Sapa, Vietnam 17.03.08

We took the night train to Sapa, and arrived at 7am in the morning. As soon as we arrived, we hired a motorbike and rode off into town. We quickly realized that the horn and the indicators didn’t work, which is quite dangerous in Vietnam traffic. Another problem was that there was only one place that sold petrol, and they refused to sell it to us at the price we had been told to expect at the motorbike rental place. A little frustrated, we returned and demanded a new bike. They tinkered with the bike and fixed the horn and indicators, and then rode off to get the petrol at the right price. Finally we were ready to explore the town!

Waterfalls and Village Wedding
After a long and bumpy ride over the terrible out-of-town roads, we arrived at a waterfall. It was a steep climb up the steps to the top, but the view was beautiful.

We kept riding along the road, hoping to reach a hilltribe village. We rode for miles and miles with no civilization in sight, but the mountains and the valleys that we were riding through were absolutely spectacular! At one point, we rode so high in the mountains that we were in the clouds. We kept stopping, just to get a better look at the incredible views. The scenery that we saw there was worth the whole journey.
We rode through a small town that appeared to have some hilltribe people in it, but we kept riding as the signs indicated that a big town was only a few kilometers away. After reaching a crossroads, with signs indicating towns at least another 30 kilometers away, we decided to turn back. As we passed back through the little town we’d seen, we noticed that a group of tour buses had stopped. It turns out that there was a local wedding happening in the town, and the buses had stopped to see what was happening.

The people in the town were thrilled to have visitors and posed for photos. They didn’t try to sell anything to us, they were just happy to have us there. Their traditional outfits were beautiful. Women of all ages wear them, and they look almost like school girls in them. The dresses are tunics, with colourful patterns, and they wear material wrapped around their lower legs, like knee-high socks. They have cylindrical hats and big silver hoop earrings. They look so dignified in them, and regardless of age, missing and coloured teeth, they look absolutely beautiful.

H’mong Villages
After wandering 40kms away from Sapa on our last trip, we decided to get a proper map. We rode to the Cultural Village of Cat Cat. This village had a path paved throughout it so that tourists could trek through it for a fee. The village was huge and descended into a valley. There were little houses selling handmade craft and clothing and you were invited inside to have a look at the house itself. We stopped to have a look at a few, but the whole place felt more like a tourist park than a real village.
We rode further down the road to Sin Chai, but instead of passing through the entry gates, we just had a look from afar. This village looked more natural than the last, and there were animals everywhere along the road. All of the pigs’ bellies were so big that they reached the ground. We weren’t sure if they were all pregnant, or if some of them were just that fat. The houses looked similar to the last, and we were short on time, so we decided to head off to see another ethnic tribe.

Dzao Village
We were lucky to see a bus turning into the road leading to this village, as the road was tiny, and we probably would have missed it otherwise. We followed the bus, and stopped inside the village. We were immediately swarmed by local women. The women were dressed in big red turbans, and they wore baggy pants instead of skirts. Six of them dedicated themselves to us, and followed us as we wandered through the village. They asked a lot of questions about us, often asking the same question three times. One of the women spoke English really well. She was lovely, and she was carrying her two year old son on her back the entire time.

They escorted us all the way to the caves, and let us get in without paying, just to have a look around. We didn’t have time to do the whole one hour journey through the caves. They mentioned that they wanted us to buy their wares, and we knew this was the point of their friendly escort.
When we got back to the entrance again, we agreed to look at what they were selling. As soon as we mentioned that, bags came out from all angles and things were waved in front of our eyes, with ‘Buy from me, buy from me’, ‘but you didn’t buy from me’. We tried to buy from the people who had been most helpful to us on the journey, and we especially appreciated the help of the lady who was carrying her son. She gave Loren a gift as we were leaving, it was a little bag. We wished her well and escaped from the eruption of handmade accessories.

