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Published: March 19th 2005
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Hanoi Bridge
Bridge on lake in the middle of Hanoi. Hi all,
Hope this note finds everyone well. Charlotte and I are getting ready to move from the beach town of Nha Trang to the sandier clime of Mui Ne along the Vietnamese coast.
It's been awhile since our last update so get ready for a long rant. Like you're not used to those by now.
When last we were heard from we had just left the infamous Mr. Tim as he ventured south from Siem Reap to the Killing Fields outside Phnom Penh. There's no telling how many people were waiting at the airport waving signs as he slipped passed them all and arranged his own transport.
Charlotte and I, still enjoying the company of James, headed for Hanoi. It was shocking, to say the least, coming from the relative peace and tranquility of Angkor to the teeming streets of Vietnam's capital. It's loud, congested and full of helpful people anxious for you to spend your money.
We checked into a place called the Lucky Star. Not a bad place. The rooms were clean and spacious. We enjoyed it until they found out we had booked a local tour with
another agency. The pleasantries and cheerfulness instantly evaporated. A scene that plays out over and over again for us in this country. We've learned not to take it personally. Develop a thick skin and it becomes very easy to say no thanks and move on. Without it you'll spend far more than need be and feel like a heel for doing it. I guess it's one of the things that experienced travellers are used to. Our naivte has made it a little tough. The constant appeals of friendship that are merely opportunists looking to separate you from your cash gets on your nerves. It's very difficult at times under the barrage to keep from losing your temper. But they're just trying to make a living and you can't begrudge them that. Just keep moving if they've nothing you want. The touts are relentless in every city you arrive in. Especially those pushing the hotels. We've found it's best to have a place in mind before stepping off the bus or train. The slightest hesitation makes or looking at a map makes you a prime target. Go to the hotel no matter what the other offers are and then move on
James and Charlotte
Dinner at Highway 4 in Hanoi highly recommended. Try the catfish springrolls. from there if necessary. We've also learned to trust our instincts. That if something doesn't seem right it probably isn't.
Back to Hanoi we had a great time exploring the city with James. There's much to see. We shuffled past the in state body of Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum. The museum nearby is excellent as are the Royal Palace grounds. Well worth the effort to get there. We found some excellent little pubs tucked away in the city's Old Quarter. The best of which was a place called Dragonfly on Ta Hien. The staff are great. Cheery and chatty. We enjoyed their recommendations. Among them a funky restaurant called Highway 4 that had awesome catfish springrolls and chicken cooked in banana leaf. The other great thing about Dragonfly is they'll burn you CD's for very cheap and have thousands of albums to choose from. The industrious owner also has a CD shop nearby. We also splurged on drinks and Croque Monsieur at the famous Metropole hotel.
That tour I was talking about earlier took us on a boat ride around Halong Bay. A stunning group of rock formations jutting out of the Tonkin Gulf
Get out of the Shot!
What's a picture without at least one mug? for miles and miles. Inside the iceberg-like rock formations are deep waterworn caves. You meet the boats, which are all junks, at the pier. They're jammed into the pier four and five deep. You have to walk across several boats to get to the one you'll take. Then the gong show of getting out begins. When the boats leave they all bounce off each other like people walking down a crowded city street. Bouncing and left and right off each other but always somehow moving forward. The best advice here is to sit down or hold on tight to the stays.
After cruising for a few hours around the bay and visiting the caves the boat stopped at one of the outcroppings of rock. The options at this point were to climb to the top of the rock for a great view of the bay or sea-kayak for a couple of hours around the islands. Being the intrepid mariners that we are James and I decided on the sea kayaks, while Lottie, sensibly, headed for the top of the rock. The last thing we heard from the local guide was "Look out for sharks!"
It became
quite clear quite quickly that our inexperience in these small boats would not be compensated by our macho self-confidence. It was a highly entertaining site watching the two of us paddle around in circles. Both steering at the same time, cursing each other's fecklessness and getting soaked as we pittifully manoeuvered ourselves into the rising chop. At this point we were completely soaked having not, for some stupid reason, changed into shorts and t-shirts and taken off our shoes. That said we determined that at the very least we would paddle around the outcropping to where we began. Our egos were already damaged by the jeers and admonishments of fellow passengers on the boat and local guides. Somehow we manged to get round the island without being swamped and, as James said on numerous occasions "It's always an adventure being your friend."
So with our clothes sodden, we spent a chilly night on the boat warming up with beer and talking to a couple Aussies onboard. The next way we weighed anchor and headed back to Hanoi. A great time well worth the effort. Would be even better I'm sure when it's a little warmer.
Soon
Halong Bay
The Vietnamese say it's the eighth wonder of the world. Pretty cool rocks. after returning from Halong Bay James headed back to Bangkok and home. Charlotte and I took off on an overnight train to Sa Pa. That's northwest of Hanoi in the mountains near the Chinese border.
We spent three days there visiting the local hill tribes. They're the ethinic minorities in Vietnam. Those that came late out of China after the rest of Vietnam was settled. Left to grow rice by carving fields out of the mountains. The terraces are a stunning sight to see and must have been incredibly difficult to build. The markets in Sa Pa are fun and the hilltribe people are determined to sell you their homemade clothes and goods. The kids are also master salespersons. They've got it down to a fine science. Generally they're good natured about it. But be prepared to say no a lot. We did get some good bargains for wall hangings and other odds and ends that will be cool to have when we get back home. The only downside to the Sa Pa trip was that it was very cold. At least relative to what we've been experiencing. At night we needed a heater and a couple of
That way!
Trying to find our way around Hanoi duvets to keep warm.
When we got back to Hanoi we stayed one more day then headed south on an overnight train to Hue. More on that and tours of the Citadel, DMZ, Hoi An and Nha Trang a little later. Take care.
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