Climbing in Halong Bay
We had a great half day of climbing in Halong Bay. The karst limestone formations, formed over hundreds of thousands of years of erosion, provided abundant handholds for easy climbing. While the rock was razor sharp, many of the holds were easy enough to grip that it made climbing super enjoyable. Some of the routes seemed like climbing an English muffin since they were full of nooks and crannies. Other routes featured super sharp spires that felt like they were going to pierce through our climbing shoes.
It was Kate's first time climbing outdoors and she was awesome. We both had an excellent time and would definitely do that again. If you ever find yourself in Halong Bay, definitely make time for this activity. There's plenty of climbing routes that will challenge both novices and experts.
At last...pho
After wandering around a good portion of Hanoi for the early morning, Chan finally comes across a good spot for pho, the traditional Vietnamese dish of rice noodles in incredibly delicious beef stock. We found this bowl on the street, right next to a bridge. The stand was covered with a tarp and all the tables were filled with locals (always a good sign) grabbing a quick breakfast before starting their day.
This bowl wasn't bad. The stock was on the bland side and had to be punched up with some salt and red chilis, but the noodles were excellent. All in all, an ok bowl. So the search for an incredible bowl of pho continues...
Hoan Kiem Lake
Hoan Kiem Lake is...a mix of peaceful morning mist and then hundreds of locals getting their exercise on with stretching, tai chi, aerobics, running, dancing, and badmitton. All before 7am.
Vietnamese Hot Pot
As much as Chan wanted to grab pho as the first Vietnamese meal,we ended up with Vietnamese hot pot instead. And that was perfectly fine since the street food spot was overflowing the sidewalk with locals enjoying an at your table steaming hot pot of vegetables, tofu, and beef.
First stop: haircut
Traveling without hair so so much easier. You don't have to worry about carry so much shampoo or hair product. And since SE Asia tends to be quite hot, it's an economical way to keep your head cool. So of course Chan's first stop is to get a haircut. Nevermind that he's getting it from some random dude on the sidewalk. That's all par for the course for businesses in Hanoi.