Bus - One Size Too Small

On the way back to train station, we were placed in a little minivan. We were comfortable and at the front with plenty of leg room. This is, until we made about another seven stops with another seven people and their enormous backpacks. There were 4 people squashed into the front seat, and backpacks on our legs up to the ceiling. The people at the back had a little breathing space, so I was sure we were going to pick up at least another four people. The buses here are not considered full until every inch of space is filled with a limb or a bag.

Halong Bay, Vietnam 15.03.08

We arrived in Halong Bay by bus and were rushed to the pier to board the boat that we would spend the next day and night on. The pier was absolutely packed with junks –as these boats are called. There is more pollution in the air above that pier than there is on the busy streets of Hanoi. The boats are quaint but they spew black smoke out of their engines.

The Passengers
We were greeted by a sober group of middle aged people aboard the boat, all sitting quietly in the booths of the dining section. We were definitely expecting a much younger crowd. As lunch was served, we were bunched into tables of six, so that the food could be served in a communal style, rather than individual plates for each person. We were hesitant as we were pushed towards a table with four older Vietnamese people. Thankfully they spoke English, and it turned out that they had managed to escape to Canada after the end of the Vietnam War. They made their way illegally by boat through different countries in SE Asia, and eventually ended up in a Thai jail before being rescued by the UN and sent to the refugee camp. We ended up speaking mostly French to them, as one of the men didn’t speak much English, but was fluent in French. They became our dinner companions at each meal, as everyone seemed to return the same seats at meal times.
On the roof of the deck, we met some more passengers. These ones were from the Czech Republic. Artur and they were able to communicate easily by speaking in their own languages. Czech and Polish are similar enough to be able to do that, but because of the slight language barrier, Artur thought it sounded like he was listening to little kids rather than adults. It was funny, because with the few languages we know, we were able to communicate with everyone on the boat, regardless of which country they came from.

The View
From the top deck of the boat, you couldn’t see far into the distance, as everything was coated in a thick layer of mist. Halong Bay is supposed to be much more attractive in the sunlight, but to us the mist made it seem even more beautiful in an eerie, mysterious way. It felt surreal to be surrounded by white, with ships gliding past us and huge rock formations and islands all around us.

The Crew
We weren’t too thrilled when we were told by a crew member that we would be required to pay a USD 5 corkage fee for the bottle of wine that we brought with us. In Australia, the most we’d pay would be AUD 2, and this was Vietnam! In Vietnam, in local shops, we could buy one or more bottles of wine for that price. We adamantly refused, saying we had not been informed of this rule when we booked the trip. Thankfully we got away with it, but we had to drink from the bottle, as they wouldn’t provide any wine glasses.

The Limestone Caves
We climbed up a huge flight of stairs from the water, to reach the entrance of the caves. The first room we visited wasn’t very big, but it was pretty inside.

Lights were set up to highlight different aspects of the cave and different rocks that resembled humans and animals. Loren wasn’t impressed that the ceilings of the caves were covered in concrete. Obviously it was for safety reasons, but it made the whole thing look kind of fake.

The next room we crossed into was enormous! There were boardwalks built so that you could make your way around and through the cave. Some of the rocks that were lit up really resembled humans and sometimes human body parts....

Some other rocks resembled a lion, a bear, a dragon, many buddhas, a dog etc. In the photo below, you can see a woman sitting on a man's lap.

Kayaking
That afternoon we set out on kayaks to explore the bay and the rock islands. Thankfully by this point, the sun had come out and it was a beautiful, sunny day. We found an archway that lead into a bay surrounded by rock walls. It was beautiful, but there was rubbish floating in the water everywhere. Apparently people just dump their rubbish into the water. I’m not sure if it’s the junk boats with tourists, or the locals that live on floating houses.

We also found some caves that looked really small when you approached them, but when we rowed inside and tried to see how far they went, we often couldn’t see the end of them. We tried taking photos so that the flash would light up the cave in the dark, but even the photos didn’t show us how far back they went.

