Travel To: Hanoi, Vietnam

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I've done a lot of traveling the last couple of months, and not a lot of writing. With all major holidays finished before the school year ends, I think the table is about to turn on that equation.

A couple (several) weeks ago I wrote about our adventures in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap with Other Half's dad. Well, that was just half the story. After Cambodia we hauled ourselves over to Northern Vietnam to spend some time in Hanoi and the surrounding area.

I was a bit nervous about visiting Vietnam at first because many travellers have had less than glowing things to say about the people, and it's well known that travel scams are extremely common, especially in large cities like Hanoi.  Armed with our guidebook to help point out some of these, we were feeling pretty okay, none of us were new travellers and we were all aware of the stories. Before I dive into my next tale, I want to note that these warnings come from somewhere, but I think as long as you are mindful, you can avoid most scams.

Ngoc Son Temple

Unfortunately we missed the part of the guidebook that told us there are only two official taxi companies in Hanoi, and all others had "high-speed meters" that charge about double the rate. Yep, that would be a good thing to know before we got into our taxi from airport to hotel. Our first tip off that something was amiss came just outside the airport parking gates when our driver stopped in the middle of the road, got out and traded taxis with another driver, calling a mumbled "sorry" over his shoulder as he went. Yes, my mind was RACING at this point, and it turned out the new driver had even less English than the first (to match our zero Vietnamese) and so after a few feeble attempts to retell where we wanted to go (and lots of head nodding from the driver) we sat back and let life happen.

To cut a long story short... we did end up in a high-speed metered taxi, we did end up in the city centre, we didn't do too many circles, and I do believe the driver genuinely wanted to get us where we wanted to go. Unfortunately for him he got lost in the tangle of the Old Quarter and after some fruitless attempts to find our hotel we eventually got out and walked the remaining 500 metres. And that was our welcome to Hanoi. Freezing temperatures, a stressful taxi, and a cold walk to the hotel at midnight.  I swear we were excited to be there.

Bridge entrance leading from the outskirts of Hoan Kiem Lake to Ngoc Son Temple

At this point I need to pause and make a confession. A grossly ignorant confession. I don't know about you, but when I think about South East Asia I picture warm and sunny, or warm and rainy. Two seasons, both warm. NEWS FLASH! Unlike Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma (Myanmar), and a whole variety of other places, northern Vietnam gets C-O-L-D, cold! After a week in the scorching heat of Cambodia it was a pure shock to the system to land in damp, dreary, and chilly Hanoi. Brrrrrrrr. Never the less, we pulled ourselves together, layered on everything we had with us and set our sites to exploring!

During our time in Hanoi we stayed at the Church Boutique hotel, which due to some last minute travel planning was a squeak more luxurious than I normally would have opted for, but hooooo boy was it nice! Not recommended for the budget traveller, but if you want a clean, comfortable, accommodating and warm place to rest your head, then you can't go wrong here. Good service, good breakfast, comfy beds, heating. It was like heaven. It was also perfectly situated in the Old Quarter so that everything was on our doorstep.

Temple of Literature - first courtyard

We spent our days entirely within walking distance of the Old Quarter because there was a) so much to see there, and b) only a day before we wanted to leave for Halong Bay.

Our very first stop was Hoan Kiem Lake which sits at the base of the Old Quarter and includes a pleasent walk around the lake and Ngoc Son Temple which extends out into the middle of the lake and is accessible by bridge.  It's said that giant turtles live in the lake and long ago one came to the surface, took the sword of King Le Loi while he was boating from the lake and took to the depths of the lake to return it (the sword) to the Gods from whom it came. In memory of this they have mummified and gold plated a giant turtle and put it on display in the Ngoc Son Temple.

Stelae of Doctors - Temple of Literature

From here we wandered over to the Temple of Literature, an expansive complex that has 5 inner courtyards. The temple has been dedicated to Confucius and education, and was established as the cities first University in the 11th Century.  Though it no longer operates as a University, it does house what is known as the Stelae of Doctors, a series of blue stone carved tortoises each holding a plaque on its back engraved with the names of individuals who were successful in the royal exams. It was meant to encourage education and the study of culture, but I believe the practice stopped sometime in the 18th Century.

