Hey there followers, if you have found the last few days to be a bit overwhelming, then you may be happier with today. I definitely decided to slow down a bit for Day 5 of my December trip to Hanoi.
As I had been out a bit late the previous evening, I didn’t leave the room until 12:30 PM. From there I went to the nearby Pizza Belga for lunch. Honestly, it was a bit expensive compared to other options, but the sandwich and drink for which I paid 240,000 VND ($9.10 USD) was decent, and the ambiance was very pleasant.
I left there at 1:40 PM and then headed over to X-Men gym, where I once more got a 50,000 VND ($1.90 USD) day pass and had a two-hour workout.
Upon finishing there at 4:05 PM, I started back to my simple room at Home Town Cha where I hung out for a bit. I know the view from my window at 4:52 PM was definitely “gritty urban” but I still found the whole sunset combination to be beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful because of the harsh city view.
At 5:26 PM I left the room again to see what could be seen.
After having wandered around a bit, at 7:10 PM I found myself at this rather busy intersection (Pho Ta Hien and Pho Hang Bac) where people eat right out on the street. I decided to eat at Am Thuc 26 (Gastronomy 26) where I had what I thought was goose, but further investigation seems to suggest that it was actually Muscovy duck. Needless to say, it was a whole experience, including at 7:38 PM when a government car came by and made them clear all the tables away, with them then putting them back in exactly the same spot just one minute after the police had left.
I was surprised to find that the meat was very similar to beef in some ways. However, I think the roasted garlic was maybe my favorite. The total of 380,000 VND ($14.50 USD) was a bit much by Vietnamese street food standards, but as I mentioned, I was not only paying for the delicious food, but also for the unique dining experience. I finished there at 8:10 PM.
On the way back, I picked up two more bottles of water and this sort of fun looking ice-cream sandwich, arriving back to my room at 8:25 PM. Today had not been especially jam-packed, but I had enjoyed both my visit to the gym and of course my unique evening dining experience.
Does this seem like a good way to spend one of your vacation days, or do you think I should have done something more? As always, thanks for continuing to follow along, and I look forward to seeing your questions and comments in the section which is provided below.
Travels with Jay 