Hanoi
Trip Start
Sep 20, 2004
1
81
89
Trip End
Mar 30, 2005
Hanoi,
Vietnam
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Got a ride into town with a hotel that was trying to get people to stay with them. Actually took a good 40 minutes to get into town. We ended up staying in other of their places called Old Darling Hotel because that one was full. Very nice and intensive sales pitch on the trips from Hanoi...but the prices were actually amongst the lowest we've seen.
On the way into the city, we passed loads of rice fields. It was strange to see the way they move water from one field to another. Two guys, each holding two ropes which were attached to one bucket swung the bucket down, caught water and then flung it up into the other field. They mostly used the momentum of the bucket to move the water, the rhythm was hypnotic. They must have been doing it that way for centuries. In one of the next fields, they had a small pump running, doing the job of two men. Faster and without hours and hours of back breaking work. An odd dichotomy.
After we settled into the hotel, we went off to explore the city. The city has cool small streets with the occasional large one. Loads of people selling food, fruit, and markets everywhere. It's not too touristy -- it's real working city with locals buying and selling to other locals.
After lunch in a little cafe overlooking a street. From our cool vantage point, we watched loads of tiny women with those conical hats. Balanced on their shoulder, they each had a big stick with two flat baskets on either side. In the baskets were either beautifully fresh fruit or stunning flowers. A visual feast!
Later in the afternoon we found a place for beer down a small alley. It had itty bitty tables and chairs and you could have beer out of a big vat for 15p ($0.30) a pint! Was great and we managed to have a few. Made friends with one of the 'waiters' how taught us how to smoke a big water pipe that looked like a didgerido. And yes, it was tobacco, thanks for asking.
Dinner out at Little Hanoi restaurant...in the book, so all 'travellers' and they have expanded to 3 places, but still good and cheap.
The next day we explored again and had coffee at The Cyclo -- where old bike taxis have been converted into seats. Cool but pricey!
After that, Lisa was feeling pretty bad so we headed back. Almost everything wrong, fevers, nauseous, headache, aches... I was really thinking Dengee Fever! :) But today she is much better, and has managed to inhale a big hunk of fresh bread and cheese for breakfast. In any case we are hanging out to make sure she shakes it and then to Ha Long Bay tomorrow.
-B
