Your heart pounds but you do it anyway...

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The bus slowly fills up. Within half an hour, my space is limited from a full row of seats to squished in a corner next to 3 dirty, smelly vietnamese who could not speak english. One had a fasination with telling me that Manchester United won the soccer. Perhaps he thought I was English. "Yes, Go Man U" I reply, waiving my fist in a half hearted victorious way. I seek solice in the politically charged rhymes of Rage Against The Machine and close my eyes. Our trip to Hanoi had begun.

Excitment builds as we pass through Danang. Many sources have indicated that the bus trip from Hoi An to Hué was the most spectacular as far as scenery is concerned. We pass Danang and head for the mountains. Everything goes black. Apparently a newly finnished tunnel is the pride of central Vietnam due to its 2 hours less one spends on a bus in between the two towns. Quicker yes! Scenery ok... My camera is put away for a better time.

A collective groan echos through the bus as we are forced to make a stop at some little road-side café. The groan alternates to a relieved sigh as we learn that brakes needed to be fixed if we plan to make it to Hué alive. A few photographic opportunties arise in the surrounding area. The serenity broken by the ever lingering pleading of the locals to bulster our crap pile with a few mementos and trinkets. No, in either english or vietnamese doesn't seem to work. A disinterested look and ingnoring seems to. Taking the opportunity of the break to visit the WC was soon met by the realisation that this was going to be my first use of a squat toilet. Thankfully, a number one sufficed and I moved on.

On the road again. Zach, once again filling my ears with a preferrable alternative to the ambience set by the non english speaking vietnamese who still seems just as excited that Man U won. It got a bit tiring having my shirt being tugged every half hour to reiterate the fact that Man U won. "Thank you very much for letting me know that... AGAIN!!! My universe is in complete harmonious alignment now"

The buildings of Hué slowly start to fill the windows as the trip begins to conclude. A hotel was found and sleep was had. Not before, of course, the obligitory tasting of the Hué nightlife. We somehow managed to order a couple of Black Russians, have a few games of pool and walk out without paying. Completely oblivious to this fact untill we waltz through the door of another establishment. For the record we went back the next day and paid.

Hué is a famous Vietnamese city. Why, we just couldn't understand. Granted, it's rather picturesque and is very clean compared to other Vietnamese dwellings, but the real reason still eludes us. Maybe we are kind of over the cities and didn't really care at the time. I was very aware, however, of the Hué Citadel. Built in 1804 and known as the Forbidden Purple City, it is recently more famous as the site of the Tet Offensive of 1968. The ravages of war are starkly evident with bullet holes and munition damage everywhere. A wander around for an hour gives a good sence of how glorious the city must have been in its heyday. We realise that, while rather impressive, nothing really compares to Angkor Wat. It's an unfortunate syndrome but you can't help it. We have seen the best, why try the rest.

Our cyclo drivers/riders thought it best to take us to the train station, having caught wind that we planned to move on that night but had not purchased our tickets. The only train we could get on was leaving in 1 and a half hours. "*sigh* Ok here we go again." Flying through the Hué traffic at a blistering cyclo pace, we get back to the Binh Minh (Our hotel) but this is Binh Minh no. 1 (In Vietnam, they have chains of hotels in the same town numbered 1 - whatever) A quick U-turn is executed and on our way to Binh Minh no. 2. We rush upstairs, throw our stuff in our bags and make for the train station.

"So what are you guys going to do?" some guy asked us... I'm sure our blank stares must have been unexpected.
"Well the train is delayed we have to come back at 5:30pm for more information"
That was 2 hours away. OK THEN!!! Good thing we rushed. We then met a very nice Vietnamese man called Mr. Pho. He worked for the train station but also had a little café just across the way. We were going to leave our bags there and see some pagoda. Rain forcibly put an end to that idea with it raining so hard that even the ground would have been struggling to hold it back.