Dodgy

On the last night, we were told to stay in our rooms after midnight. This was because they had rushed us through the pier and had not properly registered us for the trip with our passports. Each night the police boats come to check the junks and who is staying on board. If we were caught on board, both we and the crew could have been in serious trouble!

Hanoi, Vietnam 13.03.08

We arrived in Hanoi by plane, and were lucky to have a room waiting for us at Loren's Uncle's house. He and his family live there in a beautiful house with really high ceilings. There were numerous musical instruments all throughout the house, and an amazing restored '67 Vespa. It was a peaceful haven for us in the middle of busy Hanoi and we were welcomed with open arms. Our whole trip to Hanoi was made so much better by staying with them.

Old Quarter

The busiest part of Hanoi can be found in the narrow streets of the old quarter, where we spent a great deal of our time. Motorbikes and scooters are mostly parked on the sidewalk, so in order to avoid them you have to walk on the road with the hundreds of scooters and taxis. Helmets were only made compulsory in December '07, which was a big shock to the population, some of whom sold their scooters as a result, lest they ruin their hairstyles with such an unneccesary encumbrance.

The traffic in Hanoi, in general, is like going down a busy ski slope. Everyone joins the road without looking, and everyone just makes way for them. If you think peak-hour is bad where you live, check out Hanoi! Surprisingly, despite all the noise of the horns, there is absolutely no road rage! Cutting sharply in front of someone inspires a beep of the horn, just as overtaking someone requires one. There is no malice in their actions despite the chaos.

Each street used to be named after the merchandise that it sold, but now you can find more than one kind of produce on the same street. Hang Gai is a street that still sells silk in most of its stores. Here we stopped to get a dress tailored for Loren. It was a variation on the traditional style Vietnamese dress. The same in every way except the sleeves.

Lonely Planet Walk
After running that errand, we decided to follow the Lonely Planet walk through the Old Quarter. The first thing we stopped to see was the Huc Bridge, which was a bright red bridge that led to an island in the middle of the lake. On the island, there was the Ngoc Son Temple. The temple was dedicated to a myth about a turtle that appeared and hid a precious sword somewhere in the lake.

The next stop was the Martyr's monument, where two ladies approached us trying to sell bananas. They put the banana carrying apparatus on each of our shoulders so we could take pictures with them. As usual this required payment afterward, but it wasn't too much and we got some nice bananas and pineapple out of it.

The walk took us past a street where every shop was selling shoes, and past a little market. We stopped at a heritage house which was in the traditional Vietnamese style. It was filled with local craftwork and handmade crockery, antique opium pipes and other artifacts. Our guide offered us jasmine tea, and chatted with us about Vietnam.

The temple that was next on the list, was not easy to find. It was through a tiny corridor and up a staircase in the back of a building. It was quite a large altar, but everything that was on it appeared to be grocery store merchandise. It was really strange, it looked more like a shop than a temple.

Back at my Uncle's house that night, we were served a slow-cooked traditional Vietnamese meal. It was absolutely delicious! There was a special order to follow for adding the meat, shrimps, shellfish, corn, and vegetables, and it was cooked in a hot pot in the middle of the table.

Further Exploration

The next day we headed back to the old Quarter trying to sort out the re-issue of the Traveller's Cheques. Artur went to the bank and Loren explored the town on her own. For Artur, the effort resulted in a further waste of time and frustration. Between trips to various banks, he was given a helmet to wear by his motorbike driver that was joined together by a rubber band. He asked for a proper buckle, but his request was greeted only with a disbelieving stare.

Loren was entertained by the locals in the meantime, and met some very weird and wonderful people. After finally convincing the people selling postcards that she was not interested, they decided to just chat with her to practice their English.

The next encounter was with a local crazy woman, who was dressed in flourescent robes and carried a huge bag full of all variety of things. Her glasses were extremely eccentric, and after attempting a 'hello' in English, she chatted away in her own language. The locals stared openly at her in disgust or out of curiosity. Loren actually felt a connection with this strange woman, perhaps because she was an oddity amongst the vast population of Vietnamese, who seem to band together. The lady was bizarre but generous, offering her food to Loren and to any local that paused to stare at her.

