HANOI ROCKS!

It's been a while since we've done a top ten list. So, the following are the top ten reasons, in no particular order, which make Hanoi rock!
1.Bia Hoi: Vietnam's signature service available on most street stalls and corners where kegs of micro brewed beer are distributed in various strengths, flavors and temperatures, all for usually less than 20 cents per glass.



2.Temple of Literature: Vietnam's wonderfully preserved first university, constructed in the 11th century, where steles, concrete inscribed pillars supported by turtle statues, display the names of the graduates of Confucian studies and their accomplishments and where beautiful architecture is balanced by peaceful surroundings.



3.Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex: As the name indicates, this is a complex in the middle of the city containing the Dien Huu Pagoda, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ho Chi Minh's humble stilt house and the most amazing Ho Chi Minh mausoleum where visitors are thoroughly searched, orderly configured and hurriedly ushered through the building by soldiers wearing amazingly bright white and pressed uniforms and large munitions where Ho Chi Minh himself lies perfectly preserved in a glass case for over forty years and is available for viewing on all days except Monday and Friday and not between the months of September and December when he goes on hiatus to Russia.



4.Highway 4: Perhaps the best restaurant and best meal to be had in all of Vietnam, let alone Hanoi, where diners can experience such culinary delights as succulent skewered crocodile, delicately braised ostrich, tender jelly fish salad, perfectly seasoned locust, rare cooked horse and crispy pigs ear salad.



5.Street Food: Buy a few small plastic chairs and tables from Toys-R-Us, light a fire on the sidewalk and delight passersby with your Granny's greatest Vietnamese recipe, or any number of local and delightful treats which should always include bubble tea as a refresher and cafe sua da (iced sweet milk coffee) as a pick-me-up.



6.Street Life: Vendors and merchants call out to you from their storefronts, roaming vendors and merchants follow you insisting that you buy their products, motorbike drivers so eager to give you a lift, even if just around the corner, cyclo drivers urging you to take a one hour tour of the city, street stalls crammed with the likes of business folk, tourists, families and locals, horns, lots of honking horns, buzzing motorbikes, little children with whispy baby chick hair toddling around, souveneirs of every make and model and lots of foreigners looking lost, disoriented and completely out of place!



7.Roi Nuoc: Vietnam's ancient art of water puppetry dating back 1000 years and originally performed by farmers in their rice patties and now thanks to a young troupe of musicians and puppeteers, available for all to see in the City's water puppet theater



8.Shopping: Each street in this winding and maze like center of the old city has been apportioned to catering to one specific type of product, be it plastic, wood, worn, carried, bright, dull, expensive, cheap, necessary, useless, amazing or ordinary, it is all available and no reasonable price will be refused.



9.Hoan Kiem Lake: A beautiful and serene oasis located right in the heart of the thriving old city where visitors and worshipers alike can cross the wooden bridge onto the small island where the Ngoc Son (Jade Mountain) Temple is located where offerings are offered, photos are taken and where the legend of the 15th century Emperor, Ly Thai To, was made when a giant golden tortoise snatched the sword he used to defeat the Chinese and swam with it to the bottom of the lake which was aptly named the Lake of the Restored Sword.



10.St. Joseph's Cathedral: A taste of medieval Europe right smack dab in the middle of the city offering a quiet respite from the madness and chaos and providing a curious infusion of Christian and Buddhist design where bonzai trees flank statues of Jesus.

SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 6:34 PM

Idalis:

Most days, traveling is great. You're having great adventures, the food is new and amazing, and the sights can take your breath away. I feel lucky to be having these experiences. I had this feeling while in Hoi An. Kevin and I rented bikes for the day to ride to the beach, and as I squatted by the side of the road and slurped on snails cooked with lemongrass and chillies and watched the traffic zoom by, a smile came to my face. I was in Vietnam!

