Hanoi Overview:
Vietnam has been crazy so far, but we're having a good time despite the madness. I was looking back through my first Vietnam journal entry, and it begins with "Hanoi is HOT! Really hot. I don't think I've sweat this much on our trip yet." These statements have definitely held true! It's nearly impossible to spend a full day outside in the city without taking A/C breaks. Sometimes I'll notice that I am sweating through my top, and I feel like a dirty boy. All I want to do is take cold showers here! At least I never have to deal with makeup. There is no point here. Something else to note about Hanoi is the TRAFFIC.
Crossing the street is usually scary, horns are always going off, and you always have to be on your guard. It's mostly motorcycles here, so at least that makes dodging traffic a bit easier.
We took a cyclo one day for the experience (and we were lost) but decided to travel everywhere else on foot after that. We learned from other backpackers that you should just take a deep breath, and begin to walk, slow and steady, without making any sudden movements, and then the traffic just goes around you. This tactic has worked thus far, and neither of us has been run over. :) This is a pic of me mid crossing the street. Doesn't quite to it justice, but worth the post.
Aside from the crazy noisy traffic and unbearable heat, the people, culture and architecture have been beautiful to look at. We are staying in the Old Quarter of town which is full of old historic buildings and streets that each have a specific purpose. For example, one street might sell only silk, while another street will sell toys, another auto parts, foods, etc.
Within walking distance is the French Quarter which is home to the Opera House. Parts of Hanoi really remind me of Europe since it was so heavily influenced by the French. However, the narrow streets with motorcycles parked on the sidewalks quickly reminds me that I am still in Southeast Asia, and I need to keep my eyes on the road! Below is a pic of a man getting his hair cut on the side of the street...
Hanoi Backpackers' Hostel:
Our first 3 nights in Hanoi we stayed at the highly recommended Hanoi Backpackers' Hostel. It's really fun! Located off a small street which can only be accessed on foot or by moto, the hostel has 3 separate buildings and over 200 beds available. We stayed in the "Nunnery" which is a 10 bed female dorm. This was my first experience in a dorm room setting while traveling, and it definitely has its pros and cons.
*Pros: You get to meet new people everyday and share traveling tips, experiences, and possibly even meet new friends. Nicole and I met 2 girls on our second day, and we ended up traveling with them for 5 days. Also, it's cheaper to stay in a dorm. Our rooms were $7.50/night and included what I like to call an "orphan's breakfast" which was hard bread, weird jam, ramen, and/or bananas. I have been living off of bread on this trip, so I don't think I will eat it for a while when I get home!
*Cons: It's hard to relax in a 10 bed dorm. It's also hard to sleep. People come and go at all different hours. Also, for some odd reason we only had 1 shower and 1 toilet for all 10 of us. They only turned the A/C on at night, so you didn't want to be in the dorm during the day anyway, but this wasn't good for nap time! (We don't have those much anymore.)
Sundays they have free beer upstairs on the rooftop deck at 3pm, so that is how we spent our first afternoon in Hanoi. We met quite a few interesting people and I enjoyed hearing about their travels. Within the backpacking circuit, most people travel the same route in SEAsia. I'm pretty much just missing out on Laos. After free beer and good conversation, Nicole and I had a traditional Vietnamese dinner and a restaurant called Little Hanoi. (We couldn't be bothered to figure out what the heck the street food was.) We shared spring rolls and decided the Vietnam is home to the best spring rolls in SEAsia, and I had tofu in tomato sauce for my entree (which was recommended in my guide book.) I've seen that dish in various restaurants now, and as random as it sounds, it's really good! You eat it over rice. I will definitely try making that at home! Below is a pic of the locals eating street food. This is how most of them eat.
Monday we decided to wander the streets of Hanoi some more. It quickly became too hot, so we went to the Vietnam History Museum and spent way longer there than necessary because they have A/C! Then we found a restaurant with A/C for lunch, and I stupidly had a tuna salad which made me sick. (The water here is no good, so it's best to avoid uncooked vegetables.) We returned to our hostel for the 5pm happy hour and met 2 new girls in our dorm, Taeha and Jennifer. Taeha is from Australia and just turned 30, and Jennifer is a young 36 year old Brit. Each of them is traveling solo, but the 4 of us ended up getting along really well and hanging out from Monday-Friday. 6pm was a BBQ on the roof, so while everyone was enjoying their burgers, I purchased a veggie/cheese panini from across the street. Not a bad dinner for under $2!
Tuesday was more exploring and walking around Hoan Kiem Lake which I forgot to mention. This lake lies at the heart of Hanoi. It only takes about 30 minutes to walk around, but it is a way to get some peace and a slight breeze away from the busy streets.
For lunch we dined at an amazing vegetarian restaurant! It literally took us 20 minutes to decide what to order off the menu, and we were all satisfied. That night we saw a Water Puppet Show at the theatre. It was interesting to say the least, but $2.50 was not bad for a 1 hour show in the A/C. The show is literally puppets that dance on water to a musical narration. It was kind of funny. They briefly show you how they do it at the end. Puppeteers stand waist-deep in water, manipulating the heavy, colorfully painted wooden puppets attached to long underwater poles.
