12p beers and fake DJ's

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Andy says:

So we're now leaving Hanoi to head to the hills of Sapa - it's been fun being in the city but am looking forward to getting all native with the hill tribes! Had a good tour of the city yesterday whilst looking for a new camera lens for Dan and then followed it up with finding 'Bia Hoi' junction which is an intersection where street sellers have beer for 12p a glass. You'd think it would taste rank but it's really good and you get to meet all sorts of characters. Met a couple of guys from the States and had 36p worth of beer with them!

While we were sat there we got given a flyer for a bar that was advertising an open mic night which sounded right up Dandy's street! Jumped in a cab and headed over preparing to give the performance of a lifetime!! The taxi driver went down this random street where all of a sudden a pimp started riding next to us with her prostitute on the back of her bike and knocking on the windows! Thought it was a pretty novel way of getting business. We got to 'Long Bar' to find it completely dead and after speaking to the barman it turned out that it had only been open 2 weeks so trade was slow. This sounded like a job for Dandy! After a very energetic foosball tournament with the staff we decided to take over the DJ booth since there was no-one around to hear if we messed it up. WRONG! Before the first track had finished all we looked up and the room was full of Vietnamese people dancing and the owner was giving us free beer! You're welcome Random Vietnamese Bar Owner - time to move on to the next person that needs Dandy's help. Don't worry people of Sapa - we're coming....

Dan says:

I LOVE VIETNAM - well Hanoi so far! Not too sure why the US would have a war here, people are nice - all they want to do is clean your shoes or sell you some bananas! Anywhooo Hanoi is a cool place, only sucky thing is the Hoh Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed from October to November - I so wanted to see an old dead body! Oh well guess that can wait until we hit the war museums later on apparently really gorey! WICKED. Few highlights for me in Hanoi - 1) I saw a monkey ride a bike - amazing and now I really want one, not sure what the UK customs policy is on bringing back a Vietnamese monkey that can ride a bike? 2) We found a street bar that sold 12p beer! Amazing and even got talking to a group of randoms! One Yank kept telling us stories that always ended in "and then we ate it!" went from crocodiles to crabs - we were waiting for him to follow up with "my sister". I guess that's Americans though! 3) We stumbled - well got a taxi - to this random bar which we didn't realise was in the middle of a red light district - was funny watching old women with their 'hos' on the back of their moped chase our taxi! This bar was empty! It had just opened last week! DAMN we made a mistake we should have carried on drinking 12p beers! (which by the way were the best beers I've drank so far in Vietnam) Little did we know this night would be awesome! We started talking to the bar men who served us who told us he pretty much supported every football team in the Premier League until he got to Spurs leaving Andy happy, when I told him I was a Milan fan - lo and behold HE WAS TOO!! Anyway we challenged the bar staff to a game of foosball - we got beaten, that guy was like Maldini and Buffon rolled into one in defence! Luckily I pulled some Pirlo-esque shots off from midfield, and Andy got some classy goal kick goals so we weren't completely humiliated! Then somewhere in conversation they decided that we could DJ and put us on the decks! I can do it on a laptop - but REAL decks! Anyway they must have seen Westerners there because soon after the floor was filling and everyone was waving their hands at us! NUTS the bar owner also bought us out free beers for DJing and bringing in a crowd! I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THAT HAPPENED - COULD IT BE WE SCAMMED THE VIETNAMESE - THE KINGS OF SCAMS!? Guess we'll never know! Anyway good night, good sleep and now off to the jungle - time to get my Bear Grylls on!!

Peace out x

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