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Morning streets
Hang Be Street in the early morning, on my way to run. Perhaps I started off abit too fast, but I keep my pace going and try to relax. After all, the lap around Ho Hoan Kiem (Hoan Kiem Lake) via the surrounding city streets is only a mile, and flat at that. I’m spurred on by the fact that I’m passing people by the scores. It’s not that difficult really; most are walking or slowly jogging. Still, it makes me feel like I’m flying by them.
It was 5am when I started out, but believe or not some Hanoians were already headed back home after completing their morning exercise. Normally, there is no way I’d be up at this hour, even to run, but I’m still coming off my jetlag and find myself wide awake at 4:30am. Maybe it’s the horns and activity outside the hotel, which isn’t quite full blown but, still enough to wake anyone but the soundest sleeper. In any event, I’m awake and getting an excellent look at the morning rituals of Hanoi’s people.
The majority of the exercise crowd is headed counterclockwise around the lake, so that’s the way I go too. No need to stand out any more than I already do, a tall
North end of Hoan Kiem
Dinh Tien Hoang St...notice the time sweaty white guy in blue running shorts. My first lap takes me past the west side of the lake and the two storey colonial era buildings that front the scenic tree-lined Le Thai To Street. The trees along this side, in front of the ANZ bank, are home to a noisy gang of cicadas that are in full voice as I run through. To the left on the lakeside, I see the morning calisthenics crowd scoping out their favorite spots, like the regulars they are. The whole scene has an exciting air about it, at least to me. It kind of feels like those minutes before a big marathon or road race, where people are scurrying around stretching and warming up, minus the lines for the porta-potties, of course.
The roads and sidewalks belong very much to the pedestrians at this hour of the morning, nothing like the later hours of the day. There are a few vehicles moving about though, city buses lining up at the north end of the lake, and lumbering garbage trucks drawn to the municipal workers in their green vests who have been sweeping, brooms in hand, the sidewalks and gutters. Still, the sun
Walkers
The walking crowd... is not up. Not that you’d be able to see it, with the overcast sky, but it is getting lighter.
I complete my first lap and realize that I cannot keep up this pace for my planned 6 miles, what I usually do around the loop at Forest Park in St. Louis. The oppressive humidity gives the feeling of running through butter. Yuck! I decide after my first lap, that I’d be forgiven if I cut my run short. I’m melting. Okay, one more lap a this 7:30/mile pace then it’s a walking lap. The cicadas have stopped as I make my way around again. They have been replaced by the dancing women! At several spots around the lake there are groups of up to 200 women lined up in rows doing what can only be described as a mix between something from Rocky Horror and a Jane Fonda Workout video. Yeah, that’s right! This is Hanoi; they liked Jane here didn’t they? The women move in unison pelvic thrusting their way to fitness to the sound of a “Hindi Pop” song. I must get a video of this!
I finish my second lap, that’s two miles, in 15 minutes. I’m drained. Funny, three weeks ago I ran a marathon, and I don’t think I felt this zapped at the end. I start to rethink the idea of doing the marathon in Singapore in December. Maybe, I’ll be used to it by then; we’ll see. I decide to do one lap walking with the rest of the flow. My technical running shirt is completely soaked. How can everyone else be used to this? They are wearing all manner of clothing, exercise pants and shorts, pajamas, capris, jeans, everything! Footwear is also quite diverse. Two teens run past me barefooted as I walk the last lap. Others walk by in flip-flops, the rubber-toed sneakers that I remember from my youth, running shoes, and the ever popular rubber shower sandals.
I’m relieved to finish my last lap and head back to the hotel, in need of a shower. I really hope that the water is back on in our hotel; it was out all night. I make my way back through the market set up on both sides of Hang Be Street. Women are lined up on both sides of the narrow street squatting on the sidewalk hawking bananas, flowers, and a variety of vegetables. The crowd has grown compared to what was there half an hour before. Other exercisers are headed back from the lake with me, so I don’t draw a second look from the market goers, well a third look any how. I spot some badminton players heading the opposite direction toward the lake. It’s finally light enough for them to play. I check my watch; 5:45am! What on earth am I doing awake?
In 8 hours, we’ll get to meet up with Ms. Hue from VNU, and start apartment hunting. Horray!
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Jamie
non-member comment
Wow and I thought I was an early riser
Wow, it just amazes me that Hanoi is such a busy and humid place to be at 4:30 in the morning! If it's humid that early, I would hate to know how it feels at three in the afternoon. I just can't get over the fact that many people over there get up at the same time I get up over here. You should try to get a video of those women dancing to hindi music it would be pretty cool to see. Sounds like your having fun, I hope your family is enjoying it too! Say hi to them for me, later!