Over the next 6 hours we learn that our train has been delayed due to flooding at Nha Trang. Our trusty translator, waiter and fellow beer drinker Mr. Pho, keeps us informed of the announcements over the loudspeaker, brings us food, and sinks a few beers with us as we while away the long and wet hours amusing ourselves with cards. The time for our company to part arrives and we say good bye. This man is, seemingly, just a simple Vietnamese man trying to make a living. After he tells us of his family's tragic past due to the American war, you have an amazing amount of admiration for someone such a that. You have to get on with life, I guess, but having no father and robbed of 3 sisters must be a hard reality to deal with. The scars of war run deep in this country. Finally enjoying peace after 1000 years of war against the Chinese plus 30 years of wars against the French and the Americans. It's a past that Australians can't really comprehend, nor fully appreciated untill a few conversations are had with locals and a few sights of wars are seen.

Back at the station, we meet a very nice couple from Finland, Toni and Sanna. We fill in the time waiting for the train conversing about our travels and our countries idiosyncrasies. HALLELULIAH! Our train arrives! 8 hours late but better late than never. We find our beds and get some sleep... or at least try. Lying there tossing and turning, getting bumped around but the hypnotic swaying of the train's rhythm. It was to come clear that I was not going to get to sleep. I am finally rendered unconscious around 4 am.

The lights come on, the door slams open and painfully loud speach drills into my ears at 6:15 am. The couple below us has woke. Once they are up, EVERYBODY IS UP!!! Then the phone rings, maybe the reception is bad or maybe it's just habit, either way, it seems to norm to yell into a phone just to make sure that the person on the line are able to hear them. An amazing amount of noise was not enough. We can't have an incessive converstation without a cigarette. The, all to familiar smell of tobacco, wafts past my nostrils. My mouth half opened to put an end to this debarcle committed blissfully unaware by its assailants, but Rohan had a shorter fuse than I, so the gentleman was told where to go. Sleep would have to wait for another day.

11:30am sees us arrive at Hanoi. We catch a taxi to Toni and Sanna's hotel and we find ourselves some accommodation. A meal shared with our new Finish friends was the final point of a small travelling partnership. We parted ways with plans to meet up in Sydney when they visit during the new year.

Hanoi. In your face, dirty, smelly, noisy and uncompromising. Somewhat familiar to Saigon but more full on. The simple act of crossing the street is either the most terrifying or exhilarating experiences you will have. I stand on the edge of the road. The unrelenting traffic of small motorbikes is an awesome but intimidating sight. The harsh reality that I must cross here raises anxiety and my heart starts pounding. I can't stand here forever. Taking the advice of other travellers I have met, I take a leap of faith. Trusting my fate to hundreds of unknown motorcyclists, I put a foot on the pavement. I walk casually across the road. Space appears in the sea of bikes as if I were Moses parting the ocean. I make it across without a scratch, without an ear full of abuse but a whole heap of horns screaming not "F*** YOU, GET OUT OF THE WAY" but "Hey, I'm here, just so you know"

Hanoi is not a city to be taken lightly but not to be looked at coldly. It could well be a lot of fun.

Thanks for the comments. Please keep them coming, I love hearing from home.

See you all soon PEACE Camo

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Photos

Photo op
On our way to Hué

Hué Citadel
It's great but...

Bullet Holes
The evidence of war so clear

Munition Holes
The evidence of war is really clear

Rain
Yeah... we weren't going anywhere

Cards
Whiling away the hours

Broken Glass
We saw this window as the train pulls up. Sure enough it was our compartment.

Hanoi by night
Ngoc Son Temple in Hoan Kiem Lake

Rohan
I stuffed the pic but I thought it looked cool anyways... enjoy!lol

Comments

[Azza]

Hey Cam and Rohan Greatings from Florida
Hey Guys i have been trying to keep track of your holiday although it has been hard once again the USA delivers little internet access at a reasonable price for travelers from what i have seen it looks like a fantanstic experience and completly different from anything i could imagine here i hope that your both safe and looking forward to the DVD of course and a catch up drink once u get back, so peace enjoy the trip and good luck with the rest of it we are battling a hurricane and cancelled flights but all is well L8RZ az