In Hoi An, Kevin and I strolled through the streets, admired the old architecture with French and Chinese influences, crossed the Japanese bridge, and watched the Chinese silk lanterns lit up at night. We sampled the local cuisine, which included cao lau (noodle soup mixed with croutons, bean sprouts, and pork slices) and “white rose,” small steamed dumplings stuffed with shrimp.



Hue was no disappointment, either. We visited the ancient citadel and took a motorbike tour of the city with knowledgeable Mr. Trung, who told us the history of Hue as it related to the ancient tombs and pagodas. Mr. Trung fought for the south with the Americans during the “American War,” and we gained a new perspective while talking to him. Hue was a charming city, bustling at its center yet full off calming rice paddies once in the outskirts.


























But . . .

Some travel days are better than others. Today was definitely not one of the better ones!

We left the town of Hue last night on an overnight bus to Ninh Binh, where we were assured we could get onward travel to Cat Ba Island, described as a “quaint, romantic” island in Halong Bay that Kevin and I wanted to spend a few days in before going on to the chaos that is sure to be Hanoi. Halong Bay, and specifically, Cat Ba Island, is a place I had read about at length. I couldn't wait to go. I had no idea it would be such a headache to get there!

This was our nightmare:

5:30 PM: Overnight “sleeper” bus departed (if anyone can actually sleep, it's a miracle) from Hue to Ninh Binh.

5:00 AM: Arrived in Ninh Binh where the bus just dropped us off in the middle of nowhere. No map, no bus station, no orientation, but we did find two motorbike touts who want to show us a room or take us to the bus station!

6:00 AM: After searching fruitlessly for an ATM, Kevin and I get a motorbike ride to the “highway” where we're assured we can get onward travel to Haiphong ferry. We don't know where we are so we agree to pay 40,000 dong to get to the highway, as the motorbike driver says “highway very far.”

6:05 AM: Yeah right. One kilometer and 3 bucks later, we're deposited in front of a noodle shop. Owner speaks no English.

6:30 AM: Rickety bus makes its way down the road. Motorbike drivers help flag it down and we get in. We're once again assured we will be dropped off at the Haiphong ferry where we can get the hydrofoil to Cat Ba Island. Bus ride is very uncomfortable. Kevin and I are hot, sweaty, and have had to pee for hours! A man sitting next to Kevin on the bus mistakes him for a pillow and falls asleep on his shoulder, drool spilling out of his mouth. I try not to think about my bulging bladder.

9:00 AM: After seeing a sign that says “Haiphong – 25 kilometers” the bus driver stops and the attendant throws our bags out the door. We're assured with nods that this stall, next to the highway, is actually Haiphong.

9:05 AM: Yeah right. Evil motorbike drivers try to tell us the only way to Haiphong is by motorbike, which they of course can take us on. They want 150,000 dong to take the two of us. “Haiphong very far. Bus not possible.” I don't believe them, as I've seen a bus go by with the words “HAI PHONG” on it! I don't read Vietnamese, but I'm not an idiot!

9:10 AM: I lose my @#$% and Kevin and I start to argue in the middle of the highway about what to do. I think the devil's spawn are lying to us about our options. Motorbike drivers and proprietors of noodle shop think it's very funny and are laughing at us.

9:25 AM: As Kevin is trying to negotiate a better price for the motorbike rides, I see a bus coming our way with “HAI PHONG” written on it. We flag it down but the driver and attendant don't speak English. The attendant keeps nodding his head yes and physically tries to push me onto the bus. I'm not a happy camper.

9:27 AM: An angel in the form of a young Vietnamese girl pokes her head out of bus and asks us, “Where you want to go?” We explain, they say no problem, and get on the bus headed to Haiphong. Bus ride will be 40,000 dong.

9:30 AM: We chat with the girl but later find out we must pay an extra 10,000 dong because of our “big bags.” It's still better than 150,000 dong.

10:00 AM: Bus drops us off somewhere in Haiphong. When we say we want to go to the ferry they point at a group of motorbike drivers waiting for their kill and say, “You take motorbike!” Over my dead body, we are not taking a motorbike. We ask a taxi driver and he says he can take us to the ferry for 650,000 dong! Kevin and I have to laugh out loud.

