Vietnam or Bust!
Trip Start
May 25, 2003
1
9
13
Trip End
Aug 21, 2003
Hanoi,
Vietnam
Thursday, July 3, 2003
We cannot describe the other-worldly feelings we experienced in transit to, and during our brief stay in Hong Kong. The modernity, cleanliness and seemingly perfect order of this very cosmopolitan city struck us as too-good-to-be-true, and we gawked like unitiated country-folk from the top of our double-decker, space-aged bus at all the shiney cars and big buildings. We decided to go cheap on the hotel (not easy - Hong Kong is comparable to the states in cost of lodging) so we could bust out on a nice meal. The hotel lobby was on the 14th floor of a non-descript building which we never would have found had the proprietor not agreed to meet us when we alighted from the bus, all smiles and thank yous. Freshly showered and changed (we felt like slobs here), we hit the streets in search of fine dining, and ended up at...TGI Fridays. The peppermint-striped American franchise is the height of cheese, but Velveeta-factor notwithstanding, we freakin' LOVED it. Hey, $60 bucks for veggie burgers and Bud Light is a pittance when you really think about it. OK, we decided not to think about it, but just to enjoy to the fullest. After dinner we tried to download pics again, but even the ultra-high tech equipment and mad skills of the spikey-haired, sported out computer guy could not overcome our difficulties (we really are sorry about the dearth of photographic offerings, and we haven't given up yet). Anyway, we finally made it back to the hotel and after a fitful night's sleep, boarded the bus (with the anticipation of kids at a carnival, next in line at the roller coaster) back to the airport and checked in at 7:30 for our 9:00am flight. Oops - flight change. We lamented the 2:45 pm boarding time, and settled in for what proved to be a strangely painless day-long wait - India had indeed prepared us to wait.
OK, enough of what then was pretty interesting but now feels like cumbersome background.
The taxi ride from the Hanoi airport took us past lush rice paddies and tranquil villages, which gradually gave way to the teaming city that would soon capture our hearts - but not before our driver and his band of co-conspirators tried to screw us a bit. Our request for a specific hotel resulted in the anticipated scam - this time in the form of the old that one's full, try mine game. Puh-leeease! Did these people know who they were dealing with? H had read that it is essential, in all dealings with the Vietnamese, who in general WILL try to take you for everything you've got, to ensure that they do not lose face. This added a very interesting element to the game, and suffice to say that we managed to make it to our hotel with only the most perfunctory pouting from the driver.
We are staying in the heart of the Old Quarter, a charming labrynth of French colonial meets Southeast Asian architecture and culture, swarming with Russian-made Minsk motorbikes, sturdy steel bicycles and locals selling everything from frogs, eel and duck eggs that they cook on an open flame so that when you crack them open you get a fully-cooked little duckling, to sporty Nike rip-offs and pirated DVD's and CD's. The place has a great feel to it right from the start, with tree-lined avenues, picturesque lakes and huge city parks. The traffic is hilarious, but not malicious, and confident pedestrians have a pretty good chance of crossing most streets in one piece.
Once we settled into the hotel and got the lay of the land, we spent a relaxing day meandering the streets of the Old Quarter, resting occasionally at a bia hoi for a cold one.
The bia hois deserve some description. These street-corner pubs are generally family-run establishments, really just little holes in the wall with a keg in front, that serve refreshing local beer at 10 cents/glass (stop drooling, Boss Man). Customers sit on plastic, pre-school size stools in the middle of crowded side-walks (locals eat meals out on the street, too - a way to beat the heat and hang with the peeps) and suck down the brew for hours on end. It's a great place to meet Vietnamese and travelers alike and chat the day away. At our last bia hoi stop, Mike made the mistake of accepting an offer to sample the local tobacco, a very dark and ridiculously strong substance stuffed into a bamboo bong and chuffed all day long by the local dudes. He just about passed out, broke into a prodigious sweat, and was pretty sure was was going to puke. With H supporting/scolding him, we staggered down our little lane toward the hotel, where we were to hop a taxi for the train station. We had arranged tickets for the Northern village of Sapa, and were not about to let any temporary, tobacco-inflicted brain damage get in the way of our plans.
So there you have it - India is behind us, Vietnam is our home for the next month and we couldn't be happier. We are in Sapa now and it ROCKS! We'll fill you in on all the details when we get back to Hanoi - we have some serious eating and drinking to do.
Ta for now...
