Reflecting upon the trip preparations, there is little that I would change. For the most part, we packed the ideal amount for two weeks of warm weather. I've noted a few tweaks for the next time I go on a similar excursion (SB already is talking about returning to Huế and I would love to see Sa Pả, Nha Trang, Đà Lạt and Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park).
Things I would have done differently:
Things that were good choices:
Overall, I had a wonderful time traveling throughout Viet Nam with the family and am looking forward to the next vacation. I've also been inspired to cook more Vietnamese food; I cook a few dishes each month but it's been difficult finding fresh herbs unless I go all the way into Kowloon City to the Thai markets so I had become uninspired. Also, I never could convince SB to put MORE herbs onto his plate because westerners don't eat herbs in large quantities, but now that he's been in restaurant after restaurant and watched locals demolish plates piled with greenery, I think that he understands.
Since SB has developed a green thumb with our small but verdant plant collection, we may even start growing our own herbs; just there is one herb that will not be joining our collection. In our travels, we ran into an herb that I am not fond of, which I always thought my mother called "fishy leaf" because that's what she and I thought it tasted like. As it turns out, the common name for it is indeed "fish mint" (diếp cá) so we're not alone in our summation. SIL thought that my description that it tasted like what I imagined the water from a koi pond tasted, was apt. There was nothing more horrifying than biting into your rolled up bánh tráng creation to discover that a leaf of fish mint had snuck into the pile of greenery.
Things I would have done differently:
- Packed a skirt. I brought one pair of longer, dressy shorts but a skirt would have been a good idea for flexibility. I did not plan to go anywhere fancy, so when we ended up at the chic restaurant for drinks, a skirt paired with my acquired silk scarf would have passed muster. Also, a skirt would have been a better choice for entering temples. I utilized available wraps but a few times at smaller temples, there were no wraps and I abstained from entering the inner sanctum because I felt awkward about showing my legs. SIL had a versatile, grey skirt that seemed like a perfect choice.
- Packed a small purse. I had a wallet from LeSportsac that was ideal except that it was slightly too small for my phone. I didn't mind carrying my small backpack most of the time but a small purse would have been great on the boat or in the evenings when out for drinks.
- The bicycle seat. Well, it's a toss up. I didn't use it very much because we didn't ride as much as planned, but if we had, then the bike seat would likely be on the list of perfect choices.
- Read up on scams. We heard that some taxi companies run fast meters and to trust Mei Lin and VinaSun, so we saw a VinaSun and hopped in. Well, you live, you learn. The taxi driver did not turn on his meter and his cohort quoted us a price that was 50% higher than we anticipated based on reading costs for taxis from the airport to city center. Then, when we arrived, he doubled that quote and got a bit aggressive so we ended up having to pay him three times what we should have. I'm still fuming about that injustice. If possible, go Grab. A Grab car or bike will quote you the price in advance, so you don't have to deal with taxis driving in circuitous routes and madly running meters, both of which we encountered in Hanoi. On the other hand, loathing to drive in circles should inspire you to walk more.
- TripAdvisor cannot be trusted for food, at least in Vietnam. All of the restaurants that I found through word of mouth or Lonely Planet were good, but almost everything recommended by TripAdvisor were the pits. Thankfully we only used TripAdvisor twice before becoming suspicious of the ratings.
Things that were good choices:
- 4 pairs of shorts. They were the ideal number and variety. I had one, nice pair of shorts, one lightweight, sporty pair, and two lightweight casual shorts that were easy to wash and dry overnight.
- Material, material, material. Three pairs of shorts and all of the shirts were made from material that dried quickly. Laundry services were easily accessible but I was happy not having to worry about dwindling supplies of clean clothing.
- Antimicrobial undies. It's a very nice thing to have.
- Trainers, sandals, and flip flops. They were all that we needed. Not too many, not too few.
- Moleskin. SIL and I had very comfortable sandals but we needed to use the moleskin for a few problem areas and were thankful to have it. Niece wore a cute pair of slightly heeled Birkenstock sandals out of the box and they were apparently perfect. She never had any foot issues.
- The 40L and 55L bag. We saw so many people with gigantic packs and large, wheeled suitcases struggling around in the heat. Our bags were perfect. I even had spare space to buy a small basket, two scarves, and many snacks to bring to my colleagues. SB was able to add a large, embroidered Hmong blanket to his bag. We had not planned to find souvenirs but the opportunity presented itself in the form of an outstanding shop on Hàng Dầu street, near Chợ Hàng Bè street and we couldn't help ourselves with gorgeously embroidered fabrics at dirt cheap prices (IMO considering the skill involved).
- Booking small tours. Half of our tours we booked in advance (Cu Chi, My Son, Halong Bay) and others we booked easily with our hotels (Hoi An, Hue). It was totally worth it to book in small groups. In Hue, we simply booked a 15 passenger van for ourselves without a guide, which was ideal; even more ideal would have been to have two days in that van because Hue was wondrous.
- Auntie Cel and MIL. We had the best dog sitters you can find. Cel, our neighborhood dog walker, stayed in our flat with Tippytoes and Elsie, and sent regular updates and pictures. Luna found herself a nice spot to lie on MIL's bed and seemed to enjoy her own vacation.
Overall, I had a wonderful time traveling throughout Viet Nam with the family and am looking forward to the next vacation. I've also been inspired to cook more Vietnamese food; I cook a few dishes each month but it's been difficult finding fresh herbs unless I go all the way into Kowloon City to the Thai markets so I had become uninspired. Also, I never could convince SB to put MORE herbs onto his plate because westerners don't eat herbs in large quantities, but now that he's been in restaurant after restaurant and watched locals demolish plates piled with greenery, I think that he understands.
Since SB has developed a green thumb with our small but verdant plant collection, we may even start growing our own herbs; just there is one herb that will not be joining our collection. In our travels, we ran into an herb that I am not fond of, which I always thought my mother called "fishy leaf" because that's what she and I thought it tasted like. As it turns out, the common name for it is indeed "fish mint" (diếp cá) so we're not alone in our summation. SIL thought that my description that it tasted like what I imagined the water from a koi pond tasted, was apt. There was nothing more horrifying than biting into your rolled up bánh tráng creation to discover that a leaf of fish mint had snuck into the pile of greenery.
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