Glorious Vietnam... Part 1

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I absolutely love Vietnam!! I might have to say favorite country.. but there have been a lot of favorites so far...

Sooo, back to the beginning... (probably long entry again... )


July 31st

We left peaceful, serene Luang Prabang and flew to Hanoi, Vietnam (north).. flight was only an hour..

We arrive in chaotic, motor bike central. The people were very pushy. Our cab driver wouldn't let me talk and pushed us in to our cab. We wanted to go to an Aussie run hostel with a patio bar but he pulled up to a similar named hostel and a man on speed jumped in the front seat and talked a mile a minute. I take you to new place etc .. blah blah.. I was sooo tired.. up since 6 am and had not had supper yet.. cranky nik!!

He talked a mile a minute, asking where we are going later, and when .. he took all of our stuff out and handed us free beers and drew a timeline and tried to get us to book our buses, our day trips etc. I actually wanted to punch him in the face. He wouldn't really take no for an answer. We booked our Halong Bay trip for the next am (which worked out fabulous!!) and I went straight to bed.

Aug 1

Up early for free bfast at our hostel. First decent coffee I had in weeks. They have like condensed, gooey milk and sugar combo.. Love it!! They were really nice after. (except he was way to in your face and pushy).

We get on 3 hour minibus to Halong City. We stop at a store where everything is made by disabled children. We all bought nice hand sewn pictures.

Finally, we arrive and get on our 'Imperial Junk' boat. We went for the first class status .. better meals and boat for extra 15 bucks.. They were the best rooms we've been in yet. Bathroom looked western and lovely.. no squat toilet, provided toilet paper.. the whole nine yards...

It unfortunately was raining, cloudy.. But we stopped at a couple super cool caves first to look around. One was huge named 7 wonders at one point and only discovered in 1993.

We also went through a floating market/village. The people lived in their huts/shacks on the ocean and sold stuff to tourists out of big row boats.. oreos, beer etc.

The booze was expensive on the boat so Susan, Dan and I thought a glorious idea to buy a half case. We bargained away, got a tube of chips. A worker on the boat watched whole thing go down and then when she rowed away he said 15000 dong ( 33 cents) per beer. I know sounds cheap but compared to meals and what used to spending over here.. WTF!! We didn't crack them and bought fresh Tigers (singapore beer.. my favorite from the F-ers). We actually carried them with us until last night..I didn't want to drink warm beer and our place finally had fridge.. haha!!

The sun came out around 3 pm and we laid on the top deck in lounge chairs looking at the beautiful scenery...

Our meals were pretty good. We sat at tables and had to share with strangers too. 2 Aussie chics dbl dipped etc.. Susan and Dan were not impressed...

During our evening meal we ate with a Czech business man and his 16 year old son. We ordered the first bottle of red and he ordered the next 2.. Jackpot!! First, decent glass of vino I've had.. (except Full Moon party night with Italian Gnochhi). Brazil just happened to be playing Vietnam in a football match that night. What?? Vietnam has a team.. sooo random.. Brazil on their way to Olympics.. I was soo excited bc on tv.. But the game was the worst game I've seen maybe ever..

Aug 2

The next am we kayaked and relaxed and then back to Exciting Hanoi. We had one more communal lunch halfway back to the city. We sat with a bunch of Spanish gentlemen and their were prawns that you had to rip apart with your fingers.. As I was digging into one prawn juice sprayed up in the air like a waterfall and all over me and... Susan.. Opps!! I wanted to giggle but she was not too happy about it... We laughed later when the timing was more appropriate..

We all wanted to stay closer to action in Hanoi and I didn't want to ever see that man again so we booked another place. We arrive and the lady was same drill as the guy. Giving us the run around, wanting money, not showing us room etc. Finally , she told us she was full and took us to Wing Hotel. A much nicer lady and decent but super small room.

In the night, we headed to the shoe market!! No purchases but fun experience. We booked a water puppet show for 9 am. The girls were excited. I was tagging along and didn't know what to expect.

We went to Cyclo Bar for supper! I loved our waiter. He suggested good Vietnamese food for us. I had the best meal of my whole trip. Prawns and rice and cocunut curry and white wine..YUM!!

Aug 3

Up at 645 am. I'm getting really good at it.. Yes very surprising I know.. good practice for real life next year I guess..

First Ho Chi Minh Maseoleum. Basically a whole lot of ppl , lots of lines in the hot sun and a 2 minute lap around his impressingly preserved corpse. I liked it! Cool to see.. no one is allowed pics.. All kinds of guards with guns and big scary swords...

Then, water Puppets!! It was cute to watch. Singers and instruments and impressive little scenes.. made for kids ...

We had a delicous bfast at La Place. Hazlenut latte, ham/cheese crepe.. Then hit the steets in the area for shopping.. I loved everything.. Like everything.. skirts, dresses, plates, pictures.. needless to say my week in Vietnam has made my pack quite heavy and a box has been sent home today!!

Went to Hanoi Hilton on motorbikes... love jumping on the back and whizzing around the city.. It was neat to see some pictures and read about Vietnamese and American experiences.

Then at 6 pm we board our 24 hour bus to Hoi An! At first I'm excited! We have our own little beds. I nest away. Take out my sleeping bag and then discover I spilled my water bottle all in my bag and my change of clothes is soaked.. ahh well .. I'm constantly sweating and clothes are wet and it kinda feels normal now.

I eat my left over pizza, write in my journal , read my book.. looking out window.. chatting to some American teacher close to me and a Vietnamese high school girl.. Loving life and this bus.. And drift off the sleep..

Around 530 am I wake up. I look out.. beautiful sunrise.. pink over rivers, ppl in rice fields but wait .. where's my red backpack?? I had it in walkway bc it was wet. I ask the American teacher bc he is awake and he didn't see it. I walk up and down bus and look everywhere and nowhere.. F!!!!!!!!

So, in my head I rationalize how this is ok. I lost Kev's headlamp, a sweatshirt, my reading glasses.. I'm coming to terms kinda with it when an old Vietnamese man goes into little squat toilet and chucks something out the door.. wait its my bag with nothing missing!! Soooo excited and nothing missing.. someone must have looked for money and when none left it... I decide this is going to be a great day....


Part 2 tomorrow.. Its 12 oclock.. wayy past my bedtime...

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