Wednesday 20th December
My evening meal the day before had been Indian. It had been a long day, I was tired, and I just wanted something I knew I would eat. I had pretty low expectations of the food, given the strange choice of sign that the restaurant had chosen to hang outside, but in the end it was passable. I only had a chicken curry (I cannot remember what kind) and a naan bread, and though I would not have rushed back there, neither was there anything to really complain about.
Indian restaurant
I turned up promptly for my tattoo so that they could prepare me, for they’d offered some free numbing cream, and they also needed to clean and shave the area which was to be tattooed. (The numbing cream lasts a few hours, which is generally enough to finish the outline, which needs a thicker needle and hence hurts more. But it makes the skin "rubbery" and the artists don't generally like to work on the skin in this condition, so most of the time the cream will only be applied once per sitting).
A lot of studios can appear a little seedy, unprofessional even. This place was nothing if not impressive, and visitors were greeted by an imposing samurai costume at the entrance. Once the preparation was complete, I went to a small café to let the cream soaked in. I had a "pâté roll" which I’d seen available everywhere (and which I later understood to be another kind of Bánh Mì). It contained a sort of mushed meat. I have no idea what it was, and I wondered if it was probably best not to know. Like our own sausages, I guess. Anyway, a beer, some fries and the pâté roll cost around £4.
A lot of studios can appear a little seedy, unprofessional even. This place was nothing if not impressive, and visitors were greeted by an imposing samurai costume at the entrance. Once the preparation was complete, I went to a small café to let the cream soaked in. I had a "pâté roll" which I’d seen available everywhere (and which I later understood to be another kind of Bánh Mì). It contained a sort of mushed meat. I have no idea what it was, and I wondered if it was probably best not to know. Like our own sausages, I guess. Anyway, a beer, some fries and the pâté roll cost around £4.
The "Gate Guard" at the entrance to the tattoo parlour
Spending a day under the needle doesn't leave a whole lot to talk about, but I'll add some of the points I was reflecting on whilst I was being "inked".
When we were on the tour, some of the others were surprised how easily I managed to cross the road. I told them that Vietnam roads were but the country comparison to those in India! And on reflection, I realised just how different the two countries are. I love India. I've been there a few times, from Mumbai and Pune, to Dehli, and across on the east coast to Chennai and Bangalore. But India is a total assault on all five senses, from the moment you land until the moment you leave. Even the Indians go to Goa for some downtime. Some streets in Hanoi are hectic, but there are plenty of places to find tranquility too. And, biggest of all, there’s no hassle. There are no beggars. Stop for a second on any street in India (certainly as a white-faced tourist), and you have a small crowd with hands out, tugging at your clothing. The only equivalent in Vietnam is a shop owner asking if you want to come in. But it’s very low key. Not "in your face" or intimidating - and if you say a polite "no", they generally just back off.
Technology has revolutionised travel, and possibly in no way more than communication. One or two of the staff in the tattoo studio spoke really good English, but my artist only spoke a few words. However, if he did want to talk with me, he’d pull up an app, speak into it in fluent Vietnamese, and then show me the English translation. If I needed to reply, he tapped a button, and I repeated the process back to him. Magic!
When he’d finished the outline of my tattoo, which took around 90 minutes, he went off for lunch. A bowl of noodles arrived for me, along with some iced lemon tea. It didn’t seem long since I’d had breakfast, so I wasn’t particularly hungry. My artist needed to keep his food intake up though - lots of concentration needed on his part.
At lunchtime the sun actually came out, or at least its rays could be felt through the clouds. It was mildly warm for the first time since being in Vietnam.
When we were on the tour, some of the others were surprised how easily I managed to cross the road. I told them that Vietnam roads were but the country comparison to those in India! And on reflection, I realised just how different the two countries are. I love India. I've been there a few times, from Mumbai and Pune, to Dehli, and across on the east coast to Chennai and Bangalore. But India is a total assault on all five senses, from the moment you land until the moment you leave. Even the Indians go to Goa for some downtime. Some streets in Hanoi are hectic, but there are plenty of places to find tranquility too. And, biggest of all, there’s no hassle. There are no beggars. Stop for a second on any street in India (certainly as a white-faced tourist), and you have a small crowd with hands out, tugging at your clothing. The only equivalent in Vietnam is a shop owner asking if you want to come in. But it’s very low key. Not "in your face" or intimidating - and if you say a polite "no", they generally just back off.
Technology has revolutionised travel, and possibly in no way more than communication. One or two of the staff in the tattoo studio spoke really good English, but my artist only spoke a few words. However, if he did want to talk with me, he’d pull up an app, speak into it in fluent Vietnamese, and then show me the English translation. If I needed to reply, he tapped a button, and I repeated the process back to him. Magic!
When he’d finished the outline of my tattoo, which took around 90 minutes, he went off for lunch. A bowl of noodles arrived for me, along with some iced lemon tea. It didn’t seem long since I’d had breakfast, so I wasn’t particularly hungry. My artist needed to keep his food intake up though - lots of concentration needed on his part.
At lunchtime the sun actually came out, or at least its rays could be felt through the clouds. It was mildly warm for the first time since being in Vietnam.
 Outline |  Shading |  Colour |  Complete |
It was late by the time I’d left the tattoo parlour, and the sun had gone down. But it was noticeably warmer than previous nights, and I wondered if perhaps it was going to warm up - especially now that it was almost time for me to leave?
Wandering around I came across a couple of tiny stalls (next to each other, of course) selling octopus legs to BBQ. I had to try it, or course, and it came with some (optional) chilli sauce. It was without doubt the most spicy thing I’d had since arriving here - way beyond the Indian meal. Having said that, without the chilli sauce I think it would have been like little chopped up pieces of rubber. Still, at least I tried it.
Wandering around I came across a couple of tiny stalls (next to each other, of course) selling octopus legs to BBQ. I had to try it, or course, and it came with some (optional) chilli sauce. It was without doubt the most spicy thing I’d had since arriving here - way beyond the Indian meal. Having said that, without the chilli sauce I think it would have been like little chopped up pieces of rubber. Still, at least I tried it.
 Octopus (and chicken) on the BBQ |  Chopped octopus and chilli |
RSS Feed
