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From my travel diary; a description of a series of events that I experienced on my first day and its associated feelings. I was heading over to Hanoi, Vietnam from Kuwait via Dubai to volunteer to teach English and exchange cultures for 2 weeks. It was quiet extraordinary


Waiting in Dubai International Airport (DXB) in my 3 hour transit. Before getting onto the plane in Dubai the feelings of anxiousness and fear that I had before departing Kuwait were haunting me again....why the hell was I flying to Hanoi? Who are all these people around me? It would feel so much better lying in my warm bed back home chatting with my older brother or sitting on the dinner table having dinner with family and friends… I felt lonely for an hour or two during my transit for, as an 18 year old, I am not used to being alone; this was partly why I decided to solo travel. I knew they were just feelings and acknowledged the way I felt, embracing my situation. When we take a leap into the unknown our brain automatically feels unsafe, it’s the way we have evolved. I had no clue who was going to pick me up at the airport in Hanoi neither did I know who I was going to live and eat with or whom I will be teaching English to. I told myself that I am stronger that my own emotions. On the plane from Dubai to Hanoi, one small conversation on the plane with a Vietnamese person steered my thoughts into another direction and partly relieved the anxiousness I was feeling.


When I ordered my first complementary instant noodles and quickly finished it, the Vietnamese man took a photo of the empty cup in order to show it to the air hostess when she would come around (I figured it would be his way of ordering one, since he couldn't speak English) so I pressed the ' air hostess request ' button on his dashboard to help get his order quicker as this meant the air hostess would know he had a request and quickly come to his seat. He turned it off as the air hostess was already beside him. Holding eye contact, we exchange smiles. Although there was no direct exchange of dialogue between us, this situation gave me a feeling of ease, warmth and familiarity and helped get me to sleep on the 6 hour flight to Hanoi.

Touchdown Hanoi 

View from Hanoi airport

It was 31 degrees celcius outside. Through the window, it looked very green and appeared to be humid as it had just rained. This immensely contrasted the flat Kuwaiti desert that was scorching hot in the middle of summer, with temperatures reaching 60 degrees celcius. I could not wait to embark upon this journey although I still felt slightly nervous to meet “Tuổi Trẻ Nhiệt Huyết”, whom I just knew would pick me up from the airport via a Facebook message from Gấm ( Gấm was the volunteer coordinator working for Mercury, the English center I was volunteering for)

Stepping out of Hanoi international airport 

As I came out of the gate at Hanoi international airport, I was greeted by Luke (Luke was in fact “Tuổi Trẻ Nhiệt Huyết”, and I later knew that everyone at Mercury had both a Vietnamese name and a western name, in order to make it easier for volunteers to remember and pronounce everyone's name) he was extremely friendly and smiled a lot despite speaking very little English. After exchanging my US dollars to Vietnamese Dong I was shocked to know that we would use a motorbike to get home ....how the fuck would I fit my three pieces of luggage on one motorbike? Motorbikes are not too widely used in Egypt (my home country) or Kuwait (where I was brought up). I repeatedly told him, “we CANNOT fit the three bags AND sit safely on the motorbike.” I even offered to pay for a taxi back to the place, but he kept replying calmly, “It is okay. Don’t worry.” I told to myself, “fuck it.” We strapped two of the larger bags on the back of the motorbike and Luke fitted the smaller bag in the tiny space between his legs and the front part of the bike and we headed on our 40km journey to the volunteer home stay.. It was not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be and I quickly saw that having shit loads of stuff behind your motorbike is very common in Hanoi. Strapped chicken cages and three huge boxes of clothing merchandise were amongst the things I observed. I started to feel at ease and no longer felt in danger to be on the 120cc motorbike with Luke. 

Luke and I on the motorbike

Hanoi was extremely busy and I think I saw more motorbikes than people, it was crazy. Crossing red traffic lights was normal (about one in every fifty bikes crossed it) even if there were police men standing at an intersection. Later that day one of the Vietnamese volunteers at the accommodation explained how they referred to police men as‘Pikatchu’, because they dressed up in a yellow uniform and did not do too much. Upon arrival at the home stay accommodation I introduced myself to everyone I met and had a short conversation talking about their background. Despite being anxious about departing my country and arriving in Hanoi, I consider myself to be a very sociable person. I am very much interested in other peoples character and enjoy understanding cultures different to mine.



