Ha Noi: Chaotic Harmony in the Capital
Trip Start
Sep 24, 2008
1
22
76
Trip End
Jul 21, 2009
Hanoi,
Vietnam
Saturday, November 15, 2008
two-day tour of Ha Long Bay. While in the waiting room, the flat panel TV alternated between old cartoons of
Steamboat Mickey and motorcycle trick videos. The old dudes were laughing their heads off at the foolish behavior of Mickey, Goofey and Donald, it was pretty comical. Alas, my girls left me hanging, as they somehow did not find me and I gave up on them and made my way into Ha Noi. I was sad that I did not get to say a proper goodbye to the girls, but there would be more chances later during my time in the capital.
Ha Noi is a large city and is the capital of Viet Nam
Flower bike seller
. It is the second city behind Sai Gon (Ho Chi Minh City) and has been the capital of Viet Nam since the Tran dynasty claimed so in 1010. Viet Nam has fended off invaders forever. The Tran Dynasty, led by Tran Hung Dao successfully fended off both the Chinese and Mongols in the 13th century. Le Loi, Uncle Ho Chi Minh and many other freedom fighters comprised the Viet Minh's agrarian-based communist revolution to drive out the Chinese and the French colonists in the early 1900s. Uncle Ho and the Viet Minh ultimately declared independence in 1945 and gained strength with backing from the Soviet Union and the communist revolution in China in 1949. However, the the non-communist government in Saigon (with French backing and a puppet French/Japanese supported emperor) received recognition by all of the non-communist nations in the world. Also, with the Korean War in the 1950s and Eisenhower/Dulles brothers' Cold War politics, the Western world viewed Viet Nam (and Indochina at large) as the next front in the bipolar struggle against the Kremlin. By 1954, the French had withdrawn from Viet Nam and the Geneva Pact granted separate independent states separated by the DMZ. There was a mammoth refugee transfer, similar to that of post-partition South Asia, and severe atrocities were committed on both sides to opposition warriors/citizens who were allowed safe passage under the Geneva Pact (many Catholics moving south and many communists moving north). The former puppet southern emperor Bao Dai was booted once the French retreated and Ngo Dinh Diem became the head of the South Vietnamese government
Man on shores of Hoan Kiem
. The stakes were set for the American War. Ultimately, reunification occurred after defeat of Diem's government and the Americans driven by the turning point of the Tet Offensive in 1968 delivered on all fronts by the small communist army in South Vietnam, the guerrilla Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. Uncle Ho, as he is affectionately called, is highly revered as the father of the modernnation of Viet Nam as his actions led to full independence from colonial and Chinese rule in the early 20th century and his ideas led to the agrarian communist revolution that continues in name today.
I checked into the Tham Thuong Guest House in the Old Quarter and set out to find my first bowl of pho in the country. Pho (pronounced fer), is a fantastic national dish that is a rice noodle soup filled with chilis, chili sauce, vegetables, meat of your choice and some other spices. It is delectable and dirt cheap. I went to a place appropriately named Pho, for the finest bowl of the stuff I have ever had and with a cost of 18,000VND ($1). Full and satisfied, I set out on foot in the Old Quarter to check out the sites and get my bearings on the town. Walking the streets of Ha Noi is a test in intestinal fortitude and reflexes as there are millions of motorbikes everywhere. If you can picture George Costanza playing Frogger in the streets of New York, that's what navigating intersections on foot is like
Me on bridge at Hoan Kiem
. I made my way to Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword), the geographical and spiritual center of the Old Quarter. In the middle of the lake is the beautiful Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple) erected in honor of Emperor Tran Hung Dao with a gorgeous arching wooden red bridge (Huc Bridge) connecting the pagoda with land. Set on a jade green lake, it presents a tremendously picturesque and oxygen-filled respite from the chaos of Ha Noi. The pagoda has an embalmed tortoise that is said to come from the lake and is a famous myth in which a holy sword was presented to Emperor Le Loi in order to vanquish the Chinese Ming Dynasty and then a tortoise
reclaimed the sword in order to restore it to the Golden Turtle God. Allegedly, this tortoise that is embalmed is
the one that took the sword back to the depths of the lake and returned it to its rightful place. I met a Vietnamese-American and his "girl" - not a girlfriend, but an escort for his business trip here in Viet Nam - who was here on business in Sai Gon and got away for a week of holiday in the northern part of the country. The girl told me she could set me up with a girlfriend down in Sai Gon. When I told her I was not interested in anything more than a couple of days, she repeated that she could set me up with a girlfriend in Sai Gon
Restored Sword Pagoda
. J She seemed happy enough in her profession and was clearly affluent, however, she was completely subservient to her man, whichwas no good.
