Packed with tons of excursion ideas we arrived in Hanoi. During our last 2009 visit Hanoi did not charm us. It was too loud, too busy and the people seemed to be too rude. However, this time our impression was totally different. I am not sure how much Hanoi changed over the last 4 years and how much it helped to be totally relaxed and coming from another Asian country. Most probably the truth lies somewhere in between. What is a fact is that Hanoi got tons of great, cheap hotels with high, deserved ratings. The hotel staffs are friendly and helpful and there are fancy, little shops, good restaurants and buzzing streets to discover.
We also did try to get our China visa. The embassy in Hanoi turned out to be a lot more relaxed and they granted our application without any questions. Since we had to go back to hopefully pick up the visa and we liked Hanoi that much, we skipped most of our plans and decided just to go on one 3-days hill tribes trip in nearby the Mai Chau area.
The next day we got picked up by our guide Chow and got joined by another guy. Out of all tourists in Hanoi the third group member was also from Switzerland. After a few minutes, Andi and Michi detected that they actually studied together. The totally relaxed trip was filled with great food, self-made alcohol and Chow’s humming. For us it was very interesting to see the differences between the same tribes in Laos and Vietnam. Generally the infrastructure in Vietnam is more developed, even in the small villages. The streets are paved, there is running water and electricity, nearly every space is cultivated and a smart system is watering most of the fields. Nevertheless many seem still self-sufficient and complement their harvest with stuff from the forest.
After a little walk and the discovery, that our guide hates insects and dirt, we arrived at our first home stay. The White Thai family did only speak little English, but they were incredibly friendly and tried to interact as good as possible. Chow warned us about the “Happy Water” and for dinner our hosts brought along their bottles and little glasses. Without words it was clear that they invited us for shots of “Happy Water”. After a few glasses they were even happier to see that the boys liked their self-made rice schnapps and kept refilling the glasses.
The second day we hiked again, although it was more of a cultural walk than hike. We got invited by locals, which were just smiling and staring at us. The men even wanted to fight with Michi to find out if he is as strong as tall and wanted to know, why we are not married. They were really curious and did not hold back their opinion. Apparently were are already very old and should now start with a family. The evening we spent next to a huge reservoir with very hospitable Muong family. They spoke even less English but were again incredibly friendly and funny. Also here, “Happy Water” was part of the dinner before the family watched some “Voice of Vietnam”.
The last day began with a boat ride and the optional swimming stop. A short look at the water and we decided to skip the swimming stop. The boat and most of its compartment were self-made and it seems to be an art to drive and steer it. Especially as you have to cool the motor constantly with a jug you just fill in the lake. After the pleasant cruise we headed back to Hanoi, not only to stop once more in a great little restaurant.
The next day we went to the Chinese embassy excited to see if they gave us the visa. Yes, they did! Happily we spent our last days in Hanoi visiting more museums, enjoying a dance show, shopping, eating and relaxing.
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