[RD] Backpacking Việt Nam (2019)

[warpus]

Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre

Water puppetry dates back to 11th century Northern Vietnamese rice paddies, where water puppetry performances were given by villagers as a form of entertainment. The original water puppet festivals were held inside rice paddies, with a pagoda built on top to hide the puppeteers.

The puppets are carved out of wood and often weigh up to 15 kg each (33 lbs). They are controlled with an underwater string mechanism and bamboo rods. A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides a matching soundtrack for the performance; instruments include drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns, a Đàn bầu, gongs, bamboo flutes, and vocals.

The performance was part fascinating, part entertaining, and completely worth it.

Spoiler :

This video was taken at the same water puppet theatre, one of two in the city.

 

[The_J]

This really looks interesting and unique!

 

[warpus]

This really looks interesting and unique!

It was, I'm really glad I went! Some of the puppet movements the puppeteers were able to pull off did not seem possible. By that I mean that one puppet would jump over another one, and I didn't really figure how they were able to do that, given how things have to be connected underwater. Sometimes there would be a whole bunch of puppets spinning in a tight formation, which seemed possible, just not very easy to pull off.. So I was sort of glued to the action the whole time. The music really added a lot to the performance as well - the soundtrack went very well with what was happening with the puppets, and you could tell that the musicians were not just amateurs. You can sort of imagine villagers gathering around a rice paddy to watch such a show after a long day's work.

 

[warpus]

Bánh xèo

After the water puppetry show it was time to seek out something to eat. I decided to try a new dish, which is a kind of savoury Vietnamese crêpe made of rice flour, water, and tumeric powder. These crêpes are usually "stuffed" with pork, prawns, diced green onions, mung beans, and bean sprouts.. although the proteins are mixed right into the batter before frying.

Bánh xèo is often called a "Happy pancake" at Vietnamese restaurants in North America. The actual name literally translates to "Sizzle cake", which refers to the sound produced when you pour the rice batter onto a hot skillet.

You can see that the crêpe is served after it has already been cut into wedges. The way to properly eat this dish is to wrap one of these wedges in rice paper along with some of the other ingredients it is served with. These can differ depending on the restaurant and part of Vietnam you happen to be in, but lettuce, mint, and Thai basil are popular options.

After the ingredients have been assembled and sit securely inside the rice paper, you can start eating! The Nước chấm dipping sauce completes the culinary experience.

Nước chấm is actually a sort of generic name for a variety of dipping sauces in Vietnam. They are commonly sweet, sour, salty, savoury and/or spicy, depending on the dish and the sensibilities of the chef.

This really was a happy eating experience! Whoever decided to call these "happy pancakes" was spot on.

I could also not resist grabbing another bowl of phở

Spoiler :

 

[Birdjaguar]

We have a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant nearby and when we go there we always get a version of their Bahn Xeo Chay. They call it a flour sheet... and it comes filled with veggie, tofu and or meat. So good. And it comes with a wonderful dipping sauce.

 

[warpus]

Hạ Long Bay
Thursday, March 7, 2019

After 3 days in Hanoi it was time to move on and explore another part of the country. I checked out of my hotel room early and jumped on a bus to Hạ Long City, the capital of Quảng Ninh province. There I had to wait a bit until a smaller boat was able to transfer me over to the last minute cruise I had booked.

Hạ Long Bay features thousands of limestone isles and karsts and the best way to really see it all is to jump on a boat that takes you around the various parts of the bay. Initially I was going to stay at a hostel or guest house in Hạ Long City and and book day trips to see the bay from there... but in the end I was able to find a decent deal on a cruise that included all the things that I looking for.

Spoiler :

At first the weather conditions seemed disappointing to say the least...

Spoiler :

Things cleared up a bit a couple hours later though.. I had checked into my room and was enjoying my stay on board.

