Black pudding, an amazing foodstuff made of blood, fat and oats that goes really well with eggs and fried meat.
[RD] Backpacking Việt Nam (2019)
- Thread starter warpus
- Start date
It does doesn't it? But it is great, really.
That sounds absolutely disgusting.
warpus
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I am not really 100% sure about this, but I think it's a sort of storage space. I think I remember the boat operator keeping something in that basket (but could be wrong about this).
warpus
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Hạ Long Bay Cruise Happy Hour Video
This video is from the first evening on the cruise, when I arrived a bit early for the happy hour and meet & greet. It gives you a better look at this particular part of the bay, where many of the cruise ships anchor for the night.
Unfortunately the quality isn't that great, but I'm finished messing around with this video and am moving on
If you are curious, that is not me singing
This video is from the first evening on the cruise, when I arrived a bit early for the happy hour and meet & greet. It gives you a better look at this particular part of the bay, where many of the cruise ships anchor for the night.
Unfortunately the quality isn't that great, but I'm finished messing around with this video and am moving on
If you are curious, that is not me singing
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FriendlyFire
Codex WMDicanious
Did you not get to try your hand at hand fishing during the boat tour ? Cause they were probably used to real in any fish you might have caught
Sometimes depending on weather or time tour operators may skip this part of the tour entirely
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Ahhh is that what those baskets were for? That makes a lot of sense given the photo I am about to post, from the dock we were dropped off on before being taken to the cave.
From what I remember these boats were only used to take us to and from the cave. But.. it's possible we were offered the chance to catch fish at some point. I would have probably declined (I say that because I know I declined the option to fish for octopus back on the main boat, and that's more interesting)
I know that while we were biking, the rest of the people from our boat were doing something else.. I wonder if they went fishing.
warpus
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Confusion at the Docks
After the cruise was complete we were dropped off at a port somewhere near Hạ Long City. From there everyone else in my group was heading back to their respective hotels in Hanoi by way of shuttle bus. I had made alternate arrangements to be taken to the city of Ninh Binh instead, about 3-4 hours away by bus. If I had returned to Hanoi, I would have had to wait until hte morning before I could be taken to Ninh Binh. This way I would be able to wake up right in Ninh Binh and begin the next day nice and early. This was all arranged by the hotel I had stayed at in Hanoi, or rather by the helpful aspiring travel agent lady who met with me and helped me plan these next couple stages of my trip.
Unfortunately when I arrived at the port I learned that there were no buses running to Ninh Binh this day.. The only person there who seemed to have any sort of authority was the lady with shuttle bus tickets in her hand, and all she could tell me was that there were no buses heading to Ninh Binh until the next day.
I decided to not jump on one of the buses heading back to Hanoi and pulled the card I had received from the aspiring travel agent out of my wallet. This was my first time dialing a Vietnamese number, so it took several tries.. but eventually I was able to get through. I explained my situation in English and walked up to the ticket lady again and handed her my phone. After some back and forth I was handed my phone back and told that the hotel was sending a bus! It would arrive in several hours, so I had to sit tight.
This was not an ideal turn of events, mainly because I was starting to get a bit hungry.. but at least I had transportation to my next destination secured and the crisis was over! I plopped down into one of the plastic seats at the waiting area, after briefly looking around to see if I could find any food.. (I couldn't, but I think I had some snacks)
From what I remember the shuttle bus to Ninh Binh arrived about 3 hours later.. I am not really sure if it drove all the way from Hanoi. If you ask me they just needed time to find enough people who wanted to go to Ninh Binh..
This shuttle bus ride was not fun at all. It was cramped, hot, bumpy, loud, and got stuck in way too many traffic jams. That map says 3.5 hours, but it took longer than that.. I was grateful that I was heading to Ninh Binh, but I wanted to get there as soon as possible..
After the cruise was complete we were dropped off at a port somewhere near Hạ Long City. From there everyone else in my group was heading back to their respective hotels in Hanoi by way of shuttle bus. I had made alternate arrangements to be taken to the city of Ninh Binh instead, about 3-4 hours away by bus. If I had returned to Hanoi, I would have had to wait until hte morning before I could be taken to Ninh Binh. This way I would be able to wake up right in Ninh Binh and begin the next day nice and early. This was all arranged by the hotel I had stayed at in Hanoi, or rather by the helpful aspiring travel agent lady who met with me and helped me plan these next couple stages of my trip.
Unfortunately when I arrived at the port I learned that there were no buses running to Ninh Binh this day.. The only person there who seemed to have any sort of authority was the lady with shuttle bus tickets in her hand, and all she could tell me was that there were no buses heading to Ninh Binh until the next day.
I decided to not jump on one of the buses heading back to Hanoi and pulled the card I had received from the aspiring travel agent out of my wallet. This was my first time dialing a Vietnamese number, so it took several tries.. but eventually I was able to get through. I explained my situation in English and walked up to the ticket lady again and handed her my phone. After some back and forth I was handed my phone back and told that the hotel was sending a bus! It would arrive in several hours, so I had to sit tight.