After the show, we went to a famous beer corner. On each corner there is a stand with tiny plastic seats and a fresh keg serving Bia hoi ("fresh" or draught beer) which is served warm from the keg. This beer is unadulterated by chemicals and has a 24-hour shelf life, so they just sell the beer literally until the keg runs dry, and that's the end of the night. Sometimes they finish pretty early, by 9pm. The best part of this experience? Each beer is only 3,000 dong. $1US = approx 17,000 dong. AMAZING! I still can't get over how cheap everything is in Southeast Asia. Returning home could be a shock! At least I'll get back to the food I like at least.
Wednesday-Friday = 2 nights in Ha Long Bay:
One of the places that is a must see when you're in Northern Vietnam is Ha Long Bay. It is gorgeous! The 4 of us took the 2 night tour through our hostel and were on a 3 hour bus ride at 730am on Wednesday morning. (After my crusty bread breakfast, of course.) Once off the bus we got on a really great boat! Now, I have never been on a cruise, and I am pretty sure I have never spent the night on a boat before, so I was a bit nervous. Luckily, our boat was really nice and I never felt seasick. Our boat took us out a couple hours deep into the bay which consists of nearly two thousand crazy shaped limestone outcrops, narrow channels, and deep dark caves for exploring. So beautiful!!!
Once we docked where we would sleep for the night, people started jumping and diving off the boat for a swim. The water was warm of course, but it made for a nice swim. Once a girl next to me saw a jellyfish, however, I was out! At least 1 person gets stung by a jellyfish on each trip because they are everywhere. (A guy that went night swimming got stung on our tour. Yes, he tried peeing on himself, and it didn't work. Apparently vinegar is the best!)
After a swim, we took kayaks out to sea! Each girl tried to pair with a guy, and unfortunately I think I had the most uncoordinated and weak guy on the trip! We were in the last group to reach the caves, and he kept complaining how hard it was. You're a guy. Really? You're supposed to be strong and manly! Once we got to the caves, we explored some really cool areas! At one point, our guide had everyone turn off their "torches" (aka flashlights) and we were in complete darkness! I loved exploring the caves. When it was time to kayak back, Nicole kindly let us swap kayaking partners bc she is stronger than me and she was paired with a strong guy. Much easier on the way back! After dinner, it turned into a party boat. Everyone had an amazing time bonding, and we even started a dance party. When it started pouring rain around 2am, Nicole and I called it a night, while I know others lasted until sunrise.
The next day, a few people returned to the city while the rest of us took a smaller boat out to our own private island!! So cool. The small beach consisted of about 6 huts which can sleep 6 people each (equipped with mosquito nets and a mattress but nothing else), 2 toilets, 2 showers, and a common area for meals. I thought there was absolutely no A/C on the island, but luckily, the bathroom and dining areas were well equipped. :)
There's not much to say about our day on the island other than it was fabulous and relaxing. We literally just swam, laid out, read, listened to music, hung out, swam, tanned some more, repeated the cycle for about 8 hours until dinner. Yes, I finally have a good tan! The only downside to our wonderful trip to Ha Long Bay is that all the food the served me made me sick. Yep, that definitely sucked, so I decided to stop eating. I was definitely ready for some good pizza when we got back to Hanoi Friday night. :)
Friday night, we returned to Hanoi, our friends Taeha and Jen made their way South down Vietnam on the night bus, and Nicole and I decided to check into a hotel across the street from our old hostel to get some privacy. For $2.50 more/night, we get a private room, private bathroom, private computer + internet (which is why we can blog now!), and a tv. Not bad for $10/night!
Today we went to the Hoa Lo Prison which I found to be very interesting. (Don't ask me while I'm smiling in all these pictures - It's all I do!)
It deals with the pre-1954 period when the French incarcerated and tortured thousands of patriots and revolutionaries. We got to see the French guillotine used for executions, and some of the old cells and detention centers. The prison is probably most famous for when it became a state prison, and from 1964 to 1973 it was used to detain American prisoners of war.
One prisoner of war includes John McCain, and they had several photos of him within the prison's walls. They actually had 2 rooms dedicated to portraying this section of the prison's history. It was very interesting to see the spin they put on it. They had videos showing smiling Americans outside playing basketball and eating large portions of food, and they showed photos of them decorating a Christmas tree...Basically, they claim that they treated the American prisoners much better than anyone else.
Tonight, we had a Vietnamese dinner and Nicole practiced being a vegetarian with me! We shared amazing veggie spring rolls, tofu in black pepper sauce, and friend noodles with veggies. They are obsessed with ramen noodles here. If I was here longer, I would probably fully convert her. ;) Then again, maybe it is just the sketchy meat they serve around here. After dinner we walked around the lake. Saturday night date night is here too! The lake was packed with couples cuddling on park benches and taking late night strolls. Awww.
Tomorrow, Nicole and I are off on a 4 night trekking excursion in Sapa. Sapa is in Northern Vietnam near China, and we have to get there and back by an overnight sleeper train. I have never slept on a train before, and I doubt it will be much fun! Hopefully Sapa is worth it. ;) I hear it is beautiful and filled with ethnic minority villages. 1 night we will have a home stay with a Vietnamese family, and the other night we will be in a 2 star hotel. Our days will be filled with long hikes in the heat. I am ready for some exercise! We get back on Thursday which will be our last night together before I make my way solo to Bangkok and then Tokyo. Hopefully you will hear from me again before my last leg of the trip! Until then, have a great week, and I'd love to hear from all of you! xoxo
so, is it wierd that i read your posts more than once?? it just means i miss you tons right?? =) i can't wait for another one. helps me feel like you aren't so far away. i love you wiz.
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