10:10 AM: We wander the streets aimlessly. We have no idea where we are in Haiphong (Vietnam's third largest city) and we have no idea where the ferry pier is. No one seems to speak English and we can't even find a hotel to ask in. People are staring at us with our big packs. We are tired from having no sleep, our bags weigh a ton, and we still have to pee. Where the hell is this pier?

10:20 AM: We see a sign for an English school. TOEFL classes! They must speak English!!! Maybe they can tell us where we are and which way is the ferry pier!!!!

10:22 AM: Very nice and pretty receptionists don't understand. But they write down on a piece of paper the name of a bookstore where maybe we can get a map of the city.


10:30 AM: Where the hell is Tien Phong book shop?

10:40 AM: Kevin sees a “cafe” advertising WiFi. He has a great idea: we'll go in, go on-line to find a map of the city, and figure out where we are.

10:45 AM: The “cafe” is actually a “massage and karaoke” bar. Read: prostitutes. The pretty lady takes our coffee order and we go on-line. We find out where we are and decide we're going to try to walk to the ferry. We do not want to use the motorbike drivers, as their prices are very inflated. Ferry pier seems to be about 2 miles away, but we are determined. We pee (finally!), drink our gross coffee, and thank the owners, who are dumbfounded by Kevin's apparent disinterest in their women and our presence there.

11:30 AM: We walk for almost an hour with our heavy bags down the busy streets of Haiphong, dodging motorbikes, cyclo riders, and women with pointy hats balancing stinky durian fruit. We continue to get strange looks but press on. Hallelujah!!! We finally arrive at the ferry pier, weigh our options, and decide to take the 12:30 ferry to Cat Ba Island. We eat a bowl of pho (beef noodle soup) and wait.

12:30 PM: The mangy “hydro – spoil” (as Kevin names it) has seen better days. We count our blessings and say we're just happy to finally be on our way. We start to see the islands and caves on our journey. Kevin takes pictures and I swallow my nausea on the rocking seas.

3:30 PM: The “quick” ferry ride takes three hours instead of 90 minutes. “Quaint” Cat Ba Island has a million scooters, neon lights, and Vietnamese families here on holiday. It's not at all the quiet escape we were hoping for. It takes us over an hour to find a decent room in a hotel. Most are either full to capacity or way beyond our budget.





5:00 PM: 24 hours after starting our journey, we finally find a room at Nha Nghi Hotel. It's clean, and at $12 a night, will not break the bank. Unfortunately, Mr. Lo informs us that rates more than double on the weekends to over 400,000 dong! We will stay for two nights but are not sure what we will do when the weekend comes.

5:30 PM: Kevin and I collapse on the bed, exhausted and overwhelmed by the day. I am feeling depressed and missing home. Why does it have to be so hard sometimes? I wish I was in my air-conditioned home with the dog, watching a DVD and ordering pizza (something I can pronounce), in a country where I can speak the language and I'm not considered a walking ATM machine. Not all days are great :(




Sunday, June 21, 2009 6:30 PM

Postscript:

So as not to end on a downer, Cat Ba Island did redeem itself in the end. Although Cat Ba town itself was loud and crowded, our 2-day boat cruise around Halong Bay was amazing. Watching the green-carpeted rock formations jutting out of the water is a sight we won't soon forget. We had a wonderful captain, an amazing cook, and very friendly shipmates. We swam, kayaked, and visited dark underwater caves. Spooooooky! We slept under the stars in a sailing junk, and although one it was one of the hottest, sweatiest, and stickiest nights I can remember yet, it was also one of our most memorable. Some days are DEFINITELY better than others!

HOT DAMN, WE'RE IN VIETNAM!