After my fill of the pagoda, I cruised the backpacker center of Ha Noi, browsing through some communist propaganda art galleries, with many of Uncle Ho's pearls of wisdom and then decided it was motorbike time. Francois, my French friend on the train from Lao Cai, told me the thrill of riding around Ha Noi, despite the absolute chaos and pseudo death warrant and described it as chaotic harmony. My interest was piqued and I made my debut appearance on a motorbike in Ha Noi of all places. Armed with a 125cc semi-automatic (no clutch) Honda, I tackled and conquered the streets. Red lights mean nothing, one way streets and cross traffic mean nothing, turning left across traffic is a test in courage and will and this was one of the greatest thrills I have ever had. Shortly after getting comfortable on my steed, I was weaving in and out of traffic and blowing by other vehicles (keep in mind blowing by means an average speed of 40-50kph). Being on a bike allowed to explore most of the city - far outside of the main tourist areas - and get my bearings by riding around with a map.
I drove north from the Old Quarter passing by a monstrous statue of V.I. Lenin - clearly honored the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam - and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (Lang Chu Tich) complex. I would visit the following morning as Uncle Ho was closed for viewing on Fridays. When taking some snaps of the area in the late afternoon sun, there were some Vietnamese dudes who wanted to take their picture with me. The celebrity tour would continue, I guess, as they glowingly approved of my beard and grabbed my rear end when they took pictures with me on their cameras
Chinese script
. I still don't get this. I made my way up to the large West Lake for sunset and was pleasantly surprised by the Tran Quoc pagoda. It contained beautiful golden Buddha statues in the sanctum, ornate decorations, and outside of the sanctum was the entire story of the evolution of Siddharta Gautama from a Hindu child to the Buddha. Set on the lake with lily ponds and large towers (excuse my ignorance of the actual terminology in Buddhist temples), it was a tremendous sight in the disappearing sun. I capped off my day with a meal at Nem - a restaurant that specializes entirely in different form of spring rolls. Called Nem up north, these are the famed Chao Gio Chay that Rohit and I loved at Saigon Grill in NYC. Packaged foods, my friends, is the key to happiness. En route to Nem from the West Lake, I got absurdly lost and had an experience of navigating through rush hour traffic on Le Duan, essentially the Broadway of Ha Noi. What a smog-filled thrill that allowed me to see the real sides of Ha Noi as there are thankfully great road signs in Ha
Noi. Ha Noi is filled with hard-working people in the never ending stream of storefronts along the street's edge that is reminiscent of any developing country big city. The businesses range from cigarette stalls/food stands to all the
necessary elements of a thriving local economy (except for this year) and is in stark contrast to the backpacking/tourist areas that are filled with hostels, restaurants, bars, travel agencies and silk/souvenir shops. Viet Nam, home of the worker's communist party where everyone - men and women - work incessantly seven days a week, has 2.5% unemployment. This is remarkable, but every single dude sitting around on his bike offering moto-taxi services is counted as an employed member of the labor force
Hoan Kiem Restored Sword Pagoda
. I ended up back at the hotel and, sporting my Zizou jersey, chatted football with the hotel guys who are manic Premiereship fans. I hightailed it back up to the HCM Mausoleum complex the morning of Nov 15th to catch a glimpse of Uncle Ho embalmed and laying to rest. There is a massive army presence guarding every inch of the gardens and grounds surrounding the mausoleum itself and you are herded around in single file with strict camera controls. The police state administering of the Mausoleum kind of crushes any time to reflect on the life of a great, but controversial man (he severely repressed ethnically Chinese and South Vietnamese once he controlled the North and eventually the whole country) and it was anticlimactic to actually see Uncle Ho since you are shuttled through so quickly and I was not as knowledgeable on his life as compared with some other revolutionary/liberation leaders. It was interesting that behind his body in the mausoleum is still the flag of the Soviet Union with the hammer and sickle.
I spent a few hours driving around more of Ha Noi to get a sense of the poorer neighborhoods. While the capital, it doesn't touch the massive development and planning of Delhi and Bombay, but also does not have the levels of destitute poverty as the large Indian cities. Viet Nam has a large population for its land mass, but perhaps because of the agrarian-based socialist revolution, while people are poor, you don't see hungry and crippled people on the streets. Similarly, I didn't see immense wealth and mansions anywhere, just some nice cars. This is either because I didn't go to the super affluent areas of the city or perhaps because of the mentality of the (in theory) socialist country
Restored Sword Pagoda 2
. In practice, similarly to China, people use connections with the communist party in order to live capitalist and market-based lives. My bike took me to the Museum of Literature, which is a gorgeous pagoda that encloses immense gardens and lily ponds and housed Viet Nam's first university in 1000AD. Education has been valued in this culture for a long time and the original students studied literature, poetry, war strategy and philosophy. All of the doctoral students are carved in stone on reliefs with tortoises as the base (a sacred animal along with themythical dragon in Vietnamese culture). The place also house a gorgeous Buddhist pagoda. Most Vietnamese, who are not Christians/Hindus or believe in the animist Cham religion, are Buddhist. In actuality, Vietnamese Buddhism is a combination of Tibetan Buddhism, Confucian and Taoist philosophy. In Buddhist philosophy, there are four phases in life: birth, hardship/disease, success/reflection on a fulfilled life and death. As a result, when entering a pagoda, it is typical to light one or three sticks of incense, to mark the positive phases of life. Three is
preferred as it also coincides with the three main pursuits in life of health, happiness and prosperity. After a tour
of Lenin Park, I sadly returned my motorbike, but I will ride as much as I possibly can on this journey.
