Hanoi

Ah, Hanoi. Vietnam's old citadel, and capital of all things government. Everywhere you turn, there is a man dressed in green uniform, or the big red and yellow socialist flag flying.We're here in March, so it's wet and cool... A misty air lingers over the city pretty much all day long. We have broken up our stay here in Hanoi, spending 2 nights and then visiting Sapa, an overnight train journey away, and then spending 2 more nights before our next departure.. But that's another post. For now, I'll just share about our time here.

We flew into Hanoi and I couldn't see the ground almost right up until we landed because it was so foggy! A big change in weather from our sunny, warm paradise in Hoi An. Through our hostel, I had arranged an airport pickup (the cool kind when you walk out the arrival gate and see your name on a piece of paper) and ended up waiting for the driver for almost an hour because he couldn't seem to find the arrival gate...? He redeemed himself, though, when he gave us a free bottle of water and a big Vietnamese smile. You really can't stay mad at things like that, especially when what matters most is that you will be safely whisked to your destination without the fear you will get ripped off (which happens a lot here, according to fellow travelers and the Lonely Planet guide!). We made our way to our hostel and were greeted with a big surprise... Our original room we had booked was having plumbing problems, so we got upgraded to the Honeymoon suite for one night at no additional charge! Sweet!

The next day, we were shuffled over to "Golden Time Hostel II", and had a regular old room. We did enjoy our time in Golden Time Hostel I, though. It's so funny, there are so many places with the same name or I, II, III afterward, especially hotels, hostels, and tour booking agencies. I think it's actually a problem here, because some of these places are not legitimate and do rip you off.. Luckily we haven't had to experience that!

The entrance to the Pagoda

We spent our first day in Hanoi walking around and getting our bearings. Our hostel was located a short walk away from Hoan Kiem lake, which is home to a cool little pagoda in the middle of the water and a 1 mile walking track that circles the lake. We took a walk around and paid the $1 fee to check out the pagoda. Here's what we saw!

A little Pagoda kitty sitting on a drum

Looking out onto the lake.. It was a nice peaceful retreat from all the madness that surrounded the park.

A crazy amount of offerings for someone special!! Lots of fruit, cheese crackers, cookies, and other goodies.

Cool looking trees that were all around the little island

We spent the rest of the day walking around and seeing what Hanoi was like... and we realized that it is way more busy than any of the other cities we have been to in Vietnam! It's almost exhausting just to maneuver your way around the streets. We decided we'd spend our second day seeing all the touristy sights, and the main attraction, Ho Chi Minh's preserved dead body.

We got up early and made our way to the HCM Mausoleum, as it is only open from 7:30-11:30 AM. It's free to go into the mausoleum, and you get filed in like cattle by military men after going through airport style security. I made the mistake of bringing an apple in my purse for a snack for later, and they took it from me. As if I would eat an apple in front of Uncle Ho!? I have more class than that!
You are not allowed to bring any camera, phones, etc into the mausoleum, but taking pictures outside is fine.I wish I could have taken a photo, because what we saw inside was the most bizarre thing I think I have ever seen... Uncle Ho was lying in his little bed, with skin, hair, clothes all in tact. It seemed as though any moment he was going to wake up! The Vietnamese send him off to Russia every year to get re-beautified and preserved.. The Russians have plenty of experience from preserving their heroes, such as Lenin and Stalin, who you can go see them in their mausoleums as well!

Uncle Ho's final resting place

We also visited the Hoa Lo prison, fondly known as the "Hanoi Hilton Hotel" by American POWs that were captured and held there. The prison was built originally by the French colonists, who called it "Maison Centrale", and they kept the locals who tried to rebel against their imperialism inside the walls. We learned of all the atrocities committed against the inmates, including men and women. Children were also kept in the prison with their mothers. The French colonialists treated the prisoners awfully, and many inmates died during their time there. There were also many rebellions by the inmates, and even escape plans that were executed via the sewer.

