2023 // Asia on Film
Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City,
Hanoi & Da Nang
Singapore & Vietnam, January 2023
When Shon told us that he was planning to move to Vietnam, we all were excited about his next adventure. Our friend group quickly conspired to make a transpacific visit happen…
Singapore
Leading up to the trip, Rosie, Kaili, and I (panic...?) packed the evening before Rosie and I flew to Singapore. I had grandiose plans of packing succinctly which were dashed by last-minute scrambling. A mere few hours later, Rosie and I boarded the plane, buzzing from a successful seat swap that managed to get us sitting next to each other for these sixteen hours. Oh my god, it’s a grueling flight. I was constantly in and out of sleep, contemplating an upgrade for the flight back home. Between spurts of slumber, I finished all of House of Dragon. To say I was eager to be on solid ground is an understatement.
Bleary-eyed, we landed in Asia. I was utterly delirious. Once we had quelled our disappointment over Singapore discontinuing passports stamps, we managed to call a Grab, the rideshare service in this hemisphere, and headed to the Marina Bay Sands for our one proper evening in the country. The roads are wide and clean, not to mention, they drive on the left-hand side. As we neared the city, the otherworldly skyscrapers came into focus, intertwined with nature. The glittering skyline felt too good to be true, beckoning “yeah you saw me in Crazy Rich Asians and I look exactly like that” to me.
Somehow I always manage to block out the notion of unrelenting humidity, maybe out of benign neglect, a futile attempt to wish it away. Apart from my discomfort and hastened by the 6 pm sunset, Rosie and I freshened up and quickly made our way to the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool.
The Marina Bay Sands is an iconic 5-star hotel known for this scenic pool. The pool sits at level 57 and offers sweeping views of city and sea. The dense city center was a marvel atop the hotel. We swam as the sun set and wandered more into town for dinner at Lau Pa Tat and cocktails. Part awe, part adrenaline kept us upright. Our evening was capped off at the rooftop bar because we could not get enough of the view.
To conclude our 20-hour stopover, the next morning we explored the Gardens by the Bay. The 250-acre lush park is a spectacle. Towering tree-like sculptures are nestled amongst the tropical foliage, accompanied by undulating conservatories and bridges spanning the grounds. All of the linen in the world could not save me from sweating as we snapped photos and soaked in the sights. Still jet lagged, we had breakfast and coffee quite early then admired the architecture of the Lotus and the Helix Bridge before origami-ing ourselves onto a 2-hour flight to Vietnam to be reunited with Shon!
Vietnam
Making our way through customs once again, Rosie and I easily found Shon towering above the locals. Catching up commenced over sidewalk beers and food, even some dice games in order to pass the time until the rest of the crew arrived. Funny enough, I managed to meet up with Zach whom I know from growing up in Colorado. He now lives and works in HCMC. It was an absolute blast from the past as I hadn’t seen him in years. Hunter, Ann, and Ryan landed late in the evening and we all ventured out for a midnight snack before succumbing to fatigue.
I fell into the routine of two coffees a day, rotating between egg coffee, sua coffee, and coconut coffee - out of self-preservation to fight jet lag and pure gluttonous indulgence. Our little squad walked the streets in 80-degree heat and 80% humidity. I highly do not recommend it because it was just sweat city!!! I was less concerned about my perspiration and more about the motorcycles swarming the streets. To cross any street, you must say a quick prayer, step off the curb, and confidently shuffle across, hoping they dodge you. A harrowing experience that really never gets easier.
HCMC is a more sprawling city than a place comprised of dizzying towers, though Tiger Beer ads and the Bitexco Financial Tower loom above. With no set plans, we stumbled upon spots, moving leisurely and taking breaks to get relief from the heat and admire the yellow Mai flowers dotting every entryway in preparation for Tet or Lunar New Year holiday. Shon showed us some of his haunts, including his favorite restaurant. On one of the days, the girls peeled off from the boys for some necessary shopping. All linen everything was my motto on this trip. That afternoon was concluded with the best banh mi I'll probably ever have.
The arrival of Kaili and Brent made everything more real; we were all in Vietnam, together, 8 strong. We took them to some of the iconic spots like Bến Thành Market where Kaili and I were heckled by a vendor after trying to haggle. With all of us in tow, we attempted some rooftop bar hopping and dining which was made difficult by Vietnam vs. Thailand soccer game. Exhaustion quickly set in and we all clocked out after dinner, readying for our flight up to Hanoi.
Hanoi
On our way to Hanoi, I made a friend at the airport, a toddler named Tony. I’m happy to report that Tony is thriving seeing that his mom added me on Facebook. He was intrigued by the truffle and wagyu-flavored chips we were passing around at 10 am in the morning.
Arriving at our Airbnb, I speculate that it was once a hostel. The narrow home had five floors which equated to five rooms, each adorned with its own ornately painted mural. Oh, and numerous bathrooms - a stark change from sharing two for eight people.
