Tinu Menachery

Ninh Binh

Post our cruise, we went on to experience another beauty that is Ninh Binh. It’s a quaint town, but so very beautiful.

We reached there in the evening and went to see the Bai Dinh pagoda.

Bai Dinh Pagoda is Southeast Asia’s largest Buddhist complex. It consists of several temples and over 500 intricately carved statues of Buddha, including one that’s made of bronze and is 10 metres in height. Set within the Gia Sinh Commune, it attracts a huge crowd of local devotees and travellers looking to pay their respects and have their fortunes told by the resident monks.

It is visually stunning and soul stirring. The sheer beauty of the pagodas, the magnificent views from atop make this place worth visiting. It doesn’t have an entrance fee, but you can take an electric car 2 ways, you might need it if you get tired real soon.

I was a kid at a candy store at Bai dinh, oohing and aahing at every step. We reached past 5:30 p.m and hoped we could make the most of and see most of what the complex had to offer. We first went to the tall structure which was 12 floors high and saw some gorgeous Buddha statues. Food and water offerings were all around the Buddha statue. Don’t forget to check the ceilings, they are in a league of its own.

We then went to a check a tall statue of the laughing Buddha. It was a very steep climb and we ran out of breath, but managed to reach the very top. Proud and happy.

We went around Bai Dinh without a map and just went with our instinct, and saw some magnificent statues, and the place smelled faintly of incense, the eerie silence was cut through by some insects chirping and the faint ruffle of the leaves.

We were the last tourists for the day. Towards the end we were really tired and opted went to get an electric car to get us to the exit and that’s when I realized I lost my wallet. It had my money, my debit card, and my ID card.

I obviously panicked, but tried to calm my nerves (with no avail) I wanted to walk back all the way, but my mom wasn’t one to let me go by myself as it was dark. We did plead with the people at the counter, but they didn’t seem to budge. Then as a miracle, and it truly was. One of the boys gestured us to get into the electric car. For a moment I thought he was going to ask us to leave, but he helped us. We walked back all the way through all the places minus the excitement and found my wallet.

That moment got us all emotional. I could have easily lost my wallet and not have realized till I got back to the Hotel. It was a miracle for that boy to have had the desire to help us. All I can say is that I had angels, and my patron saint, St. Anthony take care of us throughout the trip.

Post all this, we were joined in by two more men. They asked the taxi guy to come and pick us, and they didn’t let us go by ourselves. I was telling my mom, how safe I felt, and was also upset that if this situation had played out in India, I’m not certain how safe women would feel (topic for another day, perhaps).

Our taxi driver was kind too. He waited all that while patiently (there is no waiting charge btw). I was famished post the entire ordeal and asked him to take us to a local place for food. And we went and had the most amazing bowl of pho.

The food although looks so simple, is so tasty and flavorful. I enjoyed every last slurp and was ready to call it a day.

Read Day 2 here

Vietnam is both exotic and compelling with staggering natural beauty and cultural complexities. It’s gives an overflowing plate of sensory experiences – from the soul filling view over a surreal seascape of limestone mountains in Halong Bay. The breathtaking and inspiring boat ride that gave a glimpse of some beautiful caves in Ninh Binh. The tsunami of motorbikes in Saigon. The simple and visually laid back life of locals in Can Tho.

Vietnamese cuisine just blows your mind and palate away! Every dish looks so simple, but a mouthful is an explosion of flavors. Juicy tender and succulent meat with fresh crunchy herbs and sauce makes you stop and relish every morsel.

The people are extremely nice, warm and very welcoming. Soft spoken and excessively slow to anger and very courteous. It took me 2-3 days to realize that almost the whole of Vietnam is filled with extremely polite people.

Things to note in Vietnam: Download grab aka Vietnam’s own Uber (they have bikes as well). If you are taking Vietnam sim with an option to call, download BE. Sim cards can be taken either at the airport or you can find cheaper options in the city. Money can be exchanged at Jewelry stores, ensure you have new currency, else the value will be low.

