Driving lessons from Hanoi

Walking through traffic in Vietnam is like diving head first into a dance that you don't know all of the moves to. If done incorrectly... you look like an idiot. Or (even worse!) you may seriously injure yourself. Personally, I've found that it's easiest to cross the street if you act confident. All you have to do is pretend like you know exactly what you're doing, as if you've had motorbikes speeding towards you from all directions for your entire life. 

The Vietnamese seem to drive with their ears as much as their eyes while on the streets of Hanoi. When I first arrived, I had assumed the constant sound of horns was solely due to driver frustration. However, I have since learned that (some!) of the honking is just used to indicate to other drivers that someone would like to pass by, which helps keep the traffic moving. There is a method to the chaos.

The flow of traffic never really seems to stop here. The buses, cars, motorbikes, and pedestrians all seem to blur into each other in a never ending weave of colours and sounds. It's no wonder that I'm finding it so easy to get lost here.

Overall, I have found that the people in Hanoi are as warm as the weather is outside. Which is to say, incredibly warm! They are some of the most hospitable and welcoming people I have had the pleasure to meet. Several have even offered to let me experience Vietnam on the back of their motorbikes! You may not be seeing me on the back of one of those just yet, but maybe one day. After all, there are still a few days left of the trip!

Photo by Kyle Sandilands

Read More

A Vegan's Guide To Eating In Hanoi

As a vegan, I was skeptical of the ability to maintain my dietary lifestyle upon arrival to Hanoi. I had come to terms with the fact that, more likely than not, I would be required to consume some form of animal byproduct during my stay. Nonetheless, with 10 days passed since my arrival, maintaining my vegan lifestyle in Vietnam has proven to be easier than I had originally thought.  

Hanoi has no shortage of restaurants, and thanks to its large Buddhist population, vegetarian food is of ample supply.  The trick is to know where to look.  The word chay (meaning 'vegetarian') is regularly displayed on restaurant menus, with some restaurants even having a separate vegetarian menu all together. And if by chance there is nothing listed on the menu, restaurant staff are always willing to accommodate. With a few simple phrases such as "khong nuoc man" (no fish sauce), and "khong trung" (no egg), you're sure to find a true vegan meal!

    

Photos taken by Mia Chiappetta McCannel

Although I've kept most of my meals pretty simple (mostly consisting of tofu, rice, and vegetables) many restaurants also offer "mock meat" dishes. Now, for all of you skeptics assuming that vegan food in Vietnam must be bland and boring... Boy, are you wrong! The flavour found in vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine would have any omnivore drooling.  

I was lucky enough to stumble across Zenith Cafe, a strictly vegan restaurant with an attached yoga studio. After an early morning yoga class in Zenith's treetop studio, I devoured a delicious mixed vermicelli noodle dish. For those seeking more traditional Western food, the menu also offered a caramelized zucchini & black bean burger, which undoubtedly was the best vegan burger I've ever had.  

 

                                                            Mixed Vermicelli Noodle Dish

    Yoga Studio at Zenith Yoga

                                  Zucchini & Black Bean Burger with Freshed Pressed Carrot Juice

To finish off a meal, Hanoi offers an array of delectable fruits. Dragonfruits, longan berries, and papaya are seemingly popular; however, for those adventurous types... be sure to try durian! It is a true delicacy in Vietnam, and is certainly not for everyone. A durian's creamy texture and nutritional benefits provide clear examples of why the fruit is commonly known as the "King of Fruits".  Just as long as you can get over its distinctive odor and pungent smell, durian is surely a must try when in Vietnam.       

                                                           Fresh Durian & Dragon Fruit

Being vegan in Vietnam does require some extra precaution and regard. Nonetheless, over the short time I've spent in Hanoi, I have already sampled some of the most robustly flavourful dishes I've ever had! My mouth is salivating simply at the thought of my next meal.  And with that being said, its time for me to head out and discover a new place to eat. Bon appetite!  

Read More

Inspiration from Nepal

If I could go back in time and change only one thing, just one thing, I would have taken myself more seriously. I just turned thirty this January, having only recently finished my Bachelors in Tourism Management, I am getting a late start at my career. I love my life, I love the dream that I am pursuing now. What I have realized, however, is that I spent a lot of time listening to notions which I should have ignored.

There are those of us who look out into the job market and yawn. The idea of settling into a generic work life—to me—seems like death. What I did not realize when I was younger, is that I totally have the power to pave my own path, to make my own career. And that is exactly what I am attempting to do now.

The longer you are immersed in any environment, the more opportunity you see in it. You become familiar with all of the different avenues and details which were, at first, merely a blur in your peripheral view. Involving yourself in the totality of the environment, not just the main attraction, becoming fully immersed, is where you begin to recognize how you fit in, and where you can craft your niche.

After years of dedicating myself to adventure travel, volunteering and mountain sports, I finally feel like I have found a vision which inspires and motivates me. Currently I am working in Nepal as a Tourism Development Advisor, but on the side I am raising funds to develop new rock climbing areas for Nepali climbers. In the future I will be working on the development of a new regional park in my hometown. This park will have roughly 20 km worth of trails, likely over 200 rock climbing routes and boulder problems and will be a fantastic addition to the local community.

I get nothing from these things. Just the pure satisfaction of having made a difference for something that I truly believe in: access to wilderness and the protection of natural areas. Soon I will be attending grad school to study what I am passionate about and I cannot wait. My goal? To become a guru for tourism/adventure sport development in natural spaces.

I read an article recently which asked the all-important question “what do you want to do with your life?” in a new way. The question was: “what are you willing to suffer? What pain are you willing to endure?” Life isn’t easy. If you are working towards a goal or an idea, it should be hard, there should be suffering, but you should love it. There is pain and sacrifice in every choice we make. The point is that your suffering should not be for nothing, for no reason at all, it should be compatible with who you want to be and what you actually want to be doing, day in and day out. If the summit of the mountain is all you think of, but you hate the walking, climbing, camping, being cold (the actual process of summiting a mountain) then maybe summiting mountains isn’t actually what you want or love. Maybe, you are suffering for the wrong ideas.

I’ve tried a lot of things, and flirted with many ideas over the years. Now, looking back, I have realized how much of a waste it is to do anything other than what you love, even if what you love comes with tremendous sacrifice. My only suggestion, is that you take yourself seriously and treat your passion like a business. Market yourself and your ideas, commit to them, give yourself a chance to exceed your wildest expectations. Get ready to do a lot of learning and failing at whatever you do, but don’t be shy. Even if you have to eat your bootstraps for a while before you really figure it out. It will make that light at the end of the tunnel seem like Nirvana.

Jase Wilson

Jase is an aspiring tourism development professional who aims to work in the areas of outdoor sport and tourism development. He has driven through 20 countries in Africa and Asia, and volunteered in Vietnam on Capilano University's CBT Vietnam Project, and now in Nepal. Jase travels extensively for adventure sports and really really loves coffee.

Check out Jase’s Instagram page: @jmcrbide2.

If you would like to know more about his fundraising campaign for rock climbing development in Nepal, please visit:

https://life.indiegogo.com/fundraisers/1081115/x/8258521?action_object_map=%5B933650906646382%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22indiegogo%3Acontribute%22%5D&fb_action_ids=10153594153668797&fb_action_types=indiegogo%3Acontribute

Read More