When I landed the sun wasn't even up. It was around 6 AM. I was one of the first people through customs- had my visa and passport in hand expecting to be asked lots of questions. Instead, just a stamp. Oh the feeling when you get a new stamp in your passport is joyous. Its like the way you build your credentials to be an explorer. When you say you are a traveler - it is the stamps in your passport that qualify you in the role.
I quickly retrieved my bag, went straight to get some dong (which, yes I know... sounds a bit dirty! haha), and a SIM card. I then awaited my transport.
Unfortunately, the guy wasn't holding a sign with my name on it.I sure like the idea of someone waiting for you holding your name on a placard! That has happened twice in my life. Once in Turkey- but they spelled my name wrong and I didn't recognise it for a good 10 minutes. The next time it happened was when my dad held a sign up at the airport after I got my PhD. I don't know what it is about having a sign with your name on it- maybe its the feeling of being welcomed! I don't know. But regardless he had a sign that said FlashPack and he escorted me to the van. Its interesting really- getting into a van with a guy that has basically only shown you a text message with your name on it and then off you go. And in this instance... off I go meant in the back of a speeding van that was zig zagging between speeding motorbikes that transported small families, chickens (dead and alive), ladders, vegetables, plastic chairs and coconuts. And the thing is that its not the fact that there vegetables on the back of the motorbike it is the copious amounts of vegetables and coconuts, the sheer number of family members (think I saw up to 6- 4 kids and a mom and a dad), and how in the world 7 or 8 cages of chickens can stack up on the back of the bike and not fall over is beyond me!
I made it to the hotel- checked in, and fell asleep for a couple hours, got up and had some breakfast (which was the start of many days of rice and soup!), and then went back to sleep. While I was able to sleep some on the flight considering that it was a day time flight made it difficult to fully do so. Instead I read a book on the flight. So the exhaustion hit me and there was no way that I was going to "push through"- even though I always tell people that is the only way to combat jet lag.
The book I read was really good! I have to say this was an excellent holiday for reading. Some how I got through 3 books of pleasurable reading! Book number 1 was called Catfish and Mandala by Andrew Pham. The book is actually a memoir which tells the story of a Vietnamese American who is living in California and how he goes back to his homeland to meet new and old friends and family all done so by traveling on wheels. Not the fancy, or rather not fancy motorbikes, just a good ol fashioned bicycle. This pilgrimage so to speak reveals telling tales of his life before and after his family left Vietnam when he was 10 years old. It truly is a beautiful story and worth the read- particularly if you are traveling to Vietnam. I was able to get insight into some of the places I was traveling to, some of the customs I was about to see, and just a sense for the political landscape that awaited me. In also had planned to get another book on Cambodia but didn't find the one I was looking for before I left- so that will be for another day. But yeah.. read this book!
That night I met Siri- who was joining the trip and also came in a day early. We made a venture out and the streets were so crowded!! Motorbikes everywhere and at this point in time we did not know the cultural rules in how to cross the street. Who would have known that you are just supposed to walk into oncoming traffic- so I say yay us for almost dying only twice. They sped past us, honk honk beep beep. Masks covering their faces, the air definitely not as clean as the Scottish air I have become accustomed to. The sights the sounds. So much to take in.
We went on a hunt for Vietnamese coffee which Siri had tasted before (which we found a lot of coffee shops, but not specifically what she was looking for. We didn't have the good stuff until a few days later. However, we found a cup of coffee that tasted pretty decent-very sweet and very very strong! This is particularly because in many cases condensed milk is used in the coffee
We left the coffee shop and I had said to Siri- I thought you had another bag and then she realised that she had forgotten her other one at the outdoor cafe. In my head, I assumed it would be gone. I had read about bag snatching being a thing- so in no way did I believe this bag would have stayed where it was left. However, much to my surprise- it was there. For some reason, it made me feel at ease... I was actually in a very safe town.
We walked around a bit more. Boy it was crowded. We realised that a football game was on- Malaysia vs Vietnam. It was a huge game and happening right in Hanoi. Cafes were setting up their spaces to have TVs, restaurants and bars as well. People began to pack in to watch the game. It reminded me of the 2010 World Cup- I was traveling Europe at the time and couldn't get over the crowds, and how the large television screens were set up everywhere they could be!
Anyway, we found a place to have some dinner and while very simple beef with noodles- it was very yummy. I was not too risky with the food yet, because part of me just kept expecting that anything I ate would lead to traveler's diarrhea!! However, this first meal was a success (as every other meal throughout the trip- wahoo! TMI maybe.. sorry about that). Dinner and a drink was basically only $4.00- I could get used to those dining prices!
As we headed back we carefully crossed the streets, walked into the wrong hotel once thinking it was ours (yes after being so proud of ourselves for making it back), and got some help from a nice stranger telling us which way to go. We avoided the flare that was set in the street, we were then escorted across the street by a stranger who saw us struggling (he just grabbed my arm and there we went).
All in all I would say that the first day in hanoi was a success! I don't have too many pictures of this day as I was in such a daze that I didn't want to be responsible for myself not dying as I played frogger across the road and a camera! Today was a day of just taking it all in. Honk Honk, Beep Beep- welcome to motorbike city.
However here is some info on thefootball game:
Here is the hotel we stayed at: Hotel Ann
And below is a glimpse of the motorbike traffic in Hanoi :)