March 31 Another hazy day in Hanoi

I wonder if I am ever going to see the sun again. I sure hope that this smog isn't everywhere in Vietnam.
I just walked in the old town today. This old quarter still follows the medieval custom where all the same trades are on the same street. My hotel is on the grave stone street. At any time there men on the sidewalk carving away. There is the bamboo street, if you need some bamboo poles. I bought some underwear on the Underwear Alley. That's all they sell there, and it's the only place where you can get underwear. Sizing is the other fun. My "medium" is an "XL" here.
The Vietnamese language is interesting. It is a tonal language. This means that how you sound a word is very important. For example the word "ma" has six different meanings, depending on how you sound it. Two of the meanings are "mother" and "horse". I guess you would have to be very careful when you ask someone "May I ride your horse?"
Anyway life goes on.
One great thing here is the local beer. There are "taverns" every couple of blocks. A man sits beside a large plastic vat. A rubber hose is like a tap, which he controls with his finger. When someone orders a glass he fills the glass. 35 cents a glass; and it's good beer. Cheaper than Coke.
Tomorrow I am off on another road trip, starting at Ba Be Lakes and then to Cao Bang. I won't be back to Hanoi till Sunday.
I will try to keep blogging
Ralf

April 1 to April 4

April 1 to April 4
The last 3 days have been fun.

I had wanted to visit BaBe National Park and Ban Gioc Waterfalls in the Northeast of Vietnam. According to the Lonely Planet this not easy to do without a tour, and for once I decided to do the smart thing. I decided to use a travel agency. I spoke to the gentleman at ET Pumpkin and he arranged a private 4 day tour to the area.
Smart thing. I went with a driver, and an English speaking guide. They were both were excellent, and I have to say driving here is not pleasant. I would say we averaged 40 km/h, over winding mountain roads. You never know what is around the next corner. You sound your horn, and hope. We met all kinds of things. My favourites were the water buffalo. They has the most world-weary woeful expression on their face; as they look at you in the middle of the road. It's almost like they are saying "And you think you have problems...". There are also families of ducks, waddling across, pigs, cows, and many many dogs. The dogs think they own the road. You have to sound the horn to get them to move. One couple of dogs were busy copulating in the middle of the road, with trucks, cars, motor bikes, and bicycles, going around them left and right.I guess they have their priorities.
The other thing you see hundreds of are motor bikes, and their loads. It sometimes is unbelievable. One time two trees seemed to be in the middle of the road. As we got closer a motorbike, with a 10 foot tree on either side came towards us. We saw bikes with several dozen chickens, 3 live pigs, 5 goats, all on the back. And that doesn't include the huge bags. I think the most priceless was a motor bike with a small horse, tied up, its legs in the air, on the back of a 110 cc bike. I got a picture of that one. Usually by the time you see one, they are gone, but the horse one was in a town.
We arrived in Ba Be NP in the afternoon. We had a "homestay", which means staying with a local family. It was in a small fishing village, overlooking the lake. At this time of year the water level is quite low. During the rainy season the water rises 2 to 3 meters, and sometimes higher. That is the reason all the houses are built on stilts. The bottom level is for staorage, and the higher level contains all the living quarters. The house is about 30 by 30 feet, and is one large room. Curtains are used to partition off the rooms. Furniture is basic; for everyone. My room had a mattress on the floor, and a mosquito net. There was also a large deck, overlooking the water.
Most Vietnamese families live together. When a son marries his wife moves in with him. There is no welfare system and so the younger generation provides for their parents. The family we stayed with had on older couple, their so, his wife, and two small children.
We had a great meal, cooked by the son. It was the best meal I have had in Vietnam so far. The way they cook their vegetables is fantastic. I can't wait to try some of the things I have eaten, once I get home.
In the evening we sat on the deck, drinking tea. I must say I haven't got used to their tea, or their coffee, so far. The tea is served in cups that hold about 1 ounce. After a while it becomes lukewarm, very strong, and bitter. I imagine crocodile piss would taste like this.
It was a lovely evening, very similar to what sitting up north at a cottage would be like. It is jungle country, lots a crickets and frogs. To make it more authentic, there were even the odd mosquito. The house has no screening, so it must be fun during the evening. The mosquito netting certainly is need.
At 8 all the electricity in the village went out. It could be very romantic, but not when you are travelling alone.
The next morning the rooster sounded the alarm at 5:22, and before six the women were doing laundry in the river.
The father served pancakes, made with rice flour, milk, eggs and water. It was served with local honey. Very tasty.
In the morning we did a boat ride on the lake. The lake is quite beautiful, surrounded by mountains, covered by jungle. I would have loved to do it in a canoe. (The lake)
Then it was back in the car for another long winding road trip. We visited a couple of small villages, and my guide explained the process of growing rice. Very labour intensive, and the whole family works at it. The farmers here have no safety net, provided by the government. No crop, starvation. A very tough life.
We visited another village, higher in the mountains, too high for rice. Here they farmed corn, beans, and other greens. Each village, in addition to farming, has a specialty. One that we visited made knifes. Everything is done by hand. Many of the building still use straw and mud construction. The floors are packed dirt.
Another village specialized in making incense sticks.
The family we stayed with that day was a middle class family in a small town. The have quite a large house. The main floor is cement floored, and has a living room at the front of the house, a kitchen, and bathrooms. The sleeping areas are on the second floor. Again the furniture is simple. A mattress, mosquito net, that's it.  Again the family consisted of an older couple, their son, his wife, and a beautiful young daughter. Once again the food was great.
I slept quite well those two nights.
The next morning breakfast was noodle soup with duck. Pho, the Vietnamese soup, is the national dish, and they eat it all day long, and I have yet to have one that wasn't fantastic. Another item for my menu list.
I think Sandy can retire from the kitchen.
We then drove on to Ban Gioc waterfalls, through some mountainous, and spectacular scenery. Ban Gioc is Vietnam's largest waterfall, and half is in China, half in Vietnam. It was beautiful, and I took my 50 pictures.
There are very few tourists in this area. I think over the 3 days in the north I saw a total of fewer than 10. And, again, there isn't one postcard of this scenery.
After we left the falls, it started to drizzle. The evening was spent in the provincial capitol, Cao Bang. It was different being in a hotel again.
Sunday was rainy, not hard, but it was foggy, and actually quite cool. It took us all day to get back to Hanoi. 285 km, and it took us 7 hours of driving.
I think tomorrow will be a day of rest.
I hope everyone had a Happy Easter
Ralf