June 8th @ 20:14

Kevin

When I think Vietnam, all I was able to conjure up was images from movies I have seen, mostly movies made by Westerners and concerning the theme of warfare. Upon arrival, I realized that all of my conjured images were completely wrong. Immediately, I couldn't even grasp the fact that we were actually here. Never in my life did I picture, or even imagine, myself visiting Vietnam.

Once again, we have arrived in a location within Southeast Asia that has been absolutely pummeled by war and civil unrest. Unfortunately, we were also to learn that most of the damage was at the hands of the Americans. Though land mines and live munitions still lie in wait throughout parts of Vietnam, and amputees are abundant and ever present, it appears as if the bulk of the lasting damage comes in the form of the lingering affects of “agent orange”. It is a legacy that leaves its victims debilitated, mutilated and deformed. However, not only are the Vietnamese struggling with these horrors, but so are many of the children of American soldiers back in the states. The use of chemical weapons was a violation of the war sanctions, but so were many other of the tactics used by American forces, including secret bombings and torture. A visit to the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) was a way for us to understand the horrors of war from the perspective of the Vietnamese, who coincidentally refer to the Vietnam War as the American War.






Throughout our travels, Idalis and I have become privy to some of the horrors of war. We have learned a great deal about history, more than was ever afforded in a classroom and have also come to the realization that there are no winners in war, only victims. In little more than thirty years, the Vietnamese have accomplished the impossible. They have regrouped, restructured and rebuilt an entire empire of prosperity. Though technically Communist, Vietnam and its citizens are incredible resourceful, entrepreneurial and as capitalist as their Western counterparts. Meaning that with time, America may have realized that the Communist machine it was most concerned with would eventually share many of the same interests and ideas about a free market world and a war that destroyed so many lives may not have been necessary at all. In spite of all of it, the Vietnamese people that we have spoken to say that the past is best left in the past and that their religion, Buddhism, teaches them to forgive, which they seem to have done. However, they also say that they will never forget.

Before traveling here, we were very concerned with how we would be received. As it turns out, there appears to be no hard feelings toward American travelers. In fact, it seems as if the Vietnamese are also happy to put this all behind them and stay purely focused on the future and becoming a force in the global community, not to mention being incredibly gracious, patient and welcoming hosts. Our first stop was the capital city of Ho Chi Minh, known also as Saigon. We arrived overland by bus and immediately found (rather it found us) a cute little guest house in the middle of a thriving city and tourist area. We had only given ourselves a couple days here as we have only a thirty day visa and many places we hope to visit. Nonetheless, our visit to the capital was a fine introduction to our new destination and amongst other things, we visited a Catholic cathedral, known as Notre Dame, the War Remnants Museum, stumbled upon an amazing market in the heart of the city and once again treated ourselves to heaps of food in street and market stalls that we could not only not identify, but could also not pronounce. As with any country we visit, we make serious attempts to learn the basic salutations, inquiries and greetings in the local language. Thus far, our favorite one in Vietnam is “bia hoi”, which means draft beer and which runs anywhere from 3000 to 11000 dong, or 15 to 60 cents per liter. If that is not a capitalist dream, then I am not sure what is.










Our immediate plans for Vietnam changed several times, and continue to change. Amongst the myriad of things we have learned on this trip, we agree that thirty days is just not enough to visit a country and fail to realize how we could ever have been satisfied by two week vacations in our previous lives. Anyways, we decided, rather at the last minute, that we would carry on to a small beach town, Vietnam has over 4000 kilometers of coast line, called Mui Ne. A decision that would have us giddy from the time we arrived and stumbled upon our pristine, immaculate and oh so cute accommodations at the Hiep Hoa Resort. With only fifteen units, this amazing little guest house has been our respite for the last few days. We are finding it hard to tear ourselves away from the perfectly manicured garden, the shady coconut trees, the empty stretch of beautiful beach and the crisp refreshing waters of the South China Sea. Within one hour of arriving, I had already secured a rental surf board and was in the water enjoying the occasional waist high wave. On another occasion we rented a motorbike and spent the day skirting along the coast, visiting a local fish sauce plant, the red sand dunes, the white sand dunes and a gorge cut into the red sandstone by storm water, known as a ferry stream, that winded its way from a country field all the way down to the beach. Life in this once little fishing village turned small and manageable resort town is quaint, quiet and peaceful. Late breakfasts, lounging afternoons and incredible beach side dinners of fresh sea food fit the bill perfectly and help to ease the pain of what had once again been a long stretch of intense travel covering mind boggling distances and several countries.