This was not an ideal turn of events, mainly because I was starting to get a bit hungry.. but at least I had transportation to my next destination secured and the crisis was over! I plopped down into one of the plastic seats at the waiting area, after briefly looking around to see if I could find any food.. (I couldn't, but I think I had some snacks)
From what I remember the shuttle bus to Ninh Binh arrived about 3 hours later.. I am not really sure if it drove all the way from Hanoi. If you ask me they just needed time to find enough people who wanted to go to Ninh Binh..
This shuttle bus ride was not fun at all. It was cramped, hot, bumpy, loud, and got stuck in way too many traffic jams. That map says 3.5 hours, but it took longer than that.. I was grateful that I was heading to Ninh Binh, but I wanted to get there as soon as possible..
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yung.carl.jung
Hey Bird! I'm Morose & Lugubrious
I think most people prefer to go snorkeling. Catching fish is cool and all, but I've never actually seen any signs or ads for going fishing. I did go snorkeling around Ha Long Bay and almost all the fish looked scary af. Like long, slim bodies, sets of razor sharp, long teeth they were flexing. Not sure if Ha Long is even great for fishing. I guess fish that eat other fish are usually the most delicious so maybe they're not bad
tjs282
Stone \ Cold / Fish
Barracuda? (Relatively deep-bodied; great barracuda — as pictured — can be up to 2 m long; generally swim in midwater)?
(Original uploader: Aquaimages at English Wikipedia. - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by matanya., CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3553150)
Or 'just' needlefish? (Generally much shorter and slimmer than barracuda, tend to swim directly below the surface)?
(By Christian Grill - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32015793)
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
That reminds me.. We did go snorkeling at one point during the cruise! From what I remember highlights included a coral reef and colourful fish
FriendlyFire
Codex WMDicanious
I think most people prefer to go snorkeling. Catching fish is cool and all, but I've never actually seen any signs or ads for going fishing. I did go snorkeling around Ha Long Bay and almost all the fish looked scary af. Like long, slim bodies, sets of razor sharp, long teeth they were flexing. Not sure if Ha Long is even great for fishing. I guess fish that eat other fish are usually the most delicious so maybe they're not bad
Cutless fish
I eat that regularly, but you have to be careful as they can carry parasites inside them. So no sashimi and always check before you eat.
Its not that popular in the west due to its bland tasting flesh, but fried with skin on and salt is delicious.
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warpus
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Homestay in Ninh Bình
I had booked a homestay in central Ninh Bình within reasonable walking distance to the train station (which would come in handy later). A homestay is a form of accommodation in a private residence, although a lot of the homestays I stayed at in Vietnam felt more like guesthouses.. They all had a front lobby and usually a private bathroom for each room. This homestay only cost $10 USD a night, so I didn't really know what to expect.. The reviews promised pleasant and attentive hosts and clean rooms.
To book accommodations on the go in Vietnam I either used the Booking.com app or the Agoda app. These were the two main popular booking apps in the country at the time and what was recommended to me by a friend I had made in Hanoi. It was really easy to book last minute rooms on the cheap no matter where I went.
It felt amazing to finally be dropped off in front of the homestay after that long cramped ride on the shuttle bus from Hạ Long City. When I entered the lobby I even encountered somebody who could speak a bit of English! One of the first things he told me was that all the rooms were actually taken.. but that it wasn't a problem because I could stay in his son's room. At first I thought I had misheard or misunderstood and did not know at all what to expect as we walked up those stairs..
The reviews were right - The room was clean and the host was pleasant and attentive. The room was a bit strange, with the tiny colouring station and mismatched furnishings.. but I didn't care! I actually kind of loved it! The bed was adult sized, there was a private bathroom with a shower, there was a computer with a connection to the internet, and even a small chair in the shape of a happy giraffe.
I had booked a homestay in central Ninh Bình within reasonable walking distance to the train station (which would come in handy later). A homestay is a form of accommodation in a private residence, although a lot of the homestays I stayed at in Vietnam felt more like guesthouses.. They all had a front lobby and usually a private bathroom for each room. This homestay only cost $10 USD a night, so I didn't really know what to expect.. The reviews promised pleasant and attentive hosts and clean rooms.
To book accommodations on the go in Vietnam I either used the Booking.com app or the Agoda app. These were the two main popular booking apps in the country at the time and what was recommended to me by a friend I had made in Hanoi. It was really easy to book last minute rooms on the cheap no matter where I went.
It felt amazing to finally be dropped off in front of the homestay after that long cramped ride on the shuttle bus from Hạ Long City. When I entered the lobby I even encountered somebody who could speak a bit of English! One of the first things he told me was that all the rooms were actually taken.. but that it wasn't a problem because I could stay in his son's room. At first I thought I had misheard or misunderstood and did not know at all what to expect as we walked up those stairs..
