Halfway Around The World 2017: Hanoi, Vietnam
My trip to eventually get to my son’s wedding in Denver has barely started and I’m already behind in my reportage. Everything has been moving so fast I barely have time to write my daily journal, now I’m catching up on my Facebook posts.
My bus trip from home in Hua Hin to the plane in Bangkok to landing in Hanoi was problem-free, thank goodness. I had pre-paid USD $17 to get the required Vietnam Visa Approval Letter, then another USD $25 at the airport for the actual shiny visa sticker to be placed in my passport. I’m very glad I got the two sets of extra pages put in my passport, as I’m burning through them with Thai Immigration stamps, country entry and exit stamps and visa stickers.
The airport-to-hotel pickup I arranged was right on time, but I was surprised that it took over half an hour to get back to the Old Quarter where the hotel was located. On the downside, the driver looked like it was his first day behind the wheel. This is *not* counting the standard Vietnamese driving style where the idea of lanes seemed to be only a suggestion, they drift around a lot. Lots of polite beeping, like traffic sonar. “I’m here” or “Get out of my way.”
The hotel was as advertised, in the Old Quarter. Everything is extremely dense here, motorbikes parked everywhere on the roads and sidewaks, sidewalks also used for tiny plastic chair restaurants, trash and good luck paper fires, welding, metal fabrication, haircuts, construction, etc.
Based on advice from friends, I talked with the front desk ladies about a 3 day/2 night boat cruise around Ha Long Bay. The price was excellent, even with a $20 upcharge to have a room to myself. More detail on this later.
The ladies sent a porter down the street to get me a SIM card with a month’s service and 4GB of data, cost was USD $13. Yee ha! I need local Internet for Google Maps to be able to navigate new places while I’m out walking so that was a deal.
Then, I went in search of an ATM to pick up local currency. US Dollars are accepted everywhere but I brought only a limited supply. I came across a dance performance that was in celebration of of the anniversary of kicking out the French on September 2, 1945. The Vietnamese still hold a grudge.
Now this is where the face-palm starts. Back in Hua Hin, I had pulled my US bank account ATM card from my safe and put it in my wallet. I notified the bank that I would be travelling to Vietnam, no worries. When the ladies swiped my card to pay for the SIM card and Ha Long Bay trip, it was declined because it expired 7 months ago. Doh! My new card is of course waiting for me in California. I’ve had issues with mail delivery before so I decided back then to wait to pick it up, rather than taking the risk of mailing it.
In addition, my US Visa card is the same situation, but I was aware of that before I left. I figured with two ATM cards I’d be good to go. But now I’m down to one plastic card possibility out of three. Bugger. So off I go in search of an ATM I can use with my Thai bank card.
The first ATM told me I was over my daily limit when I asked for only 1.1 million Dong. Now don’t get excited, that’s only USD $50. The exchange rate is VND 22,000 to USD $1. Such high numbers really boggle the mind. Anyway.
I tried another bank’s ATM, it said my card was not in their network despite the rather large Visa sticker next to the ATM and the symbol on my card.
The third bank worked! You know that noise when the machine starts going thip-thip-thip counting out the bills? The sound of sweet cash success. Thank you wee little Sacombank. I quickly pulled out 6 million Dong, or $272. I had a brief thought of being the Six Million Dollar Dong Man, that would impress the ladies.
The next morning I had a good sleep-in and french toast and three bananas, same little ones as in Thailand.
I got a message from my US bank that they could not extend the expiration date on the ATM card I had in my hand, so I am at the mercy of my Thai bank. It’s a wonder it works here, but I’m not asking any questions.
It’s now Saturday afternoon and it’s hot. I mean real Vietnam heat and humidity, with occasional tremendous downpours. Great, I get enough of that in Thailand. I’m giving my little Jimmy Towel for my face sweat a real workout, luckily I brought three to swap out.
I wander the Old Quarter, going down very tight streets and insane but crash-free traffic flow. I’m happy to see many small electric scooters!
I go through several open air markets and find a vegetarian food street, Ma May. Wow, so much to choose from. I hit this street several times. My lunch was VND 140,000 GASP! or US $6.36, oh OK. See, the numbers are just too big to wrap your brain around.
Next I visited the two main museums, one on the history of the peoples in the region, and one on what seems to be the perpetual state of occupation and war that Vietnam has been under for centuries. You’d think somebody would finally realize to just leave them alone.
I walked back to the hotel past a very large lake with a beautful pagoda on an island and bought a beautiful knife-cut design card from an old Vietnamese lady with most of one leg missing from a land mine. Or that’s what she said. Either way, I was happy to help her a little bit. I stopped for snacks at a Circle K convenience store. For those of you in Texas, yes it’s the same company. Wow.
I work on a plan with the front desk ladies to go on a sleeper-train – 3 day mountain trek – sleeper-train trip to Sapa. This is northwest of Hanoi, spitting distance to the border with China. The area is lush green jungle and rice paddies and villages trapped in time. I sign up, naive to the punishment I would receive. More on that later.
I found a Boston-themed Irish pub called O’Leary’s which was actually started by a Swedish man. Go figure. I watched the rain-soaked Formula 1 Qualifying from Monza. Lewis Hamilton set a new pole record, surpassing Michael Schumacher.
I walked back to the hotel and checked the built-in pedometer in my new phone: 19,429 steps. In searing heat and humidity. Take that you 10,000 step woosies.
Up next, Ha Long Bay.