Last day in Hanoi

I have just spent my last night in Hanoi, and I hope a change of location will give me a change in weather. Hanoi has not been kind to me in terms of the weather. Warm to hot, 100% humidity, a lot of drizzling.
A couple of days ago, after I returned from my car trip to the north, I just relaxed. I did some shopping. I am not good at bargaining, I don't like it, and I feel that I am dealing with people that live on a few dollars a day, so when I bought my first tee shirt last week it was from a young girl on the street. I did do some bargaining, and ended up paying 5 dollars. Yesterday I bought another tee shirt, at a store in the Old Quarter, for 2.50, no bargaining.

In the afternoon that day I attended a Water Puppet Show. This is a very traditional form, unique to the North of Vietnam. The audience were all tourists, and it was ok, but not something I would want a video of. I had a nice dinner, and for 5 to 6 bucks, you can eat in style.
The highlight of the day was a 1 hour aromatic massage (14 $). It was fantastic. I had a hell of a time getting up from the table afterwards.
Slept like a baby. I definitely want to do this again.
Yesterday I decided to join a city tour. Group of one. My guide was a university student. She spoke English quite well. The Vietnamese have the same problems as the Chinese students I met in China. The are good at reading, and writing, but they don't get a chance to listen to native English speakers, so their spoken usage is difficult at times.
We went back to the Ho Chi Min mausoleum, and also the Presidential Palace, which was built by the French. All important buildings in Vietnam are yellow. My guide explained that yellow in the colour of royalty, and denotes power. In the good old days only the king was allowed to wear gold. That is very similar to the British royalty, where only the king was allowed to wear purple, and the colour of clothing showed the social posituion of the person.
We also visited the Temple of Literature, which wasn't so much a temple as a place of learning. It was Vietnam's first university, and is over 1000 years old. It is dedicated to Confucius. Confusionism isn't as much a religion as a philosophy of social rules, and is basically a system of feudalism. The King is appointed by the gods, men are superior to women, and it lays down a set of rules for social behaviour. No wonder the kings liked it.
I was asking my guide about teachers' pays, and she said an experienced teacher in Hanoi makes about 150$ a month. Less experienced teachers, and teachers outside of Hanoi make less. OSSTF would shudder.
After a big lunch, we visited the Museum of Ethnology. This was opened in 2000 and is excellent. There are even English descriptions. There are 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam and a lot, like the hill tribes I visited in the north are very unique, they have their own culture, their own language.
It was a long day, from 8 to almost 6.
I was stuffed from lunch, so for dinner, I just sat at one of the local street "pubs". Draft beer is still only about 30 cents. As you sit street vendors walk by selling all kinds of goodies. I had a supper of peanuts, dried shredded octopus (quite good), a slice of bologna, which the lady sliced for me, and even cut up, and also a rice cake, which was tasteless. Everything seems to cost 50 cents. A can of beer is 50 cents, same with a bottle of water, or a can of pop. Maybe that's only for tourists.
I went for a nice walk around the lake in central Hanoi. It is very nice. There is a pagoda and a temple in the lake, and it is all lit up at night. Lots and lots of people, some strolling, some doing exercises.
The amazing thing about this country are the people. I haven't seen one drunk, no arguing on the street, everyone seems content and cheerful. It is amazing.