The fifth courtyard, though slightly hidden behind the fourth, opens onto the building that was constructed for the actual studying. An open, two storey structure that now acts as a place of offering to Confucius. As an outsider, the temple of literature was most fascinating in its mixture of Confucianism and Buddhism. A worthy stop on your visit to the city.

You can't visit Hanoi without seeing and sampling the huge variety of street food on offer. I wish I had done more of this, but it's just reason to return. There was everything from fried dough balls of goodness (their official name), Bahn Mi sandwiches, Pho soups, fruits, and so, so much more. Sadly, I didn't get any photos of this because I was too busy drooling and gawking.

After a very cold and busy day in the city we packed up once again and moved on to Halong Bay,. Known as the Bay of Descending Dragons holding some 1000 karst cliffs jutting up from the water, I knew we were in for something special... I can't wait to tell you about it in the next post!

Keeping warm...

It's a blogiversary! Let's have (crepe) cake.

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Is there a song you're supposed to sing when you're blog has a birthday? Is there a specific gift you're supposed to buy (yourself) when you and your blog celebrate your first year together? Is it time for cake?

It's always time for cake.  Silly question.

This past year with the blog has seen a lot of changes. It started because I was moving to China but when the move came, I discovered that the Great (fire)Wall was going do its very best to prevent me from ever posting again. Sometimes it wins. Sometimes I win. It's a give-take relationship.  Never the less it has helped me to chronicle my various food/travel/life adventures so that even though my memory sucks, I can attempt to keep track of things and look back and remember my own life. Thanks blog!

It was actually the blogiversary yesterday but I haven't been able to access the internet for almost a week (joy of joys), so I present you this cake today instead. 

This is actually a bit of a cheater cake. It's too easy to be a real cake. It really shouldn't even be allowed. But living the kitchen-less lifestyle that I do, I need to make compromises here and there. Cut some corners, you know? I don't have the luxury of an oven, or a cake pan, or normal ingredients easily available to me. The milk for this recipe alone was a 20 minute bus-ride. So I'm going to let the ease of this cake slide, it's too good not to.

The components of this "cake" are pretty simple. A lot of crepes and a lot of chocolate. I used Nutella because it's quick, easy, and occasionally available in China. If you have the capacity, and the motivation this would be made even more spectacular by a homemade version.

Double Chocolate Red Wine Cookies

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Do you need to read that again to believe it? Double. Chocolate. Red. Wine. Cookies.

That's what I have for you today and to be sure, this is an adult cookie. This is a sexy adult cookie. This is the Jessica Rabbit of cookies.

These cookies are dark and rich, soft and chewy, indulgent and divine. Not to mention they fit so many occasions. Do you need to impress your mother-in-law? Check. Do you need the perfect treat for a girls night in? Check. Do you need something that touches on the romantic side of things a bit better than your average peanut butter cookie? Check. Basically, check, check, check!

There is no way a double chocolate red wine cookie couldn't be an intense flavour experience. These cookies are graced with a deep chocolatey flavour that ends with a hint of red wine.  They will make you question whether you can get away with adding booze to every cookie you ever make again. Grand Marnier Dark Chocolate Cookies anyone? Yes, please! I think we're on to something here...

Wide Angle: Vol. 5

Pin It Ahoy there! Other half and I are traveling through Laos with some of my side of the family, so while we do that, here's a peek at other things that have been going on in my life.

