Hanoi

My new passport arrived! After staying in Chiang Mai for close to 2 more weeks, I needed a change. I found myself in the same situation that landed me in Korea! Sapporo's Snow Festival was coming up, and I had booked a hostel with free cancellation. Time was running out for me to decide whether to head off to Japan or do something else. Japan is cold and expensive. Vietnam is warm and inexpensive. Plus, every traveler I had met who had been through both Vietnam and Thailand had expressed fondness for Vietnam. The kicker was that Chiang Mai has direct flights to Hanoi. I decided to go to Vietnam during Tet.

My first impressions of Hanoi were tinted by the haze that polluted the city air on the day I arrived. I looked up the air quality index in comparison to Bangkok and found that it was slightly worse! I also realized that Vietnamese people celebrate the new year with their families. There were not much festivities in which I could participate. I stayed at Little Charm Hanoi Hostel in the Old Quarter. It seemed like a hotel that they turned into a hostel, installing bunk beds. The staff worked through the holiday, which I find commendable.

The worst part was I got sick for several days. I missed the fireworks because of it. Apart from that, I spent my time in Hanoi doing the same as usual: explore on foot, find coffee and music. Vietnamese coffee itself is not that good, which is why they add stuff like milk and sugar to make it delicious. There are many clever concoctions. Egg coffee is nice.

Jazz in Vietnam is nowhere near mainstream, but there are a few spots in the big cities. Hanoi has the Binh Minh Jazz Club. Started by a father/son pair of amazing saxophonists, this venue features Vietnamese jazz musicians playing standards and Vietnamese songs in jazz style. And they let me sit in!