You do hear honking of horns continuously, but it is used as a warning to others, not as a sign of anger. I have been amazed I have only seen one minor accident. One of the reasons is the traffic moves much more slowly the in our cities. Top speed is 30, usually between 10 and 20; but it moves continuously. There is not time when you are stuck somewhere for any time. It flows slowly and steadily. It is an amazing experience. I suggested to one of my guides they should make up tee shirts with a picture of a typical traffic scene, and a saying "I crossed a road in Hanoi, and I am still alive" I am sure it would sell well.
Till the next time
Ralf

Doing the Sapa Hustle

I left Hanoi on the 9 pm train to Sapa. The train was quite long, about 20 cars. Most cars are privately owned. My car is owned by the Pumpkin Tourist Agency and was quite nice. Two bunk beds. The couple in my car was a couple in their thirties, originally from Bulgaria. She is a lawyer with the UN, living in Copenhagen, he is in managment with a perfume company, stationed in Singapor. We had a nice talk before we went to sleep. There is a 45 minute drive from the train station to Sapa. Part of this 99 dollar tour included breakfastst the Pumpkin Hotel, in Sapa, and a chance to take a shower. I has signed up for a 2 day, 3 night tour. On Thursday I would walk, with a guide, to several villages, and stay overnight at one. Friday was another hike, then a ride back to Sapa, and the train back to Hanoi.
The Bulgarian couple had been told this was not possible, and they would have to stay at the hotel in Sapa. When I told them about my arrangement they tried to change theirs, but were told "Not possible" After quite a discussion, it "Became possible".
We set off with our guide on a hike I will long remember. I am used to the Bruce Trail at home, this was a goat path as a comparison, 13 km of nothing but up and down, and quite slippery in places. I remembered my motorcycle ride as mild compared to this.

The other things that happens is that 3 of the local tribal women joined us as we left Sapa. They were helpful, in helping us down some of the slippery sections.
After 3 hours we arrived in a small village for lunch. At this point the women that had been with us suddenly started to sell us local wares. By this time you have built up a relationship and you feel obligated to make at least a purchase from each. At the lunch spot "our" ladies were joined by another dozen others, all selling stuff
"You buy from me?" are the words heard most often.
After lunch our ladies left us, but 4 others took their place. It was quite amusing. I was "adopted" by this 43 old woman, who followed me for the next 3 hours. She would tell me where to step, she would point out the edible plants along the way, and feed me "goodies". The whole time she would give me a travelogue, pointing to various sights along the way. The only problem it was all in Vietnamese, and I had no idea what she was talking about. Whenever we reached a village another dozen or so women would appear and "You buy from me" would be heard many many times.
We finally arrived at our homestay, and I made my obligatory purchase. I have bought some strange things.
The day was actually wonderful. There were few clouds, the sun was shining, and the temperature was comfortable. The scenery was spectacular.
The evening was very nice. We had a good dinner, and the Bulgarian couple and  I had some great discussions. A night to remember.
The next morning, first thing, my Vietnamese "mother" re-appeared, to sell me more stuff.
I finally said good bye, and we finished our hike. At our last lunch, I counted 14 women surrounding us, trying to sell. I resisted.
After we returned to Sapa I splurged, and rented a room for the 2 hours before we left for the trainstation. 2.50$, well worth spent.
We took the mini bus back to the train station and had our "Final Dinner", as it said on the ticket. I spent another dollar to have my shoes cleaned; they were absolutely filthy, and the guy did an amazing job.
I had another nice dinner conversation, and we promised to keep in touch.
The train ride back to Hanoi was not as pleasant as the train ride there, bur I think it was due to a sore body.
Anyway, back to Hanoi.
Till the next time
Ralf

