Journal 6 May - 15 May 2008

15 May 2008 - Day 84, Sapa

Notes: 14km trek, Hmong people followed and helped out along the way - in exchange for buying goods at the end, puppies, chicks, ducklings, piglets, babies, buffalo, cicada, boy holding snake, funny dinner - old man with plumb wine, chess board and hot pot, sore throat, great view from hotel

14 May 2008 - Day 83, Sapa

Overnight train to Sapa, Vietnam

Sapa Town, Vietnam

Today cost = hotel (10) + breakfast (3) + lunch (4) + motorbike hire (3) + petrol (1) + water (2) + dinner (5)

AUD$28 - moderate

13 May 2008 - Day 82, Hanoi

Verity's virus, Hanoi

Pho Ga, Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh's House, Hanoi

Soft-sleeper to Sapa, Hanoi

Today cost = hotel (10) + pho (1) + cyclo (5) + Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (2) + snack (2) + eel noodles & drink (2) + revolution museum (1) + dinner (1) + taxi (1) + water (1)

AUD$26

12 May 2008 - Day 81, Hanoi

Early morning exercise at Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

The fifth International Buddhist Conference and United Nations Day of Vesak (UNDV)

Cùa Nam Market, Hanoi

Today cost = Hotel (10) + breakfast (5) + water (1) + lunch (4)

11 May 2008 - Day 80, Hanoi

Bia Hoi with Adriane's parents and sister, Hanoi

Sunday service at St. Josephs Cathedral, Hanoi

Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi

Today cost = hotel (10) + breakfast (1) + pho & beer (2) + taxi (1) + museum entry (1) + water (1) + bia hoi (1) + street food (2) + dinner & beer (4)

USD$23 (AUD$25) - moderate

10 May 2008 - Day 79, Hanoi

Notes: Went to international doctor about headaches - said maybe an ear infection, saw the swiss traveller again

Today cost = hotel (10) + spanish omelette & coffee (4) + xe om (1) + baguette sandwich & drink (4) + pho & beer (2) + coffee & cake (2)

USD$23 - moderate

9 May 2008 - Day 78, Ninh Binh to Hanoi

Our time in Ninh Binh was quite surreal.

In the early mornings I woke to birds whistling the Austin Powers theme song. The limestone landscape of Tam Coc appeared out of a cheap science fiction novel. The guides on Ngo Dong River often used their feet to row while selling Chupa Chups. An elderly guide at Hoa Lu ancient citadel directed us while twirling a hula hoop round her hips and her hands held to the sky. An elderly Swiss man staying in the same hotel showed us the 40 stitches on his elbow from stumbling over while looking at his map. He had a GPS that told him the trains here go 70kmph but to Sapa they only go 30kmph. We almost got hit by a truck while riding a motorbike lacking a speedometer. We rode around on major roads under construction and not open to cars. We got lost. People smiled and waved or yelled out "Hello". Bich Dong cave temple was "Not for Impolite Visitors". Pretty young Vietnamese girls spoke to us in a seamless mix of French, Vietnamese, and English. I started to get strange headaches on the side of my head and the whole left side of my body feels a bit funny. An elderly man didn't stop trying to sell us bananas. Holding his bunch he persistently motioned to cut off just a few. We caught the train back to Hanoi at 6am.

Back in Hanoi I keep reminding Adriane its only two more sleeps before her parents come and she smiles then hits me for teasing.

Today cost = hotel (10) + train (3) + bread & tea (1) + taxi (2) + pho ga (1) + coffee (1) + 14 authentic music CDs (20) + oil & hot stone massage (12) + beef noodle soup (2) + pizza (6) + 2 beers at jazz club (5)

USD$63 - reasonable

8 May 2008 - Day 77, Ninh Binh

Ngo Dong River, Tam Coc

Today cost = guesthouse (6) + motobike (5) + petrol (2) + tam coc entry & boat ride (4) + drinks & bananas (2) + tip (1) + drink (1) + coffee & omelette baguette (3) + temple entry (1) + dinner & beer (3)

USD$28 - moderate

7 May 2008 - Day 76, Hanoi to Ninh Binh

Bowl of Pho for lunch, Ninh Binh

'Halong Bay on the rice Paddies' Tam Coc

Bich Dong temple, Tam Coc

Obligatory and friendly tour guides with Adriane, Bich Dong

It was a relief to reach Hanoi. We didn't have a great time in Saigon. I'm not exactly sure Hanoi why feels so good but it has to be one of my favourite cities in the world. Perhaps it is the labyrinth of alleyways in the old quarter, maybe its the hundreds of curb side coffee sippers, it could be the numerous galleries and curious shopfronts, or the huge trees sheltering a population largely complacent to the activities of foreigners, but its probably a combination of all the above plus more.

Admittedly Saigon was a stop over point before flying to Hanoi so we only spent two nights in the city. Our family run guesthouse was homely with plenty of food in the neighbourhood. Baguettes with cheese and cucumber for breakfast, pho for lunch, and a host of restaurants to try for dinner.

Unfortunately for us it wasn't the food or hotel that proved memorable but the annoying cyclos endlessly bugging for a ride and doing their best to rip-off tourists. While Adriane was browsing through a shop of garments I stood outside dealing with an especially persistent cyclo. We wanted to give them a try thinking it would be a nice way to see the city and a convenient way to get to the local zoo. After a few minutes he brought over Mr.Son, another cyclo rider with good english and a book of encouraging comments left by fellow Australians. I bargained them down to 15,000 dong ($1) each for a one way trip to the zoo later in the afternoon. This would be roughly the same price as a metered taxi. After a humorous afernoon in the zoo, feeding elephants and gawking at lions, the cyclos had waited for us and would then take us home for the same price. When they dropped us off it got a bit messy. "150,000 each" with a big grin across both their faces. As I tried to laugh of their ridiculous claim their smiles stretched into aggressive frowns. I said 15,000 for one way and the same back equals 60,000 each, so 120,000.