Water Puppet Theatre

After reuniting, Loren and Artur visited the Water Puppet Theatre. It was quite an experience. The seats were tiny, but the traditional instruments and singing kept us entranced.

The puppets appeared to move across the water without assistance, and some of the dragons spat out water and fireworks. It was pretty impressive, and all of the scenes were created around traditional Vietnamese folklore and culture.

St Patrick's Day Celebrations
That night, we went with my Uncle and Aunt to a party filled their fellow colleagues and other expats. Everyone was wearing green clothes and the house was decorated with shamrocks. By the time the Guinness came out, the party had really started. We learnt a lot about the lives of expats, and spoke to a lot of different people there. Most of them were teachers.

After a while, the Irish folk band 'For Folk Sake', came out and played some popular songs. They also performed some great instrumental pieces, which were very well received. My uncle played the guitar in the band and my aunt played the recorder and sang in most other songs. The band had only had a few practices, but were already invited to play at the Irish Embassy's formal St Patrick's day celebrations. All of the ambassadors from each country were invited. They were great!

Last day in Hanoi

Our last day in Hanoi started very early in the morning, as we took a few days in between to visit Halong Bay and Sapa. We slept overnight on the train and arrived at 5.30am, which was great actually because it meant we were awake early enough to check out the flower market.

The flower market was filled with every sort of flower available in Vietnam. Some had even been brought over from Da Lat. The flowers were in huge bunches and sold in bulk. Other little stalls were selling ribbons, baskets and anything else that you would use to package flowers at a florist shop. With flower markets like that, you could easily decorate for a wedding or any other occasion, with fresh flowers, for a relatively cheap price.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

After picking up Loren's tailored dress, we headed off to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It was quite an affair just getting to the entrance of the place. The surrounding blocks and streets were heavily guarded, and people were directed around a huge circumference in order to get to the correct entry point. Once your bag and camera are safely stowed in the luggage room, and you've passed through the metal detectors, you have to join an enormous queue that creeps slowly towards the Mausoleum itself.

We were instructed to cover our shoulders, take off sunglasses and hats and wear long pants. Once we entered the building, we felt the cold chill of the marble walls and the silence of respect. No one spoke as we shuffled slowly around the glass casket where Ho Chi Minh, the former leader of Vietnam, lay embalmed. Guards stand motionless with guns at their sides as they guard his body. It's amazing just how much the Vietnamese people still respect and almost worship this man.

Despite all of the mummification, he looks more unreal than a figure in Madame Toussaud's wax exhibitions. He is preserved, but not very life-like.

Bia Hoi

We were determined to try the local beer in Hanoi, particularly the kind that is brewed with no preservatives, for each 24/48 hr period. This beer is called bia hoi and can be found at any street corner in Hanoi. The price of the beer is ridiculously cheap. One beer is 3000 dong, which is about USD 0.20. The beer was good, and it was fairly light in flavour, particularly after having our fair share of guinness a few nights before.

Temple of Literature

The temple of literature was beautiful, and the grounds on which it was built were huge. The temple was supposed to be a quiet refuge from the busy city, but due to a primary school graduation that was held there, the place was filled with little children. They were very excited to see the tourists and were yelling 'Hello!'

There were statues of mythical birds all around the temple, which had turtles at their feet. If you rubbed the bird hard enough, then touched the turtle, the turtle's head would move. We think it had something to do with static electricity.

Horrible Hanoi Airport

We were shocked to discover that the International section of Hanoi's Aiport (Hanoi, being the capital city of Vietnam), had no newsagent, no money exchange facility, and only one restaurant, which of course sold terrible food for exhorbitant prices. The only thing sold there in the open stores were expensive snacks and souvenirs.