Hanoi ramble

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So Hanoi is cold, but otherwise, fascinating. Much more Asian than Ho Chi Minh, so lots of Chinese pagodas, many more women in straw hats, more jade in teh stores, etc., but then also a huge French colonial presence, in certain buildings, the fact that everyone calls you "Mad'me" (well, me anyway, being female). It's also much older and narrower. Which means slightly easier to cross streets, although motorbikes still seem to rule and run roughshod over any and all traffic signals. And it's still the drive-by-honk method of navigation for cars. Street names change about every block in the old city, where I"m staying, but it's not as hard to get around as I thought b/c each block specializes in a different ware -- i.e. , to get to the lake, you go down steamed bun block, through sunglasses block and hang a right at cigarette block. Tonight I realized I"m on fried fish block which is unfortunate...

But I have decided to stay in my hotel despite the fact that I"m on the fourth floor and it's a walk-up (reminds me of Greenwich Street apt!) and it's freezing and veyr old and I had five minutes total hot water in my shower this a.m. It's actually a scary place and worth what I"m paying (which is very little, hence decision to stay), but also the people here are incredibly nice and I am entranced by the collection of enormous, very ornate Chinese furniture everywhere -- in dark (cherry?) wood and all kinds of fancy curly-que's etc., rising in peaks, scenes of pagodas etched in the wood.

Did my dog and pony show and then ditched the conference to sort out this excursion I have to take but can't afford to do thru the conf. (what a racket this biz is). Am all set up, I think. Feel only slightly guilty for ditching. Did manage to stay long enough to enjoy the GINORMOUS and very, very fancy lunch buffet at the very fancy conference hotel. And was able temporarily to deal with my chocolate issue. Now I know why I paid $650 for 3 days of sitting on my ass in windowless rooms (which did not, apparently, including this damned exursion, or lodging for that matter.

Went for a fantastic walk just after dark around the lake. Hanoians are pretyt into their exercise so all kinds of men jogging and older women doing aerobics. Even a few old people sitting with scales, charging about .15 to step on! (I declined) There was one guy doing these incredible sit up things on a bench and I had to go to the next bench and try it but got stuck. I think it's cuz he was a few inches shorter and hit the bench in a different place. Really.


Anyway, better get to bed. Going to try to get up at sunrise and check out the scene -- apparently they are early to bed (as evidenced by the fact that this place is really really dead by about 8:30) and rise with the sun. They definitely start honking with the sunrise...

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