea that airports were such strange places. They seem to exist in a place outside of time, yet when time goes wrong in them it's very disruptive. We were lucky with our flights and the timing all went well and we were able to sleep through most of them to wake up a day later in another world. 

The first thing I noticed getting off the plane was of course the heat and humidity. It's like a comfortable steam room. Warm and moisturizing. I feel like my skin and hair are replenishing themselves and soaking it all in. I just love it. Now, today I could have used a little less moisture. It was pouring half the day as we went on a walking tour, to the point where it was getting oppressive and I was getting cranky at being wet even under my poncho and my hair being plastered to my face and the wind blowing more water at me with every step. As soon as the rain stopped though and it warmed up just a bit it was back to feeling luxuriously lush all around. 

My favourite part of this adventure so far has, of course, been the food. I have not been as daring as some might expect of me quite yet, but it is only day two, and most of day one was spent napping and recovering from the out-of-time airports. 

So my first real meal in Vietnam was dinner last night: Eel stir-fry with bean vermicelli noodles, a side of cucumber dipped in chilli sauce and a very nice bia ha noi beer to wash it all down. It wasn't as flavourful as I had hoped, and Ashley's seafood stir-fry with noodles (something more like ramen) was better, but it still did the trick and eating at the little street-cafe style restaurant was fun. The little metal stools barely over a foot off the ground will take more adjustment to get used to than the food.  

Lunch today was also notable. I devoured some of Ashley's favourite sea-creatures, the mantis shrimp, in a bowl of noodle soup with tofu and spinach. The broth had a very strong fishy taste, and was almost overpowering, but the mantis shrimp were delicious! They had a very nice texture and more flavour than regular shrimp. I did promise Ashley not to eat too many of them though, because they are very beautiful and interesting when they're alive. 

This city is a constant bustle of activity and noise and people. I find all the little shops and restaurants and bars and performances going on along the tiny, crowded streets delightful and exploring my way through them is exciting.  Everything here is done at its own pace, just like the traffic. It seems completely chaotic but it works. Just keep your pace and direction steady and everyone flows and weaves around you and you become part of it. The chatter and honking and music and smells are so immersive. A big surprise to me is that in all of it, I still haven't bought anything except food and drink. I would have thought I'd have my bag stuffed with souvenirs already. I'm sure I'll remedy that soon.