Vietnam travel – Tam Dao

I visited Tam Dao ages ago, and to be honest, it didn’t leave a strong impressions on me. What sticks in my memory is battling car sickness on the twisty and turny road. One highlight from that trip was savoring the delicious crunchy sautéed chayote buds. I guess the main reason those memories aren’t as vivid is because I didn’t really know the people I went with; it was organized by a social club I had just joined. However, this recent trip left me immense joy and wonderful memories as I went with S and our family. Growing older and living far from my family has taught me to cherish precious moments spent with loved ones.

Initially, S wasn’t interested in going as he felt tired. But I could tell my sister was really excited about the trip. Not wanting to let her down, I persuaded him to join us. He agreed once he found out there was a waterfall to explore. The drive wasn’t too long, just around 1.5 hours from Hanoi. As we approached the destination, the scenery unfolded with lush mountains, and grand houses and charming hotels nestled on the mountainside. S seemed impressed by the view, snapping photos constantly.

We went through narrow mountain roads and eventually parked in a place near the waterfall. Following a small path, we encountered a stairway (of around 300 steps, though I’m not certain) leading to the waterfall.

Various shops and stalls line the way, selling snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. The sellers were enthusiastic and friendly, constantly asking us to use their products but we didn’t want to stop midway, so we declined. One seller kindly offered a stick, suggesting it could make our walk easier. S responded, “I’m not that old.” His dry humor had everyone bursting into laughter. 

Finally, we reached the last step. From there, the waterfall came into view, but we were all taken aback by a foul smell. The water was polluted, with white foam in the bottom. It seemed more like wastewater from nearby houses and hotels than natural water. According to S, most of the ground is rocky, which probably leaves nowhere for the sewage to go, so it ends up at the lower level, contaminating the waterfall. We quickly ran away from the place. It’s so funny that when my sister saw me in boots, she had urged me to bring a pair of sandals because in her imagination, we would have a playful time in the water. 

Going up was more challenging than going down. Everyone grew tired. My knees and legs felt a bit tired but that was it. That’s probably because doing household chores and yard work often has somehow given me strength. My sister, on the other hand, felt dizzy, struggled with shallow breath, and had to ask B & H to help her walk up. And S joked that now he needed a stick. LOL!!!

After reaching the final step, we took a break. The kids got ice cream and we went for grilled eggs. The dipping sauce was amazing. I didn’t know how it was made but gosh, a mix of salt, kumquat juice, pepper and a secret ingredient made the grilled eggs up to a whole new level. We also ordered “Nước Sấu”, a macerated fruit juice, representing a traditional drink of Hanoi in the past when beverage choices, especially for students, were quite limited. “Sấu”, or Indochina Dragonplum fruit, is picked when green, and soaked in sugar. Its essence is then mixed with water to create a sweet and sour beverage. The flesh of the macerated fruit was sweet, pleasantly sour, and crispy. Although I used to like it a lot, the experience that day wasn’t as great. 

We continued exploring the area and then stopped for some savory snacks. As I said, Vietnamese people are big on food, always eager to try various dishes, especially while traveling. Knowing we would have dinner later, we didn’t want to overeat snacks. My sister ordered small portions of grilled meat and sticky rice. The grilled meat had distinct flavors, each marinated uniquely, and they were wrapped around veggies like mustard greens and “chayote buds”. We also enjoyed them with herbs and some leaves , creating a fantastic combo. The sticky rice was equally special, displaying various colors from different types of rice. It was tender, sweet, and delicious. However, I didn’t eat much to save room for dinner.

Next, we ventured through the area by grabbing an electric vehicle for a short tour. The driver took us through the small roads, passing houses, restaurants, shops, and giving us a top view of the landscape. He also introduced a temple on the way, but none of us felt like going inside; I hesitated too, considering I was wearing shorts, which wasn’t appropriate for entering a religious place. We continued on the road while trying to take some nice photos of the sunset and the mountainous view.