Luke invited me to eat a weirdly tasting rice and pork stew topped with spring onion and pepper. I was not used to eating Asian food yet so although everyone around me liked the dish, I felt that it was nothing special, perhaps because nobody eats pork back Kuwait. I quickly got to know that it was Sara's birthday (Sara was a 21 year old volunteer from Ireland/Sweden) , and that we would be later heading out for a party . I took a quick shower in the shared bathroom and got dressed. 


Then everyone in the house (around 10 people) headed for dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant which served snail as one of its main dishes. The snails tasted fine, the french fries were good, a ginger coconut infused oyster stew/hotpot tasted absolutely amazing, and some fried pork with the chilli sauce was delicious. In Vietnam, everyone has chili sauce with everything. One plate that got everyone's attention was a baby quail boiled out of its egg that looked like a bulging eye. It tasted bland and did not have much flavor (the soup it was in was delicious though) and I felt it disintegrating and separating into individual body parts in my mouth. The juices served were nice and sugary. There was ginger, sugarcane and tamarind drinks. They tasted very familiar because sugar cane and tamarind juice are the two most popular drinks in Egypt.




After we finished we got into ‘GrabCars’ (GrabCar is Asia’s equivalent to Uber, they also have GrabBike for motorbikes) to head towards Hero, a nightclub, after discovering that the first club we tried going to was closed. To be completely honest, I did not enjoy partying that night. I overspent using money that I was supposed to use to go on a trip to Ninh Binh that weekend and did not even get drunk. Although I believe that having fun is solely each individual persons responsibility and not the environment he or she is in, I was too tired from the flight and the club was filled with people I could not easily speak English with (except the other volunteers of course). 


I met two 26 year old beautiful Swedish girls that I talked to for 10 minutes but the conversation didn’t go anywhere and quickly died out. We ended up dancing like monkeys in the gogo dancers’ cage (which was fucking hilarious) and ended up breaking one of the steel bars which resulted in us being kicked out of it by the bouncers. Hours later we found ourselves exhausted and in GrabCars heading back to the accommodation. There I was invited for a marijuana joint in the balcony overlooking the beautiful Ha Dong district in the 26 th floor by Oliver from Estonia and Alejandro from New York. I could not exactly remember what we talked about but the weather after the rain created a chill and relaxed atmosphere.I ended my day with a cold shower and ended up sleeping on a shared bed next to Oliver on my blue scarf, without a blanket. Stay tuned for the next post where I will reveal an UNFORGETTABLE moment that I will stay in my memory forever. Until next time :)

 Wessam Nasreldin | Volunteer in Mercury Center, Hanoi, Vietnam
Mercury is a non-profit teaching project to support education in Vietnam. Which welcomes volunteers from all over the world to teach English for less privileged students. We implement some free English classes, as well as other low-cost classes, with the help of international volunteers from around the world. We ask volunteers to support us from one month to several months or more. We provide free different, delicious food for meals, accommodation. We require NO prior experience, NO certificate.
Become a Volunteer 
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The worst thing for most visitors to Vietnam is the traffic in this country, which seems to be totally chaotic and dangerous. Being actually this, it is not surprising that most visitors are scared a lot to participate in the traffic. The streets of Ha Noi and Sai Gon are crowded, motorbikes are everywhere and it seems that there is a sheer endless support of motorbikes and bikes. But there are some rules you should know, so going through the streets of Sai Gon will be fun.

