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So if Laos was 180 degrees different than Cambodia, then Vietnam is another 180 degrees different from both of them. Although I know that's not really possible, there is no other way to describe it. A good example of this is the cows in Cambodia are really sad. They're skinny and walk around with their heads down as if they are as depressed as many of the country's people. The cows in Laos are still thin but they look much healthier and don't have the same forlorn appearance as those in Cambodia. Still, the cows in Vietnam seem by far the happiest. They are by no means fat, but the bulls look much more like the front of a Red Bull can - robust and healthy. So the animal is the same-same (as they say in Asia) in every country but yet, they are so different.
We started our time in Hanoi having dinner with some fellow Rossers who were in Hanoi. It was great to see a few familiar faces and hear about their travels. They had just returned from three days in Halong Bay where they had taken the party boat and they were by far the oldest
people aboard. We had plans for Halong Bay the next day and were so glad that we had gone another route. I don't think I could have handled a boat full of drunk 18-year-olds for even one day!
The next morning, our tour company picked us up and drove us the three and a half hours to Halong City where our junk boat was waiting. We were all kind of dreading the drive but it actually ended up being quite enjoyable. We got to see a lot of Vietnamese countryside that we definitely would have missed. When we got on our boat for the day, we were shocked to know we were the only people on the boat (it could have seated at least fifty people for a full meal). We cruised out and then stopped at a floating village and picked out our own fish for lunch. Carlos took the net and caught the fish and handed it to the seller who promptly killed the fish right in front of us. Lovely. Fifteen minutes later we were cruising in the bay eating our fresh fish! Yum! Halong Bay was full of beautiful rock formations and we took a
short tour through some pretty amazing caves. It was a lovely day without too much sun and we all had a great time. So many people had prepared me for Halong Bay to just be a tourist trap but I absolutely loved it!
When we got back, we walked down the street and decided to dive into some of the local fare. That meant pulling up a stool with five inch legs at a table that is suitable for my two nephews who are under five years old! They brought us each a beer, two small grill plates, a platter full of raw beef and vegetables, and some amazing sauce with salt, pepper, lime juice, sugar and hot peppers. There were no choices and both Kimika and Ann Candler looked a bit worried (Kimika about the sanitation and Ann Candler about the spiciness of the sauce). We grilled everything up and it turned out to be AMAZING food. I was so impressed because Ann Candler even ate some of the spicy sauce and she even enjoyed it! It was quite an experience.
Today we explored Hanoi and it is quite a city. As we have all heard,
it is definitely FILLED with motorbikes. Apparently, everyone used to have bicycles but once they got a little money, they went out and bought motorbikes. They are literally everywhere. That includes the right side of the road, the wrong side of the road, parked in retail stores, and conveniently on the sidewalk if there is too much traffic. Crossing the street is nothing less than treacherous. We spent ten minutes trying to figure out how to get across a busy road today and finally Ann Candler looked at a policeman and asked what to do. He just motioned to go so finally we took the plunge. We made it and it got easier as the day wore on. You just have to do it without fear!!
We saw some of the sights - namely Ho Chi Minh's body in his mausoleum and the Temple of Literature. I found Ho Chi Minh's body (which has been preserved for over 45 years) and the whole experience extremely creepy. Don't need to do that again!! I hate to admit this but one of the highlights of the afternoon was when Ann Candler, Kimika and I stopped at the Sofitel hotel and had
a couple of cocktails. It was beautiful and so nice and cool. Heaven on earth!!
Tonight we off to try some more local food and then tomorrow we're off to Hoi An. I can't wait to see more of Vietnam!!
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Carrie
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What a great trip!
Thinking of you guys!!!