Unfortunately, we once again missed the planned alarm at 9 AM. Nevertheless, Malte managed to get on the sofa shortly after ten, which eventually got Leon out of bed as well. After about 100 sleepy alarms and the third snooze, the “resurrection” occurred – or at least the plan to bring it about through the quickest possible enjoyment of a Bac Xiu. So, we quickly hopped on the moped and headed to a café that Malte knew from his last trip to Vietnam. It was the café where Malte always waited after he had dropped Haiyen off at the nearby hairdresser during his last visit.
However, neither the hairdresser nor the café could be found – partly because of the countless little, similar streets, and partly due to Malte’s excellent sense of direction (not). We rode around a few times until we came across another café that promised an entertaining atmosphere with a good view of a busy intersection due to its slightly elevated position. Before entering, we quickly glanced into another shop around the corner, but we were urgently advised by the staff of the first café not to settle there. For whatever reason?!
Malte chose Bac Xiu, while Leon enjoyed a coconut coffee with fresh coconut sorbet. Malte would have liked to swap with Leon at the sight of the coconut coffee, but Leon rudely refused.
So, we sat there and absorbed the happenings at the intersection until we noticed a special, visibly happy clientele stumbling out of the entrance of the establishment next door, with somewhat limited bodily awareness. What could be going on there? Our speculations lean towards an opium den – perhaps we will find out more accurately someday. The coffee was delicious, and we will surely be seen here more often now (for the coffee, not for the opium den).
As the desired effect of the Bac Xiu set in, it was time for breakfast next. We headed to the “Pho Lady,” who has her restaurant almost directly across the street. This time, we were not allowed to choose a new way of preparation ourselves, as a specific type of Pho Bo “Tai Chinh” was recommended to us without objection. Very tasty, nourishing, and perfect for starting the day with energy.
We spent the afternoon again getting some things done on the laptop, organizing ourselves, and lounging a bit on the sofa while enjoying the beautiful view of Ho Tay from the window. For several days now, the smog/mist in Hanoi has significantly decreased, and we can now look far into the distance over the lake from our apartment.
Around 4 PM, we decided to take care of our old and broken phones – new batteries were needed. In Vietnam, services are very affordable, and many things are still repaired, making it the perfect place to get your electronic devices back in shape. We also wanted to visit an eyewear store nearby to look for a pair of glasses for Haiyen. The glasses here are primarily designed for the Asian market, so they would fit Haiyen better. Upon arrival, Leon and Malte spontaneously decided to buy new lenses or a new pair of glasses for themselves. It took a while for Leon due to his specific prescription, as the lenses needed to be ordered – he had stepped on his glasses while cycling through Croatia and had badly needed new lenses since then but had been too stingy until now. Malte could simply take the values from his old glasses and could leave the store after what felt like an eternity with a new spare pair of glasses.
It was already evening when we set out on the moped toward the phone repair shop “Apple No. 1.” We reached it safely, but only just before closing time. A somewhat complicated conversation – between us, or rather, ChatGPT as a translator, and the nice lady at the counter – ultimately led to the information about the cost and duration of the repair: approximately €30 for a new battery and €18 for replacing the glass back of the iPhone! Uncomparable to the prices in Germany. Unfortunately, the shop was closing soon, and we would have had to wait until the next day for our iPhones, so we decided to return the next day.
For dinner, Leon, sitting on the back of the moped, searched for a restaurant while Malte steered towards the apartment. Malte was so hungry that he was fine with anything taking less than five minutes to prepare and left the decision to Leon – as long as it was made quickly enough. The found restaurant may not have been gourmet class, but it was perfect for our rather large acute hunger, and the service was super friendly.
It was a larger building with two floors and some students who gathered there for dinner. In the middle of each table was a built-in stovetop, upon which a pot with up to two different broths could be placed, allowing you to prepare all sorts of meat and vegetables. The two broths (Thai and Vietnamese) were served with a variety of sides such as Chinese cabbage, bok choy, water spinach, sushi, meat, fried chicken pieces, as well as fresh beef and pork. As soon as the food was cooked – which happened quite quickly – you could fish out what you liked and enjoy it in your own bowl with a bit of sauce – a feast.
After we had eaten almost everything and were practically completely full, we realized that we had not even had dessert yet – that couldn’t stay like this. There was a sweet buffet with special snow ice, like one only knows from TikTok videos: rolled up, visually cool, and top in taste. Additionally, we could take fresh fruits, some of which were sprinkled with chili.
After the meal, we made a quick stop at Circle K to grab some fun drinks and two large canisters of water. Malte played a few games of chess on his phone while Leon once again prepared the blog. The plan was to be in bed by midnight – let’s see if another game of chess comes in between.
Spoiler: Another game came in between…
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