 All photos are from my instagram account. You can follow me here: @theredhead_said

1: A little late to the game on this one, but this is what a Starbucks Christmas cup looks like in China.
2: Juxtaposition Pilsner: this is about the best name for a beer I've seen in many a months (Ontario micro-breweries are also great at naming their beers)
3: The Russian ballet came to Shenzhen, they performed Swan Lake. I couldn't not go.
4: This is what a 10 year anniversary of an international school might look like if you live in China. Lots of lights. Lots of water drums. Lots of music. It was pretty wild.
5 and 6: Number 5 is what Hong Kong looked like the night my parents surprised me before Christmas and number 6 is what it looked like the day I left for Cambodia. Two great views.
7: A care package from home is an amazing treat when you live very far away from it.
8: This is what you need to eat when you eat too much care package. Also, this is an amazing reminder of how beautiful food is, naturally.
9: There's a Mexican place in Shenzhen that used to offer half price fajitas on Wednesday, I was a regular. They don't offer that any more but they do offer giant mojitos on Fridays. I'm a regular again.
10: Pantone colour of the year. Just because.

Temple Town: Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Phnom Penh is the capital city of Cambodia, and it bustles with the pace of local life.  Siem Reap on the other hand is the boomtown of tourism within the country, and it hustles with the pace of tourism. As the door to Angkor Wat, Siem Reap has developed quickly from sleepy village to destination hot spot. And they've done it right. While days are spent rambling around the ruins of Angkor (and beyond), evenings are spent milling along alley ways and market streets, eating in the restaurants that spill onto the walkways and sipping in the cafes and bars that can be found every few feet.

My photos of the city itself are severely lacking, but the photo above gives you a good idea of the general vibe. While in the area we stayed at the Kool Hotel, which is admittedly a bit out of town, but they do have an excellent pool, fresh coconuts, and a shuttle that will take you to and from the town centre each evening. The atmosphere is relaxing with a dab of luxury, and the price is exceptionally affordable (note: we were traveling with Other Half's dad, which meant accommodation was mostly budget to mid-range, not backpacker).

Food was similar in style to that found in Phnom Penh, but with a large variety of "western" places thrown in to meet the desires of the many travelers. The Alley (shown above) is definitely tops for atmosphere, but my favourite meal was at the Butterflies Garden restaurant across the river from the main cluster of markets and restaurants. I'm still having dreams about their vegetable sandwich.

Inside the main gates of Angkor Wat

The main reason you go to Siem Reap is for the temples. The many, many, temples.  Siem Reap is the door to Angkor Archeological Park (or as many know it: Angkor Wat), one of the worlds most famous, and certainly the largest, temple complexes.  Known most commonly as Angkor Wat, the area actually includes many famous temples including Bayon and Angkor Thom, and expands into the distance for many kilometers.

The most common transportation route for this complex is via the inner or outer ring roads on the back of a tuk tuk. These roads are actually about 15 and 18 Km from start to finish. The park entrance sells muliti-day passes, and trust me, you'll need them. You'll spend just the first day seeing Angkor Wat and a portion of Angkor Thom alone, not yet even touching Rolous, Ta Phrom (Tombraider, anyone?), and my personal favorite, Preah Kahn (and so many more!).

Over 250 faces in Bayon Temple

Bayon

Angkor Wat itself is a massive and rather unique site.  Built in the 12th century, it is the only temple to face West, which is seem by most as bad luck because you watching the sun set instead of rise, which symbolizes death instead of life. But many believe it was originally built by the king for Vishnu the Hindu God who was best associated with the western orientation. Inside the complex you are allowed through the three layers of the temple, each being more Holy than the last.  Traditionally the first level was for the "common" people, the second level was for the nobles and the third and final level was for the King only. A look out from the highest level affords you a view of the vast Angkor Archeological Park with forest and temples as far as the eye can see.

They say some carpenters spent their entire careers inside one temple

Travelling around the ring roads allows you to truly understand the scale of this space. Temple after temple you begin to feel quite small (purely in a size kind of way - I'm sure you're all wonderful humans) and quite ... new. This place oozes with history and you can't help but get carried away in it. It is awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, and just plain wow-ing. Seriously, I can't even type eloquently about it the memory is so dumb-founding.

Angkor Wat

An absolute must-see on any trip to South East Asia. It may be a rather exhausting few days, at least at the end of it you can soak your aching legs in the hotel pool, head into the city for some great food and revel in the fact that it's also in this marvelous, friendly, colorful country known as Cambodia. LOVE.