November 28th
After breakfast we decided that having completed everything in our plan over the last two days we would keep it low-key…..just do a walkabout around the area we are staying in and then take it easy for the balance. Ninh Binh is not the prettiest town in the world but that is often the case in southeast asia. That being said the trick is to find the sights or situations which prove to be interesting and memorable….and in this town with virtually no foreign tourists there are no souvenir shops, hawkers etc. making for a true “local” experience…
After a bit of a siesta, we decide to head to a resto recommended by Friendly Home, about a 15-minute walk, including one relatively complicated street crossing. There are several restaurants on the street but it is only Trung Tuyet that is busy >>> witness the power of TripAdvisor…
We enjoy our meal and it is very good value but quite frankly our meals at Friendly have been just as good and we could have saved ourselves the walk.
Friendly has been a good choice, while not in the tourist/backpacker zone it was central to the attractions we wanted to see, the room was super clean/comfortable and the owner, his wife and kids were pleasant > all at a wallet-friendly price point of 35 CAD per night, not to mention the various versions of “happy water” Truong served us from the jars steeping at the bar below:
November 29th
After breakfast, a taxi appears on schedule and takes us all of several hundred meters, where after a brief wait, we are transferred to a minibus for the drive to Hanoi….easy trip in giant recliners with which we are becoming familiar but with the added touch that these had a built-in massage feature > now that’s a 1st!!
Arriving in Hanoi we were warmly greeted (well it is our 3rd time there) and given early check-in and a massive room…..the service in this hotel is exemplary and it was a great decision, the reviews on TripAdvisor were certainly justified, in this case.
Yours truly then decided a haircut was in order…went in, asked for a cut and was told my hair was dirty, I said just spray it with water….NO WAY >>> must wash….ok, up a narrow, spiral staircase to a “second” floor fitted out with continuous beds + sinks > the ceiling no more than 5 feet tall….ok, and the washing starts, after 3 lather/scrub/rinse cycles I put a stop to this nonsense declaring my hair clean…never mind meester, next scented liquid and head massage…and then the fun started, back down, into the chair followed by a “haircut by committee”, after some searching on the internet several styles were presented for my inspection….we all decided short was good > the first h-dresser, deferred to the boss, who carefully inspected my head and determined a plan of attack….after completing 1/4 of my head, he sought my approval > good to go, after about another 1/2 hour the deed was done > all with scissors + a comb. Then I planted a bombshell > Please trim my mustache….ouch, the headman hemmed, hawed and tentatively went for it. A great job and when I told him he was the #1 hairdresser in Hanoi, he was pleased as punch, everyone laughed and went back to work. Total cost 10 USD….sorry no pics of this show.
We couldn’t resist having another banh mi before leaving Hanoi…and almost stopped at the place below…note the slab of pate, but in the end went back to Banh Mi 25 for lunch …yummy once again !!
and then some shopping in the afternoon. Lots of Christmas stuff to buy …
Time goes by quickly and after packing for tomorrow’s super early departure, dinner at the Orchid Restaurant, very pleasant and a departure from the street food restos we have been frequenting:
That’s it for Hanoi and the North, tomorrow we tackle the South…..
Love the h/cut and cookie duster!