'Nam-Hanoi

Sorry my posts are very inconsistent; I simply write as the stories unfold. I appreciate your flexibility :)

In order to be in Kunming for Christmas, I took a pre-emptive exit from China and headed down to Hanoi, Vietnam. With my visa still limited to 30-day stays in China, it’s been a pain having to plan such trips but a blessing for forcing me to travel.

After an overnight bus to the border and an eight hour train ride to Hanoi, I was pretty exhausted. Sitting close to me on the train was the cutest little bundle of life, a 5 year old Vietnamese girl. Her smile just warmed my heart as I played little games with her. Despite her perpetual smile, I failed to get a good photo which just made me mad. Owell, I'll never forget having fun with my new little friend.

Though drained from traveling, my spirits would be lifted at the excitement of a new city that was buzzing with energy. The Vietnamese soccer team had just beaten Singapore in a big tournament game and every Vietnamese citizen was letting the world know. It was madness! The streets were lined with motorbikes, cars, trucks, and people. People were on top of cars, on top of trucks, and even standing on motorbikes as the zoomed through the streets; simply mad! All were wearing red and waving the Vietnamese red flag. It was refreshing to see a country’s people in such support of their nation and how sport can bring people together. I cruised around the city sampling the local beers and trying different foods which were good but not so different from that which I’ve had in China.

The hostel I checked into is called Hanoi Backpacker’s Hostel and is ran by Aussies. One of few European style hostels, this place was epic. It was teeming with interesting people from all over the globe, some of which I would meet later, but for the first night I was pooped. I crashed early in hopes of exploring the entire city the next day.

I was up and out by 9:30am which would give me plenty of time to tour the city. I had my free breakfast and signed up for the Hostel’s Halong Bay tour. I met some girls who were signing up as well and they convinced me that the three day trip was worth the extra money versus the two day trip; they were right. So with that business taken care off, I set off with my tour map to see the sites.

First on the list was the Hoa Lo Prison, better known as the “Hanoi Hilton” as the American POW’s of the Vietnam War called it. It was intriguing from a historical perspective but honestly nothing to write home about. It was interesting to see the Vietnamese bias come through the information placards and one particular video that made the Vietnamese look like some Goliath force against the US. There were also many tributes to John McCain who was held there. From there I walked towards the Opera House and a couple of museums. I chuckled as I saw the real Hanoi Hilton sitting next to the Opera House, right down the street from the Hao Lo Prison. I’m not the biggest fan of museums unless they are world renown so I simply passed them by.

I enjoyed observing the culture of the city streets. The motorbike is by far the most popular means of transportation in the city. The street is so dense with motorbikes that it makes crossing the street a life and death obstacle; one that I actually enjoyed because it was like Frogger in real life. They are actually really good about swerving pedestrians and after awhile the task isn’t so daunting.

The French had a large influence in Vietnam before it became torn apart; therefore, many buildings had European style architecture that gave the city some charm. Most buildings are also very narrow, yet tall and steep. This is because the government taxes you based on how much sidewalk space the front of your building takes up. In the center of Old Quarter is a peaceful lake where you can find locals and foreigners alike taking in the scenery. The fast pace of the city was fun but after a day of walking around, you simply get sick of it, literally. The fumes from all the exhaust were overwhelming so it was nice to rest out on the large lawn in front of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. I eventually looped back around to the hostel around mid-afternoon. It gave me time to search for a pair of sandals in preparation for the three day tour where my feet would either be in sand or water (and seriously, who wears shoes to the beach?).

It’s always fun bargaining prices for stuff. My sandals would be no different. I put them on immediately for it was very humid and warm and socks just didn’t fit the bill. I toted my shoes on the way back and stopped to pick up a delicious sandwich. I also sampled some interesting soup. Meanwhile, I had to set my bag of shoes down to handle my sandwich and soup and then got distracted talking to a nice German guy. I ended up leaving my bag of shoes at the sandwich place as I walked and talked with the German guy! But didn’t mind for they were old and falling apart. I love moments when you realize your own stupidity because it sets you back on the ground. Nobody’s perfect and I’m no exception.

That night I would meet a nice Aussie couple and enjoyed a few drinks with them. I headed off to bed early again for our trip left at 8am the next morning. Little did I know how much fun I was in for....

Pictures: http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Vietnam?h=71f111