The scenery was undoubtedly beautiful but I found it somewhat boring as it looked the same throughout the place. The driver finally took us to where we parked. Though the car tour didn’t leave a strong impression of the natural view, observing people and experiencing the bustling atmosphere of daily life brought me a lot of joy.

Afterward, we leisurely strolled around the place, and gosh, food was everywhere! All sorts of snacks and savory treats, making it a feast for the eyes and nose. In the central area, hotels and restaurants stood shoulder to shoulder with new buildings under construction. This made me ponder how they could attract enough customers to fill all the rooms, given the relatively small size of the tourist place. There didn’t seem to be enough space for public activities. A small square was brimming with people, sharing limited space for various activities and performances.

Long walking made us feel hungry quickly, so we stopped at the restaurant my sister had previously enjoyed. Our order included Indian wampee stuffed grilled chicken, chayote buds (definitely), and fried rice. That was pretty much all I could recall.

After dinner, we continued wandering around the town. As night fell, the place took on much more enchanting allure, bathed in warm, cozy light. The European-style architecture, especially in the chilly early days of winter, exuded a romantic atmosphere, even for those with lonely hearts. 

We paused at a stall for my sister to buy chestnuts. In my memory, whenever I saw this type of nut sold on the street, it reminded me that winter had actually arrived. S got intrigued by dried fruits in various colors. However, my sister told us not to buy them, concerning that these imported fruits might have a lot of additives and preservatives. So, we decided to pass on them.

We then visited the church—a stone structure perched in a high location that offers a stunning view of the whole area at night. The crisp air, gentle breeze, crystal moon light, and especially the sweet fragrance from nearby plants, collectively crafted a truly remarkable experience.

Leaving the church, my mind was still lingering with the pleasant floral scent, very familiar, reminiscent of the calmness, peace, and tranquility associated with a type of plant often seen at temples. But I couldn’t pinpoint exactly which plants the enchanting scent was coming from. As we walked back to the parking lot, I saw a plant full of flowers along the road. I stopped, smelled—oh my goodness, it was that same scent as the one from the church. Reflecting on that specific type of plant at temples and looking at that plant, wow they looked completely different, but it was remarkable how similar they smelled.

We left the church, heading back to Hanoi with a surplus of energy, satisfaction, and joy from the trip. It was already dark, and my sister was so afraid of driving without street lights. It brought back memories of my initial days when I first moved to the US. During those times, when S drove at night, I used to think, “Wow, I would never be able to drive in the darkness like this,” and I truly admired him for it. However, as I became more accustomed to the traffic there, I realized that driving in the darkness has fewer distractions than navigating streets filled with cars and bright lights, especially the white ones.

We returned to Hanoi around 9 p.m. Despite that, my sister still had a lot of energy. We headed to a coffee shop where children could enjoy painting statues as well. The coffee shop showed off cute and lovely decor, perfect for teenagers and kids, not my old soul. Anyway, this place offered the best combination of entertainment and enjoying drinks. 

We ordered bubble tea, while my sister and brother-in-law got unsweetened tea. I got salted coffee as well. They typically serve this coffee with ice, but I prefer it hot, so I told them to make it that way. 

Then, we chose statues and got tools and colors to get ready for painting. While the kids picked cute and lovely statues, S chose a massive dragon. It looked cocky and aggressive, appearing ready to explode with emotions like “someone”. 

That dragon had loads of details to paint, and at first, S was thrilled about it. He didn’t care how the dragon would look, he just went with the colors he liked, which were obviously bold choices. However, his enthusiasm waned quickly, right after finishing the half front of the dragon. He asked me for help, and then my brother-in-law and B also joined. I tried to balance out the colors so that the dragon would appear clearer. The completed dragon turned out really cool with vivid, bold, and colorful hues. Its appearance perfectly matched the traits I envisioned for it.

In general, it was a wonderful trip. We relished our time together, had loads of fun, enjoyed delicious food, and ended the day with vibrant, beautiful statues. We captured special photos of the landscape and of us, carrying beautiful memories for many years to come.