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Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Hanoi
November 18th 2010
Published: November 18th 2010
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I've been finding it difficult to keep up with my writing since coming to Vietnam. The urge to write has been replaced by the urge to watch from hidden balcony cafes, to roam the streets, and get lost among the motos and crumbling colonial architecture. Every time I sit down at a computer to type something up, I find I don't really have the words.

Hanoi seemed to trigger this. Looking back on my notes about the city, they are all inelegant musings and badly written impressions. But it's forgivable--the city was awash with commerce and activity and quirky details--too much for any one hand to write down. But a few sights do stand out to me even now. First on the list are the motorbikes. Every man, woman, and child owns a motorbike in Hanoi. The streets are not streets but battlefields--I am talking ARMIES of bikes coming at you from every direction at every time. We once saw a guy carting a a fifteen foot palm tree on the back of one. Needless to say, crossing the street became something I avoided until a tour guide put it this way: You are the rock and they are they are the stream that flows around you. It was the perfect image. The idea of walking into oncoming traffic at a snail's pace didn't make it easier, but it did help me avoid being flattened like a pancake.

The first day in any city can be a bit disorienting, especially in a place like Hanoi where a million different paths and alleys provide a million different ways to see the city. I abandoned all attempts at a "plan" and just let the city carry me where it would, getting lost, and always, eventually, finding my way back to a familiar street. I can't explain it, but Hanoi seemed delightfully off to me, especially at night when the spooky factor came out. Whereas Luang Prabang had a wonderfully romantic feel after sunset, Hanoi seemed as good a place as any to be haunted. Cracks on the walls, chipped paint, spiders' nests of electrical wires, dimly lit alleys--the atmosphere oozed film noir and mystery. Yet it was so thoroughly modern at the same time. Storefronts blazed artificial light, selling the latest plastic gadgets and i-phones; the old quarter was full up with fake luxury goods, electronics, and even more plastic....one foot in the past, one foot in the future...

But the best part was the eateries. Street vendors lined the sidewalks with their mismatching bowls and the tiniest of plastic tables and chairs. Set ups were simple with cauldrons boiling over, mystery meats hanging around, fresh herbs, and a serious chicken fetish--feet and all. Chilis, limes, chopsticks, cheap beer, thin napkins, noodles of all sizes, wemakeonlyonethinganditsfabulous kind of places. They were seriously legit.

After a few days of filling up on Pho and the like in Hanoi, I did the necessary Halong Bay tour. It is the one place on everyone's list, not to be missed, etc....so naturally, I was skeptical. The tour companies didn't even try to advertise it as "non-touristed"--no delusions there. But I have to say, despite all the fat, sunburned tourists at the pier, the Bay was spectacular and I understand why people go in hordes to see it. The first night I sat on the roof of our boat, watching the darkening sky suck up the karsts into the void. Other boats sat still in the water like lonely soldiers at their posts. And though there were quite a few of them around, they didn't bother me. They were actually quite beautiful--3 tiered, big masts, made of dark wood--their lights shimmered on the water in the absence of a moon.

Not all of the tour was so majestic as the karsts. I noticed that the bus situation kept getting worse and worse with each transfer. At one point we boarded a bus that was pepto-bismol pink on the outside and a rusty shit show on the outside. The motor was humming like a lawnmower and the driver was craned his neck out the window looking for our guide like "Hurry up man, 'cause this thing aint holding up much longer." Also, the food was disgraceful. They seemed to think that variety would make up for their lack of skill or care, so we were consistently assaulted with about 15 dishes that although different, tasted remarkably similar. But god help me, it was included in the price, and I was damn well going to get my money's worth. I've been making up for those bland days ever since, particularly in Hoi An, aka food heaven, and the subject of my next entry...

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23rd November 2010

Keep the entries coming. I'm enjoying them. Almost makes we want to visit.

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