Hanoi Day 4

Wow! I just looked at my phone and I went most of the day without taking pictures.

Most of the day I spent walking around looking for a medical supply store to buy distilled water. I now know where to get it, but I never made it there yesterday. 

On my doctors advice in Oaxaca, I have now started using a CPAP machine to improve my nightime oxygen levels. It was working well. Oaxaca is over 5000 ft in elevation and I wanted to see what my oxygen levels were at lower elevations without using the CPAP. So, I haven't been using my CPAP. My oxygen levels are better than Oaxaca, but would be better if I start using my machine again. Hence, the search for distilled water. I will see if the reception here can call the supply store and have it delivered. 

It is really nice that breakfast is included with my current stay here in Hanoi. The downside of that is that I am not sampling coffee at other places here in the city. Hanoi, and probably Vietnam in general is very big on coffee. Did you know that Vietnam is the 2nd largest coffee producer in the world only surpassed by Brazil. I didn't. Coffee shops are everywhere here, even more than in Oaxaca, where coffee is also grown but at a much lower level. Signs here in Hanoi advertise all the coffee beans and coffee drinks they sell. One is Weazel coffee.

From the web. "Weasel coffee, or cà phê chồn, is a rare, premium Vietnamese coffee produced by feeding ripe coffee cherries to Asian palm civets. During digestion, enzymes in the civet’s stomach break down proteins, reducing bitterness and adding a smooth, sweet, and complex flavor with chocolate/caramel notes. The excreted beans are collected, cleaned, and roasted."

I haven't tried it, but I may. Authentic weasel coffee could be as much at $20 for a cup.

The other unusual coffee drink advertised is egg coffee. This one I did try yesterday. 

From the web. Egg coffee (Vietnamese: Cà phê trứng) is a Vietnamese drink traditionally prepared with egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and robusta coffee. The drink is made by filtering coffee bean in a phin, and beating egg yolks with sugar and condensed milk over heat to get egg-cream component.

It was pretty tasty, but not something I will crave to make at home. What I haven't yet tried here, is the Vietnamese version of Thai iced coffee. That, I am looking forward to.

While wandering, not aimlessly, trying unsuccessfully to find a medical supply store to buy some distilled water. I saw this street that was interesting. Fronting these businesses where the people are walking is also a train track. Sorry about the finger.

I have only left Oaxaca 6 days ago, but I have had the pleasure of having conversations with many interesting other travelers. Some on the plane, others in the airports waiting on flights and more at hostel where I am staying in Hanoi. I was trying to remember all the different countries the people were from that I have talked to. A few that I remember were from: Malaysia, Japan, Netherlands, France, Brazil, Canada, India and Iran. My siblings will tell you that I inherited this gift of gab to my father.

This morning I am finally doing more research on other things to do while in Hanoi. So far, I have booked an afternoon walking tour to the Hanoi Hilton, Hoa Lo Prison and Little Paris. On Thursay morning, I will take about an hour bus public bus to the Vietnam Military History Museum. Then on Friday morning, transport, most likely a motorbike, will pick me up to go to connect with a bus to Ha Long Bay for a 2 day and one night on stay on the boat around the bay.