Last week’s post was all about my post-trip reflections from Vietnam. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t processing things in real time throughout the trip! I often jot down thoughts and first impressions as they come in the notes section on my phone so I thought it would be fun to share those in contrast to the more thought-out reflections. Here’s a sample of notes I made in Ho Chi Minh and then in Hanoi directly from my iPhone.

HO CHI MINH CITY

Okay obviously this snapshot from my notes isn’t really enough to reveal what I was thinking so let me break it down for you.

“Like Singapore”

What I Was Thinking: Ho Chi Minh has a modern quality and a very business-centric vibe that reminds me a lot of Singapore. The well-designed skyscrapers and preservation of greenery throughout the city also just make the two cities visually similar.

“A foodie city?”

What I Was Thinking: I’ve seen almost as much diversity in cuisine here as I’ve seen major US cities. It seems like you can find everything from local cuisine to vegan/vegetarian restaurants, sushi lounges, Chinese food, and much more.

“So much bigger than expected”

What I Was Thinking: I had no idea Ho Chi Minh City was as populous as it is (home to almost 9 million people!). I was also not expecting it to be as modern and developed as it is. Just driving through it makes it obvious that this is a city and economy that is rising quickly on a global scale.

“Horrible traffic”

What I Was Thinking: After learning Ho Chi Minh’s population, I shouldn’t have been so surprised by the horrible traffic here. However, coming from LA I always just assume other cities will seem relatively easy compared to at home.

“Business hub”

What I Was Thinking: Like Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and other business hubs of Southeast Asia (SEA), you can feel the presence of business in Ho Chi Minh. It’s both the abundance of office buildings and the number of people walking around (or motorbiking around) in business attire. It brings a different energy to this city compared to many other parts of SEA I’ve spent time in and I like it.

“So eco friendly!”

What I Was Thinking: I cannot believe how advanced Ho Chi Minh seems to be with eco-friendly initiatives. I don’t think I ever used disposable chopsticks at a restaurant and there was relatively zero plastic used at our hotel. Everything was wrapped in paper and we were given reusable glass water bottles for the duration of our stay.

HANOI

“Short buildings”

What I Was Thinking: Hanoi has a population of about 7.7 million people. I can’t think of another city I’ve been to with that many people that doesn’t have a skyline made of skyscrapers, tall hotels, and office buildings. Most buildings in Hanoi are relatively short. This makes for great, panoramic views from pretty much any rooftop bar (and there are a lot).

“Infinite motorbikes”

What I Was Thinking: There were a lot of motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh but Hanoi takes it to a new level. Or maybe the narrower streets just make you feel the presence of the bikes more. In the Old Quarter especially, motorbikes rule the roads, the closed roads, and even the sidewalks.

“‘Sin Chow’ is used more here“

What I Was Thinking: “Sin Chow” is a Vietnamese greeting. This could be entirely coincidental but we learned this greeting our first night from a waitress at our hotel in Cần Thơ and never actually heard it used by a local until we were in Hanoi (our last stop in Vietnam). And then we consistently heard it.

“Eco friendly (like Ho Chi Minh)”

What I Was Thinking: The lack of plastic and the use of paper and reusable glass water bottles continues in Hanoi. I think the US could learn a lot from Vietnam in this department.

“So many of the tourists seem like backpackers”

What I Was Thinking: The tourists in Ho Chi Minh seemed to be very diverse in ethnic, national, and socioeconomic background. In Hanoi, and specifically the Old Quarter, white backpackers make up a huge portion of the tourists. The large number of 20-somethings roaming the streets with their big backpacks and athletic clothes definitely plays into the vibe in the Old Quarter. It’s not necessarily a good or a bad thing. It just influences how this area feels.

“American, British, and French tourists”

What I Was Thinking: Of all the tourist accents I’ve overheard that I could recognize, American, British, and French seem to be the most common in Hanoi. This could be due to the time of year (New Years) or perhaps because going on a backpacking trip and staying in hostels is fairly popular among Millennials in all three countries. Again, not positive or negative but it does change the feel of the city.

“Emphasis on Hanoi-specific dishes”

What I Was Thinking: I noticed at several restaurants that the menu highlighted dishes that either originated in Hanoi or are very popular here (Chả Cá and Bun Thang to name a couple). I’m wondering if this is just a way of appealing to tourists wanting to try Hanoi specialties or if this may indicate that Hanoians tend to be very proud of their city and culture. It could be a bit of both.

“Later starting city”

What I Was Thinking: Although people seem to be out at all hours of the day, the city really seems to kick into gear after lunch time. Late afternoon and night are definitely when streets, restaurants, and shops are the busiest.

I hope this shows you how short and simple notes can be all it takes to start practicing conscious reflection and observation during your travels. This style of note-taking is what I would recommend to anyone that isn’t big on journaling. Just jot your thoughts and observations down as you explore a new place and then revisit those notes at home to look for deeper trends or opportunities to learn more about that place or culture.

For more content on these cities visit my YouTube Channel!