My afternoon was spent watching the Water Puppets performance in the Old Quarter. A traditional art from the Me Kong delta, it is a dazzling performance where the skilled puppeteers sit behind a screen in a jade green pond and control the motions of the puppets in the foreground with sticks underwater. Accompanied by traditional music on the ancient instruments (large drums, horizontal bowed lute, flute and qu'chin), the various scenes depict everyday life in the flooded Me Kong delta: the harvest, kids playing, fishing, graduates returning from the big city,
etc
Restored Sword Pagoda 3
. The puppeteers are so immensely skilled that you really believe there are snakes swimming in the water, fishgetting caught, kids swimming and frogs hopping around. It was an immensely enjoyable cultural experience, right up there with the Naxi Orchestra performance I saw in Li Jiang, China.
That night I intended to have a quiet night updating my blog, but met an Israeli Nadav at the hostel computers. We chatted up and I gave him advice on his upcoming travel to China. I ended up out with him and two girls from the hotel at a Jazz Bar and then at Funky Monkey. Thus would begin the night of reconnecting with Sa Pa people. At Funky Monkey bar, I reunited with Justin and Anthony (Spoons), the two Aussie dudes I met on our crazy minibus ride from Sa Pa to Lao Cai, and their friends Kevin and Sonia. We will hopefully all link up near Circular Quay in Sydney when I'm there in a couple of months. It was Justin's birthday, and he doesn't like to make a big deal of it, so of course we did. The night then took us with six in a cab and a highly Hari-bargained down price to Sonar, a club that is on a boat in the Red River. All bars in Ha Noi and music shut down at 12am, but because it's on the river, the club roars all night long. Not more than five minutes after entering the club, I see a really cute blond walking in my direction and who is it - Heidi! The magic of friends you make while traveling is after only having spent a couple of days together, we were elated to see each other. Heidi and Manouk were celebrating their return from Ha Long Bay with some of the guys from their boat. One of the dudes is a British guy named Tom, who was an incredibly good guy and will be traveling through South America around the same time I'm there. It was an amazing time being with Heidi, Manouk, Justin and Anthony, but alas all good things must come to an end
Hoan Kiem Lake
. I almost ended up in a brawl with one of their boat buddies who is Dr. Jekyll when drinking and thought I was prowlingon Heidi and Manouk. I bid farewell to my girls and told them I would see them again when I was back from Ha Long Bay in a couple of days. To top off the dramatic cliff of the evening, I was assaulted by two bike prostitutes when I was a block or so from my hotel and my shorts were almost at my knees and prying hands tried many times to reach for my passport/money in my pockets by the time I made it through the hotel door. Note to self: take a mototaxi and have him drop me off immediately in front of the hotel.
I collapsed in bed, drunk, tired and pissed off, but the morning would bring me a two-day boat tour of Ha Long Bay and I quickly forgot about the bad parts of this night.
2
Peace Corps Decision Reached:
First, for those that provided feedback, thank you immensely. Everyone's opinions were incredibly valuable and I re-read everyones emails multiple times. Everyone was spot on with their perspectives, much of which I knew and shared, but it's always great to hear what loved ones have to say
Rasta Vietnamese
. Even if I didn't follow your recommendation,your feedback was still highly valued. This was not an easy decision as, quite frankly, it is not an extremely informed decision. Africa, E Europe or C. Asia are incredibly vast regions and based on the way the
Peace Corps system works, they cannot give me further clarity until months from now and after I have made a decision.
That being said, I have decided to pursue the economic/business development opportunity somewhere in Africa. Some of the reasons are as follows. There is too much uncertainty of location of being in either E Europe or C Asia, thus this basically nullifies the reasons to be in Europe versus Asia. I am also convinced of the ability to
educate outside the classroom as community development underpins everything I'll be doing. However, the converse likely cannot be said for getting development/microfinance/entrepreneurial experience in a classroom. The big potential sacrifice is working with young people, but who knows, I will likely be in a community with a large population of young folk with big ideas. Both formal education and business opportunity/street knowledge are paths out of poverty and towards happiness, equality and democracy. I know I love to teach, and though
this was one of my initial reasons for joining the Peace Corps, I don't think I necessarily need in-classroom experience to decide if I would pursue such a career if I return to the US. In fact, I think teaching outside of the existing education platform will lead to radical ideas for a system that is in much need of a revolution. The options in development are tremendous and I will now get a real chance to explore whether life abroad and working in such a capacity can be fulfilling for some time
VI Lenin Statue
. There is tremendous excitement for living in Africa as all the various areas are culturally very rich, though living conditions will definitely be tough and business conditions anything but optimal. Finally, assuming they won't drop me in Chad, DPRC, Sudan, CAR or any other violently troubled place like this, I think safety would be relatively the same in both of the huge regions that I had to choose from. So, onwards and upwards. I now know what my future holds and am eager for a mutiple year experience that will have me spending time in Asia, South America and Africa.
Thanks again.