We ventured out to explore the capital city after scarfing down congee. Nestled in the north, Hanoi is cooler and lusher than HCMC and we had to layer up, a surprising change in attire. With no concrete plans until our dinner reservation, we stumbled down alleys and alcoves, finding quaint coffee houses and shops. At every turn, there was something new to discover and marvel at. Dinner rolled around and we dined at a lovely vegetarian buffet where we ordered just about everything and gorged ourselves on some incredible food. Riding the high of an amazing dinner, we bar-hopped, smoked menthol cigarettes, and played cards with Brent and Shon mostly losing.
The next day, Kaili and I woke up early to hit a coffee shop and grab some pastries for everyone to munch on before making the drive to Ha Long Bay. Ha Long means “descending dragon” and it’s a fitting name - the 600 square miles of the bay are composed of about 2,000 limestone islets that jut out from turquoise waters. The landscape looks like an array of dragon scales. Hunter had booked us an overnight boat in the iconic bay where we cruised, kayaked, and laughed, mostly at the toast Hunter had to give as a punishment for losing cards. Ha Long Bay was probably my favorite part of the trip because of the awe-inspiring scenery.
We arrived back in Hanoi the following afternoon and made the most of our last evening in the capital. I had a cream cheese matcha latte which sounds kind of gross but actually quite delightful. I scoured the shops for some souvenirs and the group splintered into various pursuits for dessert, with my cohort ending up at a rooftop bar to soak in the skyline.
Da Nang
Kaili and I continued with our morning coffee shop with everyone slowly trickling in as they awoke before we went to the airport. We had a little hiccup at the airport with passport names and tickets which was some unnecessary stress, but we made it. All was forgotten on the plane to Da Nang as Brent donned the Vietjet Air uniform to fulfill his concession for losing at cards the previous day.
Roving the streets of Da Nang, the coastal city reminded me a lot of Sayulita. There was a laid-back beach energy that was encapsulated everywhere we went. We quickly sought out food and checked out the beach before riding to Hội An for the evening. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre recognizing the rich trading history of the 15th to 19th centuries and the unique blend of indigenous and foreign cultures. Immediately upon arrival, we were met with vibrant yellow buildings and colorful lanterns strung about. We marveled at the river and architecture while maneuvering the street festival teeming with people. At dinner, I lost the game and conceded to getting a temporary neck tattoo.
The days were slower in Da Nang as some people started to go down with various illnesses, but thankfully nothing serious. Things also slowed as businesses shuttered their doors for Lunar New Year celebrations. On our last afternoon altogether, we had some beach time and hit the famed Marble Mountains where we explored pagodas, buddhas, and caves. We bid Brent, Kaili, and Ryan goodbye as they started the long journey home via Japan. The rest of us reveled in the Lunar New Year festival at the signature Dragon Bridge of Da Nang accompanied by street meat from the market and fireworks for the new year.
Our final morning in Da Nang was spent at Sơn Trà Mountain admiring the locals to partake in new year traditions that honor the Lady Buddha Da Nang, the tallest Buddha statue in Vietnam. As we meandered, we stumbled upon monkeys who had snatched an ice cream cone from some unsuspecting spectator. Mountains and monkeys were the perfect end to Da Nang.
We flew back to HCMC where we spent one final night before saying goodbye to Shon; Hunter and Ann left early in the morning the following day, then Rosie and I followed suit a few hours later. Rosie and I spent our long layover in the Changi Airport of Singapore where we shopped until we dropped and attempted to get some sleep before the flight home. The flight back absolutely decimated me, but we made it.
The Trip of a Lifetime
I never could have anticipated a biology study group to yield global adventures. This was the seventh country that I’ve traveled to with Hunter. This was the coordination of eight different schedules and I am in awe that we were able to make it happen. Some of that is in part to the privilege of being born in America or an English-speaking country which for whatever reason hit me harder on this trip than any other foreign adventure. English is spoken everywhere. I didn’t even have to make an effort to use any Vietnamese which felt disingenuous. Still, Vietnam offered kindness and splendor that is not lost on me. Not lost on any of us as we traveled together.
As we all continue to travel and grow up, our paths all cross with friends scattered across the world. George, one of the boys’ friends from college joined us for Hanoi; I had the opportunity to meet up with Zach; Shon introduced us to one of his friends. The world continues to get smaller and smaller.
Despite us all seeing each other infrequently, I find comfort in being able to travel together, to even have the opportunity to do so. One of my friends remarked that Shon is very lucky to have seven people make the effort to visit and hopes he knows how lucky he is. I know Shon knows. I’ve never seen him more excited. I think we’re all lucky to have each other.
Leading up to the trip, various parties with old age as their ethos kept telling me how special it is to be able to travel with your friends. The idea was driven into my mind. It must have prompted me to set the intention - something I never do on trips - to “appreciate being together” which I think perfectly sums up our time in Vietnam.