Some rules for the traffic

First of all, you should know there is real survival of the fittest here. The stronger you are, the more rights you have. A bus can drive nearly without any limit through the streets of the big cities, whereas you as a pedestrian don’t have any rights. Most tourists will be pedestrians, so you should take great care: Even bicycles have more rights than you! But this is not all. Everybody can, at least when there is no police, drive as they want. Factually, there will be motorbikes driving on the pavement, driving through by a red crossing-lights and so on. But luckily, there exists also the rule, that you drive like you want but you cannot endanger others too much. A bus driver will drive fast and dangerously through the streets, but actually he also must take care not to create an accident with someone else. However, it seems not to be very fortunate to have a meeting with such a bus on the street. As a pedestrian you always should be aware of who is approaching you.
Stay calm and don’t panic!


So, how do you cross the street? It is very easy: You just go! This seems not to be a good idea with billions of bikes and motorbikes coming along, but the traffic in Vietnam behaves like a school of fishes: the traffic will flow around you. You must ALWAYS go predictably. You must go slowly and keep eye-contact with the drivers. You must go predictably. Do not stop by going over the street and don’t turn around. The motorbike drivers always must know where you are now and will be in some seconds, so they can flow around you. Traffic now only gets more dangerous, because more and more cars join the traffic and also destroy the harmonic flow of the endless motorbike stream. When you come to a crossing, or you have to cross over the street, you go to the edge and look to the left and right (motorbikes can come from all directions). Then you start walking. You never should change your velocity, so I suggest you start slowly. If you hear some horns this means someone attracts your attention and shows you. During your walk, you will have to adapt a little to the traffic, but never stop, turn back or change your direction. If you see a motorbike coming too close, surely, you have to stop a little, but then go on.
Practice makes perfect

After your arrival in Vietnam, the best is to study how the Vietnamese themselves do cross streets and try to do the same. If you worry about going, you should try to find a Vietnamese who also wants cross the street and go with him. The biggest problem is the misunderstanding between foreign and Vietnamese prediction, so you really should imitate the Vietnamese way of walking. I am always amazed how Vietnamese seem to understand what others will do, because their behaviour is for me in most cases not predictable. For sure, keeping these rules in mind, does not excuse you from paying attention. When you cross a street and see hundreds of motorbikes coming to you, it is not easy to stay calm. It will maybe take some time until you get acquainted with this situation and eventually you will cross streets and participate in the traffic like the indigenous Vietnamese.
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Mekong Delta, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City , …Sapa.

People wearing little conical hats called coolies… depending on the city grow to or the village, Vietnam can be a fairly bustling place.



1. Beware of theft.

Sorry sorry it happens there it happens there a lot. Focus. Know where you’re going. Know what’s around you. In the course of around two weeks I met for travelers that had been robbed in various different ways.

– Bag snatching. – Taking out a wad of cash, when you’re paying a motorbike taxi. – Leaving your backpack at a hotel storage space or luggage space because you’re going to take a trekking tour.- Leaving your valuables unattended while you’re searching for money to buy a drink.

I’m going to leave a link right here to my view on travel safety tips for solo travelers.

2. Counterfeit agencies.

Counterfeit agencies are companies that have a logo of reputable company on their store front. However, in no way affiliated with that company. They’re just they’re just trying to steal customers from a reputable company. Usually you can tell because they’re just so many of them do not very subtle. You’re going to have to listen to your intuition. If something sounds wrong or weird then it is. Avoid avoid.. Go to the places that feel like they’re professional. Where you feel like the people behind the desk are trustworthy.

You can’t always go by the company logo or company designs yes signs me nothing in Vietnam.

3. Getting around.
There are many ways to get around Vietnam and I am going to quickly shoot through them.

Motorcycles

The number one most popular vehicle in Vietnam happens to be motorbikes. In fact, people in Vietnam had to be skilled in the fine art of balancing things on their motorbike. You will see them transporting anything from entire families to their living room. I’ve seen dresser drawers euros refrigerators a huge stack of chicken cages. This makes motorcyclist in Vietnam skillful and a little dangerous.. Unlike other countries in South East Asia I recommend that you don’t try to learn how to ride a motorbike in Vietnam.

Hop on hop off buses!

You’ll see signs advertising for open tickets for open tours. it’s an inexpensive way to travel from city to city.

Shared vans.

