Day 6
Before I left the Hong Kong airport I thought it would be a good idea to get some of the local currency so I didn't have to stress about finding an ATM on arrival. I went to the exchange place and I withdrew about ASD$300, which gave me $5,000,000 Vietnamese Dong. I would only need about ASD$50,000 to reach my goal of being a billionaire if I moved to Vietnam. Food for thought!
I did not participate in the in-flight meal as I was out cold. It was only an hour and 45 mins but felt a lot longer. I got off the plane VERY excited to be in another new country. I walked out through customs (the closed down X-ray machines that were not being used?). No metal detectors, no bag check, interesting... Vietnamese must get a shock when they come through Australian Customs!
I was waiting at the wrong carousel for my bag and began to get worried when it did not come out, idiot! I thought about what I would do if I did lose my bag, but was comforted by the knowledge that I had everthing I "needed" to get by on me (money, passport, phone, iPod - obv need music). I was directed by the friendly staff to the other carousel and there it was. I headed to the exit with my bag and saw a "free map" sign on the tourist information centre. $630,000 Dong later they had organised a Taxi to take me to my hostel. I was disappointed at how quickly I said yes to the taxi without looking at all other options, and thought it was a bit expensive. While I waited for the cabby I worked out that the hour long taxi ride to my hostel cost me about $30, I laughed at my earlier thought of being ripped off. The lovely, clean and smiley taxi driver came up to me and walked me out to the car, which was more like a private car than a taxi. As we were driving, the driver circled his face with his finger and gave a thumbs up then pointed to me, I said, "you think I am pretty". "yes yes" he said. I laughed and thought to myself, "oh oh I was hoping they would find westerns ugly!". I loved the rest of the drive, it was like 'need for speed'. The road rules here seem to be simple, go as fast as you can just don't hit anything! Also beep your horn when passing scooters and motorbikes. I like it!
He dropped me right to the front door of my hostel which is in a narrow street. I got my room key and went to have a shower and a nap.
I finally got onto skype and I was advised by Jordan (she did a blog in Japan) that it is much easier to do it by place rather than by day, So this is what I will be doing now on.
Day 7 - 8 May 2011
I decided to go for a walk to find some shops, I need to buy some thongs and T-shirts, also really need some nail scissors – How am I going to find that in amongst all these street stalls?
I am sitting in a sushi bar I stumbled upon, enjoying a beer and some simple egg and a spicy salmon sushi. It’s not very cheap, well, two plates of sushi and a beer will cost me around $10. I fear I will gain weight on this trip.
If I stick to my $50 a day budget I would have a million dong a day. A mollion dong a day! crazy!
I find the vietnamese very interesting so much more alive and vibrant than the Japanese.
Sitting in the hostel, eating some pineapple the lovely vietnamese boy Dat offered me.
I went for a walk around the "Old Quarter" of Hanoi and when I was heading home I was asked by a "moto" if I wanted a lift. I said, "why not?", we agreed on the fare and so I jumped on. It was lots of fun but the driver started to touch me so I had to move away.
I befriended a German girl over dinner in the hostel. I never asked her name, she has just finished backpacking around Australia and New Zealand for the past 9 months. After dinner we walked to the famous water puppetry show in Hanoi. It is was worth seeing I think, interesting. I thought it was funny but I don’t know if it was suppose to be. After the show we caught a “cyclo” back to the hostel in the light rain.
Seeing cockroaches on the floor next to my table while eating didn’t faze me, I don’t know why.
Day 8 - 9 May 2011
I didn’t leave the hostel today. I slept a lot and organised some tours to Sapa and Halong Bay.
The Sapa tour included transfer from the hostel to the night train up to Lao Cai, transfer from Lao Cai up to Sapa, full day motorbike tour, Homestay with some locals, half day trek, some time in Sapa to have a shop, then back to Lao Cai and back to Hanoi on the night train, total 3 nights and 2 days. I wasn’t going to do the homestay originally but when I went to book the lady asked me, do you want to do the homestay? And I have been trying to keep a ‘yes’ attitude, saying yes to all opportunities that come my way, so I said yes.
The Halong Bay tour included a night out in the bay on a boat, during the day the boat takes you around to some of the islands and caves. The next night is a hotel stay and the day is spent exploring Cat Ba Island. After that they organise a transfer back to Hanoi but I decided to stay in Halong City for a night in a hotel. I was then planning on following the coast around and heading down south to Ho Chi Minh City.
I have had the strangest dreams since I have been here. I remembered today one I had in Hong Kong where I couldn’t remember where everything was meant to go in our kitchen back home and all the draws were messed up. Millie made me think of this today when she said that she thought she was doing a good job of the kitchen.
After a day of doing nothing I had dinner again with the German girl, I found out her name is Jasmin.
Day 11 - 12 May 2011
Just looking at flights from Phuket to Kuala Lumper on Air Asia for $40*
OR Kuala Lumper to Bali for $100-$150
OR Bali to Tokyo for $200!!! - Except Japan is Cancer Country at the moment. Damn!
Vincent, I believe he is American, but I haven't asked him yet. He just came and offered me a "cookie" (must be American) it is a rice cracker. I almost said, "no thankyou" but then said, "why not? Thankyou". It was yummy. I later asked Vincent and he is from Holland and has been in Vietnam for 4 months working at The Drift, with no intention of going home.
Lounging around the hostel sofas, listening to some of Vincent's music. I have liked all of it so far, Queen, a bit of Reggae, Piano Man, M.I.A. It is so chilled here, it reminds me of a relaxing day at the Straddie beach house. I was thinking. Is it too early to have a beer? Is it necessary? No I am just bored. I have sat here in the hostel all day doing nothing just waiting for my transfer to pick me up and take me to the train station. I played some solitare and some other card games with Dat. He also showed me some magic card tricks. Look out Weeks Christmas Talent Show!!! I asked Dat if he would take me out to eat some real Vietnamese food, so we got ready and headed out.
