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Published: June 11th 2009
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I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.
-Steve McQueen
I've returned from my super awesome adventure in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba island and let me tell you, it is quite a shift from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. Once we got out on the bay the comparative silence was golden. Aside from the synth karaoke music playing downstairs, there were but a few places I'd rather be. The water these days isn't quite as clear as many of the pictures proclaim but it couldn't have been much worse than the mighty Ohio. As we approached the "Surprising Cave" the water cleared up and we were given the opportunity to leap from the second story of the Junk. We only had to be wary of the enormous jellies that roamed the area. These guys were about 2 feet in diameter (we concluded). On board were a group of kids freshly graduated from Colby, a trio of couples and a dude having his last hurrah before taking on a health consulting position in New York. All good people. The cave was superb as far as caves go. The greatest part of the cave was the cooler temperature. They also used to store artillery in
Sapa
can't wait there. The craziest thing was all of the signatures from past travelers dating back to 1937. Since then the cave has seen massive construction with stairs and railings so I can't imagine the lengths these explorers went through to get to the same place. The night on the boat was one of the best rests I've had out here. The moon was full and the a/c was cranked. The morning saw us motoring on down to Cat Ba island, a UNESCO world heritage site. At around 10 a.m. we were shown a mountain and a path and told to go up it. About 10 of us went on the trek and only 3 returned. Just kidding. But was an incredibly difficult time making up this mountain. At points the path was sheer rock at a near vertical angle. I couldn't imagine what more elderly patrons would have done. And there was no tour guide with us so if we were injured...there was nothing to be done. The summit was well worth it though and pictures will prove that later.
Once the mountain was conquered we took the short trip over to Monkey Island. This place is known for its Monkeys. It is also a huge tourist trap. I only saw one monkey for a brief moment and ended up spending a few bucks on food and water. The beach wasn't too bad and with the sun at its peak the water was sweet relief. The rest of the trip was all about relaxing and traveling home. I got back to the Old Quarter in Hanoi around 4 p.m. the next day and, my, was it overwhelming. The putrid smells and polluted air had not been missed. After a bit I got used to it again but I'm looking forward to the Sapa journey I embark on tomorrow night.
Yesterday was another encouraging day in Nam. I did a bit of shopping with a friend of Prof. Pack's who teaches at one of the SUNY Schools. She speaks basically fluent Vietnamese which helps in the process of buying and selling. We stopped at a few foreign bookshops before I found something I could enjoy reading. Soon after we walked on down to the street where all the backpack stores are found. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but each street has its own product. There's a silk street, bamboo street, stuffed animal street. You name it and they have a street for it. Anyway I was interested in purchasing one of those huge hiker backpack things. They had quite a few to choose from but I ended up with a North Face (knockoff I presume) that should be all I need when traveling through thailand, laos and cambodia. $22. You can't beat that price. I was astounded. We also hit up a little coffee shop that reminded me of a Starbucks. None of the locals frequent it just a ton of foreigners looking for a little r&r.
That pretty much takes you up to speed on my life. Soon after posting this bad boy I'm going to head on down to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to see his embalmed corpse. I feel a connection with him because we share the same birthday. I was thinking about telling people I was his reincarnation but Prof. Pack advised against it as they might try to kill me for heresy or something. Later on I'll make it over to the Temple of Literature, one of the first universities to be built in Vietnam, I think in the 1300's or so.
That does it for now but if you'd like to, please feel free to put in any requests for gifts if you want something specific otherwise I'll try to find something that I feel suits you're particular style. While I'm in Sapa I'll put a post up but until then, stay frosty America.
a sphincter says what?
bnm
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Matt Stolper
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Do they have a Joe Randa street where they sell everything ever made with him on it, such as bobble heads, hats, posters, plaques, and the very rare and limited edition Joe Randa beanie baby? Also, I'm thinking that Vietnamese guy who wrote in your notebook actually was the incarnation of Ho Chi Minh and he was passing his spirit onto you, as he was told a foreigner with his birthday was ready to accept the burden.