Hạ Long translates to "Descending Dragon". According to local legend the gods sent a family of dragons here to protect Vietnam from foreign invaders, back when Vietnam was just beginning to develop into a nation. These dragons began spitting jewels and jade, which turned into the various islets and islands that dot the bay. They rose up from under the waters and formed a sort of wall that the invading navy ran into, leading to their defeat. After the victory the dragons decided to make the bay their home.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Was it a multi day cruise?

 

[warpus]

Was it a multi day cruise?

Yeah, 3 days / 2 nights. I ended up booking it right through my hotel in Hanoi, since they were able to get me cheaper rates than the ones I saw online. I basically got a consultation with an attractive travel agent for about a half an hour, with free coffee, juice, and snacks. That makes it sound like I probably didn't get a good deal, but somehow everything online was more expensive.

My booking included pickup right from the hotel lobby, which was very convenient.. and a card with a name and phone number, in case I had problems with my itinerary. (I don't want to spoil anything right now, but the card came in handy)

 

[Cutlass]

It was, I'm really glad I went! Some of the puppet movements the puppeteers were able to pull off did not seem possible. By that I mean that one puppet would jump over another one, and I didn't really figure how they were able to do that, given how things have to be connected underwater. Sometimes there would be a whole bunch of puppets spinning in a tight formation, which seemed possible, just not very easy to pull off.. So I was sort of glued to the action the whole time. The music really added a lot to the performance as well - the soundtrack went very well with what was happening with the puppets, and you could tell that the musicians were not just amateurs. You can sort of imagine villagers gathering around a rice paddy to watch such a show after a long day's work.

Were the puppeteers under the water?

 

[warpus]

Were the puppeteers under the water?

They were waist-deep in water

 

[Birdjaguar]

That certainly looks like a complicate production.

 

[warpus]

My favourite part of that video is at about 0:45 when you can see 4 puppeteers standing side by side. There are two puppeteers holding underwater bamboo rods with a puppeteer in between operating a set of of underwater strings.. The fourth puppeteer on the right seems to be repeating the motions of the string operator, but I don't think she's actually pulling on anything. To me it looks like she might be helping the other 3 puppeteers stay in sync.

 

[tjs282]

To me it looks like she might be helping the other 3 puppeteers stay in sync.

I think you're right: her hand movements (also) reminded me a little of an orchestra conductor.

 

[warpus]

Hạ Long Bay Deck Party

It wasn't really much of a party, but it was advertised to us as such and makes for a good title. After dinner we were invited to congregate up on the top deck in order to mingle with the other passengers and enjoy a bit of the view. The rain had fully stopped by then, so I snuck up here a bit earlier so I could catch some of the views of the bay.

 

[warpus]

Hạ Long Bay After Dark

We were a fairly small and quiet group, so the party was a low-key affair. In the distance we could see and hear many of the other cruise ships that had set up for the night in this picturesque part of the bay.

 

[Birdjaguar]

All those boats makes me think it is a noticeable part of the local economy.

 

[warpus]

All those boats makes me think it is a noticeable part of the local economy.

You are right! The bay is Vietnam's most popular tourist destination and sees about 6 million visitors a year.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Were the beds comfortable?

 

[warpus]

Cát Bà Island Cycling Tour
Friday, March 8, 2019

Cát Bà is the largest island in Hạ Long Bay. Archaeological evidence suggests that it has been inhabited by humans for at least 6,500 years.

The historical version of its name translates to "Women's Island". The name originates from a legend in which the bodies of three women from the Tran Dynasty washed up on different beaches on the island. Local fishermen found the bodies and built a temple for each woman, which over time lead to everyone calling the island Cát Bà.

The island sits in a somewhat strategic location near the equally strategic port city of Haiphong (not visible on this map).

On the above map you can see Hạ Long City just to the north. You can also see shipping routes going around the legally protected parts of the bay, which is one of 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam.

It had rained in the very early morning and it was still very misty and cloudy.. but I could not resist a bicycle tour of the island!

 

[warpus]

Were the beds comfortable?

To be honest I can't remember much at all about that bed.. but that's a good sign. I can say that it was for sure better than the bed I had at the hotel in Hanoi, which was so-so.