As soon as we can find the heart to tear ourselves away, we will head further north to the food and culture capitals of Hoi An and Hue, where we hope to be treated to visits to the famous Kinh Tanh (citadel), the Royal Tombs, amazing shopping and of course, more bia hoi!

ANGKOR WHAT?

Monday, June 1, 2009 4:38 PM

Idalis:

Cambodia. Never in a million years did I think I would ever come here. Before planning for this trip, I didn't even know where this small kingdom was, or the history of its tragic past. Cambodia inspired and depressed me, amazed and shocked me, and that was just during the tuk tuk rides!

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap was our first major destination, the city who's life blood are the magnificent temples of Angkor. We were truly impressed with this place, and loved riding bikes around this surprisingly navigable city, exploring and revisiting temples at our leisure for three days. The shop and restaurant owners across from the temples made sure we were properly hydrated, fed, and clothed as they yelled from across the street, “Sir! You buy cold water! Very cheap! Two for one dollar! Madam! You need pineapple! After you buy t-shirt from me! I give you discount!” My words can't do the place justice, but here were some of our favorites:

Angkor Wat – What everyone comes to see. It's the largest religious building in the world, with towering columns and seven-headed nagas.




Bayon – One of our favorites. There are 216 huge faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion) carved into the rocks. VERY cool!




Ta Prohm – Our #1 favorite! One of the largest temples in Angkor, it has been taken over by nature, and trees with tentacle-like roots are slowly strangling the stonework.




Kbal Spean – A beautiful hike to this spot rewarded us with this sight, carvings done right into a riverbed.




Banteay Srei – A wat with beautiful, elaborate carvings. We definitely took way too many pictures here!




Not all was so rosy, though. Siem Reap, as well as Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, has many beggars and homeless people. Many of these are amputees who have lost limbs due to stepping on landmines. We visited the Cambodia Landmine Museum and were horrified to learn that sadly, many of them were planted by our own country.




Kids and amputees in the city try to make money by selling copied or used books (check for missing pages!) and I tried to contribute by buying a book from a man with a missing leg. I also gave him two books I had already read, hoping it would help him make a little extra cash on the side. A few hours later, a little kid with tattered clothing approached me and tried to sell me my own books back. When I told him that I had already read those books, that they used to be mine, he quipped that I needed to read them again to remember better!

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Penh is a traffic-filled city that smells like stinky durian fruit, where some people come only for cheap drugs and cheaper prostitutes. Seedy in some areas . . . but we kinda' liked it! As Cambodia's capital, it's the best example of the country's contradictions: exotic and chaotic, compulsive yet repulsive.

Most important for us was visiting the Tuol Sleng Museum, also known as S-21. In 1975, Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge security forces turned this school into the largest center of detention and torture in the country. Out of 20,000 Cambodians prisoners who were brought here between 1975 and 1979, only seven survived. I felt an incredibly heavy weight as I walked through the dark halls and entered the former classrooms, many of them with just a single rusty bed and the leg shackles they used to chain prisoners. Although very hard to experience, Kevin and I are very glad that we went, as it helped us to understand Cambodia's past and present.




We were happy to get some fresh air after such an oppressive environment, and took a walk by the riverfront. We saw the gilded Royal Palace and walked by some beautiful wats. We were happy to see Cambodian families along the riverfront, enjoying the evening by playing shuttle cock, taking an outdoor aerobics class (so funny!), or buying balloons for their kids. Cambodia is a country that has been to hell and back, and we hope that their wounds continue to heal.