15,000 dong buys a good bowl of Pho or baguette sandwich and a coffee. $10 each for a ride to the zoo was absurd and simply not what we arranged. As it turns out our original agreement was confused in translation. Spoken through Vietnamese broken english 15 and 50 sound remarkably similar.

The cyclos claimed we agreed on 50,000 each way and added another 50,000 for the period they waited. We didn't ask them to wait and I actually made a point that they should leave and come back at a specific time. Anyway they soon got very angry and began to yell at me for not complying with their tricks. I eventually said I would give them 150,000 for both of us but not each. 75,000 dong is still excessive. I tried shoving the money in Mr.Son's pocket as he complained about how poor he was and how we lied to him. The money fell to the street as onlookers enjoyed the spectacle. They climbed on their cyclos persisting with the guilt trip and wouldn't take the money. Fine I thought, fuck them. We walked on.

After a hundred metres or so we noticed them slowly following and eventually reached us to yell a bit more. I was keen to settle this because it was embarrasing to walk around with two cyclo drivers yelling at you and I didn't want them to know where we were staying. I yelled back reminding them how much money they were asking for and what country they were in and that I was not stupid. Eventually the one who couldn't speak English agreed to take the money (150,000) for them both and snatched it from my grasp. We didn't see them again. The whole event upset Adriane greatly and I kept reminding her how they still ripped us off with what I gave them. Having what you thought was a nice old man looking after you turn around and start yelling is not a good experience especially when you are a visitor and want the locals to be content with you there.

That little event stained our time in Saigon. Although, we did manage to have a huge meal of Indian food and a nice stroll though the city the following day.

As I mentioned earlier Hanoi is fantastic. I even ran into a photographer I met last year at a workshop in Hanoi. We shared laughter over crazy vietnamese coffee and I caught up with the local professional activity, opportunities aplenty with growing businesses and loosening government. Hai laughed hysterically when I told him about some resident American drug smugglers in Saigon avoiding Hanoi because it is too Communist and backwards. I think the further away they stay the better.

The streets of Hanoi have noticeably transformed even in the one year since I first visited. The number of glossy shopfronts trading in counterfits for the real thing are growing rapidly and there is even a KFC. Last night Adriane and I had a very funny debate a few paces down the road from KFC about if we should give it a try. In the end we joined the cues if only to see who was also inside and what the locals thought.

Funnily enough cueing in a line seems to be a foreign concept to Vietnamese people I've encountered. In the airport as were checking in our luggage a man with a trolley raced into the counter and started to outlay his documents only to be shown we were already being processed - oh. Only moments later as we were waiting for the tickets two more men did the same thing. When purchasing a train ticket we initially stood directly behind the people being served - noooo thats not how you do it here. The short cue we thought we started soon became a cluster as more of the local population pushed and pulled to be the next ones served. The same phenomenon can be found in the new KFC Hanoi. I liken this behaviour to the movement of motorcycles in Vietnam. They do not stop. If a car or obstacles stops in front you either find a way around it or hold your hand to the horn. Why wait?

No stopping the Vietnamese.

We decided to go to Ninh Binh so today we are about 100km south of Hanoi. A two hour train ride on wooden seats with mildly beautiful scenery. Attractions of Ninh Binh include the 'Halong Bay in Rice Paddies' (Tam Coc rock formations), cave temples, the Dinh dynasty (968-80) capital city Hoa Lu, and the Cuc Phuong National Park.

We are both healthy, happy, and looking forward to meeting with Adriane's parents and sister in a few days. Adriane is especially excited to the point of losing sleep.

Today cost = baguette with eggs & coffee (2) + guesthouse (6) + pho & coke (2) + motorbike (3) + petrol (1) + guide (1) + drink (1) + beer (2) + dinner (7)

USD$25 (AUD$27) - moderate

6 May 2008 - Day 75, Hanoi

Myself as seen by a Vietnamese photographer & friend playing with my camera, Hai

Adriane reaching for the stars, Hanoi

Guilty glance from the KFC cue, Hanoi

Notes: Is Hanoi the greatest city in the world?, chance meeting with Hai at photographer coffee shop, eel for lunch, Vietnamese and cues (airport, train ticket, KFC - no stopping like a motorbike), early rise to see exercising, humorous debate over if we should eat at KFC in Hanoi

Today cost = guesthouse (10) + breakfast (3.5) + xe om (3) + train ticket (1.50) + eel noodles & beer (2) + coffee (1) + postcards (2) + KFC (3) + water (1) + map (1)

USD$28 (AUD$30) - moderate

14 February - 6 March 2008 (Phuket)

7 March - 16 March 2008 (Phuket/Phi Phi Island)

17 March - 28 March 2008 (Phuket)

29 March - 7 April 2008 (Phuket/Bangkok/Chiang Mai/Pai)

8 April - 18 April 2008 (Chiang Mai/Bangkok)

19 April - 28 April 2008 (Siem Reap/Phnom Penh)

29 April - 5 May 2008 (Phnom Penh/Saigon)

6 May - 15 May 2008 (Hanoi/Ninh Binh/Sapa)

16 May - 27 May 2008 (Sapa/Hanoi/Ha Long Bay/Hué/Hoi An/Doc Let/Mui Ne)

28 May - 7 June 2008 (Saigon/Phnom Penh/Siem Reap)

8 June - 15 June 2008 (Siem Reap)

16 June - 24 June (Siem Reap/KL/Austinmer)