In Saigon, go to Ha Tam (everyone knows and will guide you appropriately), I found they give better rates as compared to Jewelry stores. I’m not aware if there are Ha Tam’s elsewhere (do check).

If you can ride a two wheeler, you are in luck. You won’t spend much on cabs. Cabs companies like Ma linh (green color), airport taxi (white with pink lines) all work on meter system. However, you can also bargain on the rate. What I did was check the rate on Grab and bargain.

In Saigon, you can easily travel around using the local bus. I wasn’t able to find local bus elsewhere.

Travel in and around Vietnam via train, and FUTA bus for budget travels. Futa bus is super comfortable. Trains are clean. I got an upgrade to the Laman express, and it was super comfortable and clean.

Be wary of the currency, as they are all of higher denominations and almost look similar. Take your time to count, the locals are very calm about it and won’t rush you.

I’ll list down basic costs of items so you can understand the currency better (it helped me).

1.5 ltr water – 10,000 dongs

(In hue, they tried to sell this at 20k and above, but I stood my ground and bought chilled water for 10k – mentally pats my back)

Aerated drinks – 250ml (I downed so many) will cost you around 6,000 dongs.

Milk in small packets – 7000 dongs

When they say 10, 15 or 20 – they mean 10,000, 20,000 etc.

The lowest currency I saw was 500, and no one wanted it (lol)

The highest was 500,000 dongs.

I was told to be careful of my phone, wallet and chain from Nha Trang to Saigon. But I didn’t have one incident of snatching or an attempt either. But since I was told to be careful by the locals, I was on alert.

Crossing the street might be stressful if you aren’t used to a stampeded of vehicles coming out of nowhere. But since we (me and my mom) were used to the same, back in India, it wasn’t all that scary. Just be observant and most often they will slide past you.

Now let’s move past and head to the places I visited in Vietnam. I went for a total of 14 days and travelled from North to South. I started off with Hanoi, as I wasn’t keen on spending more time there (but that changed once I saw the market, oh well).

Click here for Hanoi, Halong Bay and Ninh Binh

North Vietnam - I traveled to Hanoi, Halong bay and Ninh Binh

Hanoi

Hanoi was real quick, as soon as we reached our home stay, the first thing we did was to head out and look for jewelry store to exchange money. It was very difficult for me to find Vietnam dongs in UAE, and my mom didn’t have much luck either in India. So we both decided to come to Vietnam and exchange our currency. You get better rates at these stores than at the airport. We checked with quite a few before zeroing in on one store which gave us a good exchange rate, and the two of us walked out as millionaires.

We then headed out for lunch to try out the ‘Bun cha’ (pork with rice noodles) from this famous restaurant where Obama apparently ate at. The dish costed us 100,000 dongs and it was worth every spoonful. It was our first Vietnamese dish that we tried and my mom was already regretting her decision to travel with me (kidding).

Ngoc Son temple

Post a full and happy stomach we visited the old quarter. Hanoi as per my research and understanding is divided into the Old and French quarter.

The old quarter has the Hoan Kiem lake (very average), the Ngoc Son Temple (our very first pagoda) which was connected via a red bridge. Good photo op. The entrance fee was 40,000 dongs (if my memory serves me right). And the Don Xuang market along with the famous Tran Phu aka railway track area with people living on either sides of the tracks.

This is Hanoi’s ‘train street’, located in the Old Quarter, just a short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake. For the outsider like me, it seems like an extraordinary place to live, but for the few Hanoians that reside on this small stretch of track, it is their home. It’s where kids play, laundry hangs, men shout and moms gossip as they hover over pots of steaming broth. It’s a normal Vietnamese community—well, almost.

Hanoi Train street, as I like to call it, is located between Lê Duẩn and Khâm Thin street in Hanoi’s old quarter. It's very popular and you won't have any difficulty getting there.

Train street

Ngoc Son means 'Temple of the Jade Mountain'. The island on which the temple is built is known as Jade Island and is accessible by the iconic Huc Bridge or Rising Sun Bridge which is a charming scarlet-painted wooden bridge of classical Vietnamese design.

The temple is dedicated to General Tran Hung Dao (who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century), La To (patron saint of physicians) and the scholar Van Xuong.

