One night when I was back in Tam Coc Bich Dong, I followed my ears towards loud cheering. A huge crowd was chanting what sounded exactly like “NASI GORENG! NASI GORENG” (that lovely Indonesian rice dish with peanut sauce). It was a football match between Vietnam and Thailand. (Mr Goreng is obviously a star player).
When Vietnam won at the end, it felt like the country had just claimed the World Cup! Manic cheering ensued and I was being handed beers by local fans. I started to follow the crowds to see where they would go next. The streets were FULL of motorcyclists waving flags. I walked among them for ages feeling like the only foreigner that was lucky to have been at the right place at the right time.
Eventually there were groups of Vietnamese seated near the main street that were eating, drinking, and banging large cutlery on pots and pans. A family called me over and sat me down. They placed a bowl in front of my face which they kept adding to and continuously poured shots of what I eventually discovered was homemade rice wine… The father proudly held up a plastic 5L bottle of the stuff when I learnt this.
As I felt the full effects creeping in, I politely excused myself with great gratitude and started to wobble in the direction of my accommodation. That took at least a fortnight to find.
Tet Kicks Off in Tam Coc
The “Central Homestay” I lived in, lived up to its name. I often heard what was about to kick off from my room and quickly put on underpants to go have a look. The square was packed with people making sticky rice-cakes for charity. These include a layer of rice, a layer of mung bean mash, a layer of porky bits, more mung mash, and more rice, which are then boiled for 12 hours. It was all just a lekker vibe with live music, foreigners getting stuck in, pots on fires, and children playing various games.
I needed to get prescription meds before leaving Tam Coc but was told that I required a Vietnamese doctor to assess whether or not I qualified. Well, I ended up being deposited at the emergency entrance of a hospital where very little English could be understood! Thank Mary for translator apps. I ended up getting my vitals checked by two doctors as they continued to work out what my anti-epileptic drug was for. I succeeded in the end and got given a Twinkie and milk box.
The final grown-up thing to do before leaving Tam Coc was to print out my new travel insurance docs. I found it really funny that once that was done, I got stuck in an elevator while clutching onto them! My saviour was quick to rescue me as he pried open the door.
Next stop, Danang.
Next: Tet in Danang, Pimps & The Bunker
Previously: Tam Coc Bich Dong & Ninh Binh
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