They say don't drive with teenage boys, well, those who say that definitely would not approve of driving on a scooter with a 21 year old Vietnamese boy name Dat. He drove me around the town to a restaurant he used to work at. He used to work at the "Bad Hair Dog Bar" across the street from the restaurant. I don't know why there are soooo many strangely named restaurants and bars in Vietnam, Do they think it attracts tourists? He ordered lots of Vietnamese food from the menu and I tried it all, keeping a very open mind while eating the deep fried squid, which after I had already had a bite, he sent back to the kitchen. I didn't care I was just glad to be eating some real Vietnamese food. We had some garlic asian greens (which I loved), spring rolls - not like back home, the pastry is much thinner and they serve lettuce to wrap it in, beef curry - served on a plate, so very little sauce, a green leafy vegetable soup (maybe cabbage) and also just some plain steamed rice. I served myself some rice and then offered it to Dat and he said, "No, my country makes rice and we eat it all the time!". I found an asian who is sick of rice...I thought this was hilarious! I suppose variety really is the spice of life!
Dat told me at dinner that the police in Vietnam are bull****, he said if you do something wrong you just give them money and its OK. If you kill someone! You can just give them money and it is OK! How crazy this seems to me coming from a world so uncorrupt. He also told me at breakfast everyone has a bottle of spirits (only the men) that they are traditionally meant to finish. I thought...then these people are driving their scooters around all day, fantastic! Everything working in a perfect dysfunctional but organised chaos!
Sitting in the lounge waiting with my new $15 backpack, which is a ridiculous here, I have definitely been ripped off a lot since I have been here and am not used to bartering...yet!
The transfer came at 8:30pm to pick me up and take me to the train station. The station looked like what I imagine a "doctors without borders" waiting room looks like (not that anyone was sick or injured), just my first interpretation. I waited a while for the train and was finally called through to where the trains were. No yellow line to stand behind, just walk straight across the tracks to your train and if there is a train coming the man on the chair will either wave or blow his whistle to warn you that you are about to be hit by a train.
I boarded the train and I had no idea what to expect, but was plesantly surprised at the four bed cabin I was assigned to. This is the first time I have been on a train that you sleep on. Also very happy to have the bottom bunk. I had just finished setting up my sleeping area so I wasn't touching any of the quilt of pillow they supplied, also so my bag was half under my pillow. Then a Vietnamese lady came in and was looking at me strnge and continued to look at me and the other lady on the opposit bottom bunk, for a second I thought I may have taken the wrong the bed. Then an english speaking man translated for me and told me she wanted to have the bottom bunk because she got too cold on the top and he asked me if it is was ok but making it sound like I didn't have to. I thought she had probably just worked a 12 hour day so I moved to the top bunk, but thinking about how much I normally feel the cold. The stained quilt and dirty pillow they put on the bed just took up unneecessary space in the small bed. I was nervous that when I was asleep I would get cold and naturally pull the dirty blanket on top of me. How cold could it get, really?
9:40pm and my iPod is on half of it's battery life. I made a small pillow out of Grandma’s blue pashmina I packed. I have never been on a sleeper train before. The train is now leaving the station, Here we go! I am looking at a no smoking sign in my cabin but can smell cigarette smoke, interesting!? They said the train is 8-12 hrs. As I layed there on the pash, in my sleeping sack, with one eye open and one hand on my locked backpack, wondering… Am I being a “princess” for not using the pillow and blanket, the blanket I think is fair but I can see the lady opposite and below me using the pillow and has the blanket layed on top of her unfolded. I decided to harded up and use the blanket although I stayed in my sleeping sack to keep me semi-clean. GN xo
SAPA TOUR - See Sapa tour Story
Day 14 – 15 May 2011
We arrived back in Hanoi at 4:30am. We were both half asleep and the city was the quietest we’d seen it as we walked back to our hostel. Of course the door to the hostel was unlocked and the staff member in charge was asleep on the couch in the lobby. We couldn’t check into our rooms until 7 or 8 so we went upstairs to the TV room and had a nap. I tried to get onto facebook but the internet has bipolar so it is a real hit and miss, especially with Facebook, I heard that the government has banned it in Vietnam because they don’t want the people to have so much access to the outside world (not sure if that is true). It seems my hostel is the only one so far that has any access, even if limited. So if anyone would like to contact me you can text my mobile or email me (hilaryweeks@hotmail.com). In the next week I will organise a Vietnamese sim card so I can call home, if I can’t get credit on my skype account, as last time I tried it seemed way to difficult so I just gave up.
I asked Dat to take Jasmine and I to a pharmacy, she has some illness that she knows about so wanted to try and get some antibiotics for that and I just wanted to come for the ride. We first walked down to the Pharmacy down the street but it was closed so all 3 of us (doing it Vietnamese style) jumped on a scooter and Dat drove us around to an area that had a few differenct Chemists/Pharmacies. Jasmine had maybe some luck trying to get antibiotics, she is currently researching what she bought on the internet to check it out. We started riding back and it started bucketing down rain which stung as we drove 40km into it. We were all laughing and still trying to concentrate on the crazy roads, me and Jasmine shouting out from the back, “big bus, BIG BUS, BIG BUS, ARRRHHH!!!” as Dat drove through a red light intersection, not uncommon here, the traffic lights are more like a suggestion than a regulation. Dat is just laughing and it is all you can do, just laugh. We arrived back at the hostel, soaked and still laughing.