According to the exhibit, the American soldiers there were treated like kings... They had Christmas parties, wrote poetry, drew pictures, played chess, and even received souvenirs from their captors upon their release from the "Hanoi Hilton". It was interesting to see all the photos representing the captured pilots, who they had shot down and taken captive, smiling and having a good old time while imprisoned..Pilots including John McCain, whose plane was shot down over Hanoi. I'm sure it wasn't all butterflies and rainbows for these gentlemen, but, that is how the museum represented it.

"Last year was full of glorious victories. This year the forefront's sure to win still bigger ones. For Independence, for Freedom. Let's fight so the Yanks quit, and the puppets topple. Forward! Fighters, countrymen! North and South united, could there be happier Spring!" -- As translated into English by a US Soldier held at Hoa Lo

After visiting some of the main sights, we walked around and found a street that housed about 5 bookstores, including an English one! I have been reading lots of books while we have been traveling, and averaging about one a week, so I decided to find a book that would last me a while.. and settled on "Gone with the Wind". 1010 pages of epic southern drama.. And for only just over $7! So far I'm enjoying it immensely and I know my mom is proud, as she was an employee of the "Gone with the Wind" Museum in Marietta, GA a few years ago. Fiddle-dee-dee!

I will say, that Hanoi is exhausting, and I am glad I have a book to escape the hubbub outside. Similar to the way that Mumbai was exhausting, I have taken a nap everyday we have been here. You constantly have to be on your toes.. There are motorcycles EVERYWHERE. Forget walking on the sidewalk, as it serves as a motorbike parking lot. There are little alleyways between all the buildings and often the motorbikes will come zooming out onto the pavement, the driver not even looking where they are going or what is coming.

The "sidewalk"

Alleyway lined with restaurants and shops

I have often thought of kicking one of these motorbikes over and starting a domino-style effect all the way down the street... Is that wrong? I mean, they have endangered my life (or my toes) at least once or twice here.

The drivers of these motorbikes do not look if anyone is walking behind them when they are reversing onto the road (or out of a store, or a restaurant..yes, a restaurant..or out of an alleyway) and there have been times where I've had to jump out of the way last minute so they didn't run into me. They also do not look for incoming traffic when they merge. I think they all have a death wish.. kamikaze motorbike drivers. I don't feel scared crossing the road, because as long as you walk with a purpose and make sure cars aren't coming, they all go around you and you can safely cross the street.

The hardest part about Hanoi, especially the Old Quarter, is walking down the sidewalk! Dodging these motorbikes, people eating on little plastic stools, chickens pecking around, people trying to sell you stuff, random huge sacks of goods laying about.. It definitely makes walking around a chore. This coupled with the cloudy, misty weather makes me just want to hang out in the hotel! Hanoi is definitely not one of my favorite cities.

Despite the frustration of Hanoi, we have met some really nice locals. Our last day in Hanoi, before we departed on the train to Sapa, we were in the park reading books and killing time (and avoiding having to maneuver through the city streets). We were approached by a guy fresh out of college who simply asked if he could practice conversational English with us.. Of course, we obliged, and were very impressed with his English skills. A few moments later, a couple other kids came and proposed the same question.. So I was speaking with the first guy, and Paul was speaking with the other group of kids, and we ended up talking to them for over an hour! It was fun learning about their lives here in Vietnam, and telling them about what life is like back in the US. Time went by really fast! They were all really lovely people.. What smart kids, getting free language practice from walking around a park and looking for people who look like they speak English..haha!

We are back in Hanoi now, after our trip to Sapa, and the weather is rainy, cold, and just blah. We are spending our time here getting ready to make the 24 hour bus journey to Luang Prabang, Laos, which we will embark on tomorrow afternoon. "Hook" is on the Stars movie channel, so we have some quality entertainment and also have a nice king sized bed, so I think a day "in" and not out in the madness that is the Vietnamese capital is a good choice. My next post will be all about Sapa, and the amazing time we had walking around the beautiful countryside with our amazing guide Pham. Bangaraaaaaang!

MC