The pagoda is also guarded by two towering posts decorated with Chinese writing. The lake and temple are probably the most famous places in Hanoi city in which to rest and enjoy the view and are a great place to sit back and watch the locals.

Ngoc Son temple

We then headed to the French quarter to see the St. Joseph Cathedral. The cathedral has an architecture with domes and colorful window glasses following the Neo-Gothic style and design of Paris Cathedral.

Not only was this Cathedral gorgeous in every way, it also had some amazingly beautiful energy that makes you pour your heart out. We sat there for a good time and I cried my heart out and felt so much at ease. Every nook of the church made me ooh and aah. I love places with amazing energy and this one had so much to offer!

St. Joseph Cathedral

Hanoi has a lot of cycle rickshaws, and you can get a good bargain from them. Unfortunately we got one when we were done with the sights. You can get them for an hour or so at 200,000 dongs (bargain if you please – I did) and they would take you around all the ‘touristy spots’.

We got back and visited the local supermarket (my mom’s idea) to but some local produce and came back with chips and soda. I know. We couldn’t comprehend what some things were and were also too chicken to try.

Hello,

I double check to see if this is you

So beautiful and strong

Going through all your phases

Head held high

Armed with love and kindness

The world tried to change you

And change you did

But for the better

You took all the hurt, embraced it

And created you, so hard to ignore

You know what you want

Unabashed and unapologetic

Had I known this is how you would make me in the future

I would have smiled through it all

But now that I have shed, and shed enough of me

I love seeing the me, being the new you.

I saw you standing across the length of the room

Staring, staring away

I couldn’t hold your stare, and looked away

Afraid that you’d pierce through my heart

I stood still not wanting to breathe you in

Afraid I might get intoxicated

But you looked, and looked and you knew

That all I was, was holding back from you

You turned to leave, and my heart skipped a beat

I stopped breathing, else I would have screamed

Asking you to stop, praying that you would

Hoping that you’d see that all I wanted was to be held by you

But you left thinking it would be for the better

And here I was looking down, and taking another broken piece

And hoping I’d be whole again.

How would you know if you are in love, he asked?

Her eyes smiled at his question, she blinked tucking away a strand of hair and adjusted herself on the edge of the chair, and got mentally ready to answer his question.

‘Love is effortless’ she shrugged ‘although you need to make an effort every day’ she continued thoughtfully.

‘it’s calming where you can be yourself, and the same time know that you being you, might hurt the person you love, so therein you mold your being to be empathetic of the one you love. You give more and expect less, because in giving, you are making certain to yourself that you are capable of loving someone fiercely. By expecting less, you are acknowledging the fact that your partner has his flaws. It’s a balance of understanding that no one is perfect and at times it takes two people to make a perfect life, each providing their set of skills based on their experiences’.

Satisfied she looked back at him and smiled, and inched closer and delicately held the handle of her cup.

He looked at her tiny nuances and absorbed all of those tiny creases that appeared on her nose while she spoke. That crinkle of her eyes. The way her lips moved, while she spoke, her constant nose jab to adjust her glasses.

‘But isn’t that a recipe to get hurt?’ he nudged her on.

‘Absolutely’, she smiled back.

‘Isn’t that life?’ she asked, raising her chin.

‘Isn’t love supposed to be devoid of hurt and also easier’ he asked matter of fact.

‘Aaah’ she exclaimed, gingerly placing down her cup, and pushing herself into the chair.

‘Love is the best teacher, you’d ever find, she teaches you everything you need to know about yourself. Your strengths and weakness, your resilience, your ego. How stubborn you are, how silly you can get. Everything. At the same time, it teaches you that every bruise you get on the way is going to heal in time. People you meet, will eventually teach you a lot but only if you are willing to learn’

‘But there is this person, you must never cease to love no matter what. Even if you forget at some point, you must always start over. No matter how busy you may get’

She looked over, knowing he would want to pipe in with an answer, ‘your parents?’ he asked looking at her for the answer.