The rule of thumb is that shared vans, don’t leave until they’re full. Not only seat wise, but aisles too. If a tour operator is trying to squeeze as many people as they can they will start pulling out little plastic stools and placing them in the aisles.

Others

There are VIP buses, overnight sleeper buses, and ferries and you can even fly. Want to get around the city there are motorbike taxis called Xe Oms. You can rent a motorbike or take a tour with a group. There are Xelo’s aka rickshaws. And they move very slowly and are mostly for tourists.

4. How to cross a Vietnamese Street.

A lot of travelers in Vietnam are always kind of freaked out at the idea of crossing the street and I was kind of like that at first too. Until I figured out how it was done. Actually you know what I’m not gonna waste my number four on this. Go watch my video and check out how I crossed a Vietnamese Street.
4. Budget tours!

Vietnam has the best budget tours and you’ll be spoiled by the prices.

A lot of times these tours are all-inclusive covering accommodations, tour guides, transportation and activities.

It could actually be cheaper doing a budget tour vs. doing it on your own.

5. Street food.

There sidewalk cafes that’s on the sidewalk on plastic tables and plastic chairs are lined up facing the street, as if the street were one giant television set. It’s inexpensive as well as delicious. A little on the greasy side but delicious.



Tips on street food!

Always make sure the food is prepared in front of you or come to you piping hot. Another tip I recommend is to go to a place that is well populated. That usually means the food is good and it’s relatively safe. I already have some blog posts that I’ve done, like tips on how to travel Vietnam and how to find a good budget tour without getting ripped off. I’ll leave that link down below in my description box or leave it in the little “i” icon that will pop out somewhere in the course of this video. So check it out!

If you enjoyed this video give me a thumbs up or like subscribe to this channel, and until then travel safe, smart and fun. And may the GRRR be with you!
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Vietnam isn’t the easiest destination to visit at first blush. But my friend Barbara Adam, who’s just released her guide to Vietnam, Vietnam: 100 Unusual Travel Tips, volunteered these ten tips to help you not only survive but actively enjoy Nam. Barbara has lived in Vietnam for the big end of a decade, and is based in Ho Chi Minh City with her Vietnamese husband and two kids.



1. Do Your Research
This advice is slightly hypocritical coming from me, someone who likes to travel without a guidebook and just see what happens. But for a first-timer to Vietnam, forewarned is forearmed. Work out what you want to do before you arrive, even if it’s only a vague idea. Check the public holidays — not much is open over Tet so it’s not really a good time to be traveling through Vietnam.

Also, make sure you check the distance from the airport to the town you’re flying into. Some airports, like Nha Trang’s Cam Ranh International Airport and Dalat’s Lien Khuong Airport, are about 30 km from the towns they serve. If you’ve booked a budget airline, getting to and from the airport by taxi might cost more than the flight!

2. Be Aware That Vietnam Doesn’t Do Mid-Range.

It’s a case of choose your poison. Choose the budget option and get a backpacker-ish cheap experience. Choose fancy, and pay for the privilege. There’s very little in between. This goes for hotels and tours, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

3. Take Trains over Buses

Vietnam’s main train line, which links Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south, was built in the 1880s during French colonial rule. The train line hugs the coast, making for some spectacular views, especially through Central Vietnam.

The trains are old and a bit grotty and most carriages have a squat toilet at one end and a sit-down toilet at the other. But the beauty of taking the train is that you can get up and move around. Overnight train trips are also quite comfortable in a four-berth soft sleeper, much MUCH more comfortable than an overnight bus journey.

Vietnam has an extensive system of sleeper buses. However, the buses are designed for Vietnamese-sized bodies and have no toilets. So if you’re 1.5 metres tall and slender, you will probably feel comfortable sleeping on the narrow top bunk with your hand luggage under your knees and your shoes in a plastic bag under your head. If you’re not, you may well find them cramped and claustrophobic.

