A late start, ATM trouble, and a lingering illness made this a gentle first day in Hanoi. We returned to a familiar bakery, browsed the neighbourhood, finally got cash, and picked up souvenir magnets. Back at the hotel, Jollibee dinner and a bath gave way to a burst of Chronial ideas—and the start of a journal website.
MorningATM woes and a late start
A late call about the ATM card
At 5 AM here—6 AM in the Philippines—I called Charles Schwab about the unsuccessful ATM attempts. They had no record of the card being used at any of the five machines. The representative thought the card might be worn out and suggested a replacement, which would be difficult while travelling.
We planned to try again, with Leah’s card as a backup. Mine expires in February, so I’ll need a new one soon anyway.
Most of the security deposit finally returned
After repeated delays, Leah told me the old apartment’s deposit refund had finally arrived. We had already agreed to deduct the last month’s rent, utilities, and cleaning from the original deposit of around $2,000.
They also deducted a $200 laundry fee and a ₱4,500 air-conditioning fee. I didn’t understand the AC charge, which we hadn’t agreed to, but I was relieved to have most of the money back.
A bright room and a very firm bed
Leah woke at 10 AM with a leg cramp, and we had missed breakfast. I had been awake at 8:15 but let her sleep after our very late arrival. The bed is big, though the mattress is stiff, and the room is bright and noisy from the traffic.
Housekeeping tried the door; fortunately, I had put the chain on the night before. I went back to sleep and eventually got up around 1 PM, bringing the total to about 6½ hours.
AfternoonBakery treats and city strolls
Bathtub brainstorming
A long bath turned into a brainstorming session with ChatGPT. We captured maps, a webpage for history and export, bugs, and a timezone fix for Chronial, with implementation prompts ready for later.
We also discussed album ratings for the separate Albums app, plus concepts for a currency converter and trip planner.
Getting ready—and more ideas
We got ready while I added more bugs and ideas to the list. I finally took some medicine for this strange cold or whatever it is. The plan was a bakery lunch and another attempt to get cash.
One idea I particularly liked was connecting spending, food, people, locations, and photos to a moment.
Lunch at a familiar patisserie
Hanoi was just as hectic as I remembered: cars and scooters everywhere, with parked scooters filling the sidewalks. The ATM outside the hotel was out of service, so we walked a couple of minutes to the bakery.
When we arrived, we realised we had been here on our previous visit. We ordered breakfast food and pastries, and it was very good again. I’d like to return before we leave.
Browsing the neighbourhood
I didn’t feel well enough for a walk to the lake, so we stayed around the neighbourhood. Leah enjoyed all the clothing shops. At La Reina Bra she tried a white corset-style bra, but it was $23 instead of the roughly $12 one she had intended to pick.
The cheaper option in her size was frayed and dirty, so she left it and bought panties instead. We also looked at shoes, including a pair around $30.
Evening & late nightJollibee dinner and a creative burst
Cash at last, magnets, and water
We passed a Starbucks and several craft beer places that I’d like to try if I feel better. At another bank, the card finally worked after Leah tried holding her thumb over the chip. We withdrew ₫5 million, and I gave Leah ₫2 million. Having cash for the trip was a relief.
We picked up Hanoi, Da Nang, and Sapa magnets at a souvenir shop, then bought water at Circle K. The heat and humidity, busy roads, and lingering illness were wearing me down. I felt dizzy and weak, so we went back to the hotel and I lay down.
Resting while Leah shopped
Leah went shopping while I stayed in the room and processed the photos from my Fuji. I wasn’t pleased with the results—around 20 photos and nothing I really liked.
She returned with a skirt and a Dodgers shirt, having spent around $16. I was still feeling off, so we found a good Jollibee delivery deal for less than $10.
Jollibee dinner and a journal website
I dozed off for about 15 minutes while waiting for dinner, and Leah collected the delivery. The Vietnamese Jollibee tasted different from the Philippine version: the chicken was more sweet and sour, and the spaghetti less cheesy.
After dinner I took another bath. I was still lethargic, but asked ChatGPT to turn yesterday’s export into a journal webpage and a landing page. I liked the result, created a free Cloudflare account, and put it at chronial.pages.dev. Setting up private access was more than I wanted to tackle while tired.
The template and implementation direction are saved for later. The app ideas are exciting, but being tired and dizzy meant another quiet evening instead of going out.
Tired, but my mind kept going
I eventually slept for about two hours, then woke around 1:30 AM with my mind racing. I got my phone from Leah’s side and added at least ten more Chronial ideas, especially people, locations, and transport linked to moments.
The idea is to bring context in from sources such as hotel emails or Flighty and later find moments by combinations of people, places, and dates—for example, moments with Markus at Fig in 2021.
Noticing Korean brands
I’m seeing more Korean brands in Vietnam. Perhaps I’m simply more aware of them after visiting Korea this summer.