Halong Bay

The train from Sapa arrived back in Hanoi at 4:30 in the am. The ride back was not as comfortable as the ride to Sapa, mainly because my body hurts. I said goodbye to the couple I met, and we promised to keep in touch. They were off to Singapor.
I took a cab to the bus station for  bus to Cat Ba Island on Halong Bay. Halong Bay is probably the biggest tourist attraction in Northern Vietnam.
When I arrived at the bus station I discovered that there was a 5:30 bus.
I have to admit that on that bus trip I was as depressed as I have ever been on a trip. Hanoi early in the morning is as close to what I think purgatory would be. Even at 6 in the morning it is hot. The smog covers  the city with a grey blanket, there is a slight drizzle. You can see the shadowy figures of people walking, cycling, or motorbiking. There  is the continuous sound of cars, buses, and motorbikes honking their horns as they go through red Lights. Red traffic lights are mere suggestions.
And everything is filthy. I don't recall a single case where a house was freshly painted. As a matter of fact I can't remember seeing a single paintstore.
I was depressed!
The trip to Cat Ba wasn't much better. It rained most Of the way. It was quite efficient though. First there was a two hour bus ride to Haiphong, then a 45 minute minibus ride to a ferry terminal, a  40 minute ferry ride  to the island, and finally another minibus to Cat Ba Town. There are a lot of hotels. I ended up in a dump. nice view, 6 bucks a night, but small, water on the floor, very basic. No A/C.
In the afternoon I visited Cat Ba National Park. It is 17 km from the town, and not easily accessible. I ended up renting a motor bike. That's the first time on a bike in almost 50 years. It was an automatic, and easy to ride. The first part, through some traffic was a bit hair raising, but after that it was fun. The park wasn't anything to brag about. Jungle, very lush, but no flowers, and no wild life, except myself.
The best part of the afternoon was spending the rest of the afternoon just driving along the coast, stopping for a drink, just enjoying the scenery. The weather was pleasant, no rain, overcast.
The next day I spent all day on a boat trip around the Bay. The scenery is really stunning. Hundreds of islands, and the all have unique shapes. They are not the soft hills we are used to, They are sheer cliffs, covered with vegetation. I hope the hundred or so photos I took turn out. There were about 15 people on board, from all over the world. Germans, Swiss, Polish, Czechs, Greece, and Canada. I had some nice talks with 2 German girls, and a Swiss lady. As we rode around the Bay we saw a lot of boathouses. They consist of a single room shack, about 15 by 15 feet, on a floating platform about 2 times larger. The all have floating fish ponds, small, which provide their livelyhood. That's it for one family. Sometimes there are a dozen of these close together, at other times, there is only one. Now some of these are over an hour from land, and the only transportation is a canoe type boat, no motor. I can't imagine life like that.
Obviously they must bring water in, because everything goes into the water, garbage, bodily waste.
One of the parts of the boat tour is that we stopped at one of these houseboats, and were provided with kayaks, which we could padle around for an hour or so. I had hoped to take a swim, but once I saw the water I decided not to. I also got lost among all the islands, and was the last one back.
After a nice lunch, on board, we cruised some more and visited a nice, large, impressive cave.
On the way back we stopped at Monkey Island. These are probably the last 6 monkeys that haven't been eaten yet. They were eagerly awaiting the tourists for goodies. The monkeys were quite aggressive, and one man was bitten by a monkey.
The tour ended about 5, all that for 17 dollars.
The other attraction in Cat Ba are the pearls. They have oyster beds in the Bay, and they sell gorgeous ear rings, necklaces, bracelets. A pair of nice ear rings, white, pink, or black were 2 bucks. I did some shopping.
In the evening I was walking along when I met the 2 German girls from the boat. I joined them for dinner, and the Greek couple, from our boat also sat with us. After dinner we moved from beer to the local homebrew which was 100% alcohol. Four rounds of those and we were having fun. We ended up closing the restaurant. The bill for a lovely shrimp dinner, 2 beers, 4 drinks came to 10 bucks.
After all that even my hotel room didn't seem too bad.
Till later
Ralf