4. Don’t Sweat the Little Things

There are some travellers who seem to be a state of perpetual agitation over the possibility of being ripped off. Their anxious faces stare at the taxi meter, not what’s outside the window. They think every taxi driver is taking the scenic route (when in fact there are a lot of one-way streets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City). They quibble about paying airport tolls, which don’t appear on the meter, and VND3,000 (13 US cents) for a wet napkin at a restaurant. They are, in short, a pain to be around.

Sure, it’s a bit confusing when you don’t know how things work. But you can’t assume everyone is out to rip you off. Some people are. But they’re usually professionals, smiling assassins, who’ll get you in a way you least expect. And they won’t ping you for 13 cents, either. So loosen up a little. Have fun. Find your sense of wonder and ditch your sense of paranoia.

5. Don’t Buy Banh Mi in Hanoi

It’s terrible. Wait til you get to Central Vietnam. Hoi An does great banh mi, so does Ho Chi Minh City.

6. Ignore Cyclo Drivers

While the cyclos (pedal-powered rickshaws) plying the streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City look like a romantic relic of times gone past, the reality is that the cyclo drivers of today are usually con artists. They’ll take their gran to the market and back again, and charge next to nothing. But the ones who speak enough English to engage a foreigner are usually on the make.

I had visiting friends who were royally scammed by a cyclo driver in Ho Chi Minh City a few years ago. Outside the War Remnants Museum downtown, a friendly cyclo driver offered them a city tour. He pulled out a book of written recommendations. He flirted and chatted to them in excellent English. He said it was VND100,00 for a one-hour tour. So my friends agreed. They settled back in their cyclo and listened to the commentary. When the driver asked if they’d like to see something interesting here, they agreed. When he asked if they’d like to see something interesting there, they agreed.

Several hours later, the cyclo driver stopped and announced the tour was over. There just happened to be a crowd of cyclo drivers at the stopping point. The driver said my friends needed to pay US$80 EACH. (That’s nearly 1.8 million, compared to the original quote of VND100,000.) He proceeded to tell them that his initial quote of VND100,000 was per person. And that when their 100,000 was used up, he then took them here and there, so things added up. To US$80, a few dollars short of the average monthly income in Vietnam.

My friends were so intimidated by the other drivers lurking around that they paid up, jumped in a taxi and came back to my house. The girl was in tears, the guy furious with himself for being so gullible. The thing that stung the most — they thought they’d made a new friend in the cyclo driver. They’d had such a great time hanging out with him and listening to his jokes.


6. Hanoi Pho Is Not What You Expect

Pho originated from Hanoi and worked its way down the country, evolving along the way. Hanoians believe the Hanoi-style of pho is the purest and the best. It’s quite an austere dish, served with only a wedge of lime and some chopped chillis. In the South, pho is served with a dizzying array of sauces and sides and huge baskets of fresh herbs. This is the style of pho that travelled all around the world because it was the Southern Vietnamese who fled Vietnam in the 70s and 80s. I much prefer the Southern style of pho, even though I’ve had some great bowls of pho in Hanoi.

7. Don’t Fear the Squat Toilet

Provided you bring tissues and keep your clothes out of reach of the floor, you’ll survive. Just don’t look down to check your aim if your sunglasses are on top of your head.

8. Consider Taxis for More Than Just Getting Around Town

For journeys up to two hours or so, considering getting a taxi rather than the bus – or train, or plane. This is most cost-effective when you’re in a group, but it’s not outrageously expensive even if you’re alone. It’s a lot less hassle going door-to-door than navigating your way through a city to the bus or train terminal.

Mai Linh and Vinasun taxi companies operate in most towns in Vietnam (more details here). There are set fares for common destinations, so you can call up and get a quote. For example, a taxi from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau costs about VND1 million, which is about US$45. The ferry costs VND150,000 per person on weekdays, VND200,000 on weekends. Once you add in the time and effort it takes to get to the ferry terminal in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 4, then from the ferry terminal in Vung Tau to your hotel, the taxi option is quite appealing.
9. Don’t Get Upset by the Local Style of Queuing

The Vietnamese don’t queue. They also have a very different idea of personal space. This can make buying tickets, shopping at the supermarket and going through airport security very uncomfortable. Try and relax.