The reviews were right - The room was clean and the host was pleasant and attentive. The room was a bit strange, with the tiny colouring station and mismatched furnishings.. but I didn't care! I actually kind of loved it! The bed was adult sized, there was a private bathroom with a shower, there was a computer with a connection to the internet, and even a small chair in the shape of a happy giraffe.
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FriendlyFire
Codex WMDicanious
If they didnt steal your pants and camera then its a good Hotel 
I would guess that more than one son uses that room. Was the host old enough to have a grandchild? That furniture is about the size that my cousin and I used when we were about 4 (respectively; I'm 3 years older than her, and I still have a chair about that size, though it's at least 80 years old and made of plain wood painted black).
warpus
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It's probably his son's room that on occasion gets used to make some extra money by accommodating travellers like myself. I suppose it's also possible that he did not know the word for grandson or nephew and went with "son".
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Ninh Bình After Dark
Ninh Bình is a small city in the Red River Delta with a population of about 180,000. It is not as popular with western tourists as other parts of northern Vietnam and all of the popular sights lie outside of city limits, so I did not see any businesses near my homestay targeting tourists specifically. As I walked through city streets to get to a restaurant I had located closer to the train station, it was easy to imagine that I was the only non-Vietnamese person there (although that was definitely not the case)
My homestay was strategically located near the main boulevard in the city, which happens to be a part of the Trans-Vietnam Highway, also known as the National Route 1A. It runs all the way from the border with China in the north to the very southern tip of the country. The complete route measures about 2,300 km (1430 miles).
Ninh Bình is where Catholicism first took root in Vietnam. It did not take me long to run into evidence of this on my walk to the restaurant.
Ninh Bình is a small city in the Red River Delta with a population of about 180,000. It is not as popular with western tourists as other parts of northern Vietnam and all of the popular sights lie outside of city limits, so I did not see any businesses near my homestay targeting tourists specifically. As I walked through city streets to get to a restaurant I had located closer to the train station, it was easy to imagine that I was the only non-Vietnamese person there (although that was definitely not the case)
My homestay was strategically located near the main boulevard in the city, which happens to be a part of the Trans-Vietnam Highway, also known as the National Route 1A. It runs all the way from the border with China in the north to the very southern tip of the country. The complete route measures about 2,300 km (1430 miles).
Spoiler :
Ninh Bình is where Catholicism first took root in Vietnam. It did not take me long to run into evidence of this on my walk to the restaurant.
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warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Mì Xào Bò
Stir-fried Egg Noodles with Beef
At this point I was quite hungry. I decided to seek out a restaurant that claimed to be the best in the city (and was still open). I could have walked north, towards the handful of hostels and other backpacker friendly establishments near the city centre.. Instead I opted to walk south, crossing the same bridge I'd need to cross in order to get to the train station. There I found a restaurant that served fairly large portions, about a 20 minute walk away from the train station still.
This was most probably not the best restaurant in town, but I more or less guessed that ahead of time just by looking at the pictures.. Don't get me wrong, the food was good.. and the portions were quite large.. but there's likely better restaurants in town.
This place was really good in terms of value; I was able to get a large plate of stir-fried egg noodles with beef, a large bowl of phở, and a large beer for about $6 USD after everything. Before my food arrived I was also served a plate of nuts as well as banana.
Altogether this was an impressive amount of food. The bowl of phở was quite large; it makes the plate of stir-fry in the photo appear smaller than it actually was. I ended up having to leave behind about half of the stir-fry.
Stir-fried Egg Noodles with Beef
At this point I was quite hungry. I decided to seek out a restaurant that claimed to be the best in the city (and was still open). I could have walked north, towards the handful of hostels and other backpacker friendly establishments near the city centre.. Instead I opted to walk south, crossing the same bridge I'd need to cross in order to get to the train station. There I found a restaurant that served fairly large portions, about a 20 minute walk away from the train station still.
This was most probably not the best restaurant in town, but I more or less guessed that ahead of time just by looking at the pictures.. Don't get me wrong, the food was good.. and the portions were quite large.. but there's likely better restaurants in town.
This place was really good in terms of value; I was able to get a large plate of stir-fried egg noodles with beef, a large bowl of phở, and a large beer for about $6 USD after everything. Before my food arrived I was also served a plate of nuts as well as banana.
Altogether this was an impressive amount of food. The bowl of phở was quite large; it makes the plate of stir-fry in the photo appear smaller than it actually was. I ended up having to leave behind about half of the stir-fry.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Ninh Bình Province on Two Wheels
Sunday, March 10, 2019
All of the sights I was interested in lie outside of city limits, so I woke up nice and early and hired a guy to drive me around from site to site on a motorcycle.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
All of the sights I was interested in lie outside of city limits, so I woke up nice and early and hired a guy to drive me around from site to site on a motorcycle.
How good was your driver's English?
Pretty empty streets too.
Pretty empty streets too.
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