Hue

I took another overnight train from Hanoi to Hue this time. The trains are very convenient, comfortable,  it saves a night's hotel bill, and also gives you an extra day.
Hue was hot and humid when I arrived. What a surprise!!
I took a taxi to my hotel, 5 bucks, checked in and then went to visit the Citadel, which was the imperial residence for several centuries, until the middle of the 20th. It is similar to the Forbidden City in Bejing, but not quite as large, and in much greater disrepair.
I Just had another Vietnam Moment. I have been typing for half an hour, and suddenly the power went off. All it saved was the first few lines. I must say my 2 finger typing is improving.
Back to Hue.

The Citadel is impressive, but very little of the original is left. The French leveled most of it at the beginning of the 19th century. It's nice to know that the Americans aren't the only ones resposible for the destruction of historical monuments.
My only mistake was touring the Citadel at high noon. It was 40, sunny, and humid. I actually broke down and took a "cyclo", and bicycle with a seat at the front, back to the hotel. I blessed the inventor of air condotioning before having a nap.
There isn't a lot to see in Hue. I tried to find a couple of the pagodas, but got lost, so I ended up having a beer on the shore of the Perfume River. I have to say if the perfume is anything like the river, it will not be a big seller.
Early the next morning I joined an all day boat-bus tour on the Perfume River. A young lady on a motorbike picked me up at the hotel, and drove me to the boat. We visited a small village where they put on a Kung Fu demonstration and then a large temple complex, which was very impressive, and I got my daily lesson on Buddhism. I am becoing an expert on Confusius and Buddha. Buddha statues have big ears so he can hear his people better, a big mouth, so he can smile more, and a big belly to absorb all the problems of humanity.
I remember a tee shirt that says "I have the body of a god, too bad it's Buddha's"
After lunch we got on a bus and saw 2 Royal tombs. The second one, very beautiful, was for one of the last emperors, who was merely a figurehead for the French regime. He was broke, and had to borrow the money to build this monument.
I guess you have to have your priorities as an emperor.
Today wsn't quite as hot as yesterday, but more humid. I drank 4 liters of water, and didn't go to the washroom once. My bladder is starting to ask questions, but it is not the only part of my body being punished
TaTa for now
Ralf.

Moving to Hoi An

Got scammed today.

I went to the train station to catch the train to Danang. From there I had to take a bus to Hoi An. I met the English couple from the boat trip the day before, and he told me that he had bought a ticket for the bus from Danang to Hoi An, from a "travel agent" at the train station. I decided to do the same. Well, lo and behold when we got to Hoi An, no bus showed up. The thing that irritated me the most was that a taxi driver approached us and told us no bus will arrive, but he will drive us the Hoi An for 18 dollars. We waited for 20 minutes for the bus, and then hired another driver for 13 dollars.
The reason I took the train was that, according to the guide book, the train went along the coast over the "Sea Cloud" Pass, and the scenery was "spectacular". Let me say that was a great illusion. If this scenery was a "10" the Via Rail trip through the Rockies would be "1000".
There was one great thing though; once you do cross those mountains the climate and country is totally different. We arrived in Hoi An to clear skies, sunny weather, much less humidity, but still hot. Everything is different. The roads are actually 4 lane and straight. Hoi An is, in Vietnamese standards, very clean. It is actually a clean, pretty town.
It is a very old city, and tourism has encouraged a lot of renovations. It was a pleasure to walk around in pleasant circumstances.
Nothing is perfect in Vietnam though. Hoi An is the "tailor" capitol of the world. There are several hundred (I kid you not) tailor shops. You can't walk 4 feet without someone asking you "Where you from". Once you answer they follow you. The deals are great; a custom made silk dress for 35 dollars. There is a least one scarf for every person in Canada in Hoi An. The tailor shops are a gamble. I talked to an American woman in Hue who had ordered a dress, and when she came in for a fitting, nothing did. She went back 3 more times, and finally took what she had and left. But some shops are very reputable. I didn't buy any dresses, nothing in my colours, but I am shopping like a drunk sailor. I had to buy a second piece of luggage last night, so that all the stuff I bought would fit. I am ready to open a Vietnamese Import Store in Hamilton.
Till tomorrow
Ralf