10. Don’t Go to Girlie Bars

If you don’t go, you won’t get scammed, so won’t regale anyone with terrible tales of being ripped off in Vietnam.

Thanks to MM for Vietnam and rsseattle for Pho: both are creative commons on Flickr.com.
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We arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam on the night of July 6, 2017.  We was really excited, and still am, about spending 2 months volunteering in Vietnam.

The food is awesome, the people are friendly, and the cost of living is cheap. I live in the Mercury House with 4 other . The house is located in the suburbs of Hanoi, approximately 4 miles away from the city center. 

 All stores and restaurants are small local businesses and the winding streets and alleys are ruled by motorbikes, mopeds, and bicycles that weave around cars and pedestrians. Traffic laws are nonexistent and traffic lights are more like suggestions than requirements: “you should stop at this red light, but you don’t have to.” Street sellers and street fires (campfire style) are common place along with karaoke bars and restaurants that sell dog meat. The overall feel of this place is tough and gritty, which is awesome.

Watch our first Vlog


1. Welcomed by Founder Mercury Center Mr Peter. He is cool man. 


2. first dinner in Vietnam, It was delicious !




3. We visited the temple of littérature, it was really beautiful and so typical 


4. Lunch in a great Vietnamese restaurant exotic meal 


5. Antoine disguise in Vietnamese street seller 


6.  One beautiful lake on the old quarter 


7.  We met Peter's little brother who was a little afraid

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Towering limestone pillars and tiny islets topped by forest rise from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Designated a World Heritage site in 1994, Halong Bay's spectacular scatter of islands, dotted with wind- and wave-eroded grottoes, is a vision of ethereal beauty and, unsurprisingly, northern Vietnam's number one tourism hub.
Sprawling Halong City is the bay's main gateway but its dowdy high-rises are a disappointing doorstep to this site. Most visitors sensibly opt for cruise-tours that include sleeping on board within the bay, while a growing number are deciding to eschew the main bay completely, heading straight for Cat Ba Island from where trips to less-visited but equally alluring Lan Ha Bay are easily set up.

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The legend of " Banh Chung"

Chung cake was invented by the 18th Prince of Hung Emperor in the contest of looking for new Emperor. According to the legend, 3,000-4,000 years ago, Prince Lang Lieu, made round and square cakes, the round Day cake symbolizing the sky and the square Chung cake symbolizing the Earth (under the ancient Vietnamese perception), to be offered on the occasion of Spring.

In the ancient conception, the Earth is square, hence Chung cake's shape is square, too, to reflect the Earth shape. Since the cakes he offered were of special meaning and delicious taste, Lang Lieu was selected to be the next Emperor. Since then, in honor of this 18th Prince, Vietnamese people always make and have Chung cake in the Lunar New Year. Up to now, Chung cake has become the most famous and irreplaceable traditional Vietnamese food in Tet Holiday. This legend aims to remind the next generations of the ancient tradition as well as the primary of Chung cake. Besides, it emphasizes the important role of rice and nature in water rice culture.

How to make a "Banh Chung"?

In contrast to the fast food in modern life, the process of making Chung cake is time-consuming and requires the contribution of several people. Main ingredients are glutinous rice, pork meat, and green beans wrapped in a square of bamboo leaves that will give the rice a green color after boiling. The


sticky rice must be very good and was soaked in water in the previous day. Rice cake is wrapped in square shape, and the wrapping power must be neither tight nor loose. Then the cake will be boiled in about 12 hours by wood. The Green Chung cake has nutrition with an original tasty flavor and may be kept for a long time. Eating Chung cake with vegetable pickles will bring you unforgettable taste!


In the traditional conception of Vietnamese people, the process of making Chung cake is the opportunity for family to come together. Sitting around the warm fire, all members in the family tell one another the past stories and are ready for a New Year with wishes of best things. Nowadays, in some big cities, the business lifestyle of modern society prevent people from preparing the cake, however, the habit of worship ancestors with Chung cake never changes. It is the evidence of the Vietnamese loyalty and deep gratitude to ancestors.
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