‘No, I mean you must obviously not cease to love them’ she smiled, ‘I’m speaking about oneself. Never cease to love yourself. We put ourselves through so much on a daily basis in terms of expectations, love, hurt. We never cease to stop and appreciate ourselves and say how amazing we are. We never compliment ourselves, we never give ourselves that unconditional love that we are so willing to give our partners. The moment we stop allowing ourselves to be taken for granted, and develop a loving relation with ourselves we automatically open ourselves to a more satisfying human experience. To be at that stage all we need is consciousness. That in my opinion is love at its finest. When you are in love with who you are, by embracing all your flaws and talent, you never allow anyone to make you doubt yourself. And a person like that would make you, you’.

‘That definitely sounds like a lot of work’, he exclaimed shrugging and looking away.

‘Well if you can’t take the time to love yourself, how would you make an effort to love someone else?’ she quipped with a knowing smile.

She waved for the bill, nodded saying she was done and exchanged pleasantries and walked away.

At times the only effort you should take is knowing when to walk away and walk away gracefully.

Tanuki is the newest addition to Dubai Mall’s gastronomical delights. It’s situated on the lower level offering Japanese cuisine, close to the water fountain. It makes for an ideal place with a beautiful view while dining especially at night, where you can watch the fountain and the Burj Khalifa – its one view that never gets old.

With both outdoor and indoor seating, Tanuki offers an amazing dining experience. We chose to sit inside as it was more private and cozy inside. The interiors were done in earthy hues of browns and greens with a pop of colors using the furniture and wall décor, with an open kitchen.

A friendly fun robot welcomes you inside the restaurant – you can place your order with the interactive robot. I also loved the Japanese live wall art which was a constant throughout the dinner with anime and et al. The place was truly a mini modern Japan.

The Menu is simple, which makes the ordering process easier. Images of how the food looks like aids selection.

We started off with Avocado Mint and Kiwi Celery. Of the two I loved the Kiwi celery. Both were fresh, however I loved the taste of Kiwi Celery more, and would definitely say it’s a must try (P:S – I love KIWI).

We were then served a delicious bowl of chili garlic edamame, and it’s so addictive – I just couldn’t stop eating them. When the miso soup was served, it looked really tiny for a one person portion – but it was equally filling and sumptuous.

For the next course, we ordered for maki’s – Philadelphia maki, mango ebi, Tanuki Kogase and Philadelphia unagi.

The Philadelphia maki had salmon, cucumber, avocado, green onion, soft cheese and sesame seeds . This was a huge bite but delish at that.

It was my first at tasting Unagi and what better way than a Philadelphia Unagi. It was a beautiful explosion of smoked eel, cream cheese, cucumber with unagi and Caesar sauce. One word – Yum.

Mango ebi was another delish dish which had Shrimp tempura, cucumber, mango and tobiko. The flavors were very nice and it is definitely a must try.

The star of what we ordered was undoubtedly the Tanuki Kogase. It’s served warm, and literally melts in your mouth. The lightly seared salmon and eel mixed with cream cheese are definitely a delight to one’s palate. It’s definitely one of their signature dishes and it’s a loss, if you don’t try this at Tanuki. It was so sumptuous we ordered a second helping.

We tried the chicken and mushroom XLB’s. I liked the mushroom more than the chicken bao. However, the maki’s were definitely the star in our tasting session.

We completed our dinner with Kuro Eru and Manila Roll. Being a chocolate lover, my choice may be a little biased towards the Kuro Eru. It’s sweet kiwi maki with fruits like pineapple, strawberries, banana, almond and cream cheese. It was novel for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The service is quick, our cutlery was changed post every meal. The staff was extremely warm and friendly and were making sure all their patrons are comfortable.

I would definitely recommend Tanuki, if you love Japanese food. And if you don’t, Tanuki would be the right place to start with.

Tanuki

Location: Near The Waterfall, Lower Ground Level, The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai, Dubai

Cost: AED 200 for two

Reserve your table at: 045808228

Tinu Menachery

North Vietnam - Ninh Binh | Day 1

Vietnam

North Vietnam - Hanoi

Letter to self

Whole

On Self Love

Tanuki

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