The Giant Hanoian Post

Since my stay in Hanoi was only three days long, I wanted to pack in as much as possible.  I have been learning the ways of Vietnam rather quickly which is good – fewer lessons learned the hard way.  I want to give no illusion of having it all together right from the get-go.  Every day I see things that are so unique from anything I’ve experienced, and to be sure that I improve my navigational skills, I walk to every destination in Hanoi – no taxis.   

Day one (Sunday)

After a delicious breakfast to start the day, my host took me on a tour of their neighborhood.  Hanoi is incredibly clean for a bustling city of its size, and everywhere I look, there is hidden beauty, beckoning to be found.  A traditional and modern atmosphere, much of the architecture contrasts in influence, through the tall French shuttered windows and bright colors of stores and houses stacked on top and next to each other.  If you look with intention, you’ll see ornate details in fence grates, balconies, tree roots and vines growing into the sides of buildings. 

This tour also came with a mission to acquire my train ticket for Tuesday night’s sleeper car down to Da Nang (where I’ll be living).  I’m sure glad I had my host with me because I learned a very interesting lesson: some Vietnamese people aren’t fans of queuing.  Thankfully it wasn’t a busy day for buying train tickets, but if you didn’t watch yourself, you’d fall victim to someone sneaking a cut right in front of you before approaching the ticket seller!  I can’t imagine what it would be like on a crowded day.  Twice, I smiled, said a polite no with an arm raised to the side and these cutters would smile and back off.  It felt weird at first but apparently it’s the norm.  Trains in America are a huge expense, usually 100’s of dollars for extended rides, and generally taken for the leisure of a comfortable, slow transport.  I got the best air conditioned soft sleeper that would be going all night for 955,000 dong!  (just under $50). 

Buddha On Snowy Mount
Wood, 1794

I also visited the Vietnam Fine Art Museum which was conveniently very close to my hosts’ apartment.  It was in a very impressive building and the artwork, especially the paintings and sculptures, were incredibly beautiful and historical.

Snakehead Fish!

For dinner, my hosts and I went to a local nice Vietnamese restaurant that specializes in dishes from every VN region.  They asked me if I had any reservations on the type of food we ordered and I gave them the green light for anything.  Oh boy was I in for a treat.   Those of you who know me know that my seafood experience is subpar, especially fish.  Growing up amongst cattle and corn states, I’ve never liked the fishy smell of seafood.  Somewhere in the relay of dish selections given to our waiter, I heard “snake” and “fish.”  Great.  Later I read what she had ordered and was delighted that I was going to try the very popular snakehead fish.  This scary looking fellow is gaining quite a bit of press (recently heard a segment about them on NPR) because they are an invasive species and totally yummy.  I actually did like it quite a bit! 

Day Two (Monday)

One Pillar Pagoda

This day had important appointments so I had to be mindful of the time.  On the way to the US embassy, I ventured over to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the One-Pillar Pagoda.  Unfortunately I was unable to see him because the building isn’t open on Mondays, but the grounds were well manicured and a site within itself.  Although very touristy, the One Pillar Pagoda was uniquely tranquil.  Lonely Planet teaches:

The heirless emperor (Ly Thai Tong) dreamed that he had met … the Goddess of Mercy, who while seated on a lotus flower, handed him a male child.  Ly Thai Tong then married a young peasant girl and had a son and heir by her.  As a way of expressing his gratitude for this event, he constructed a pagoda here in 1049.  The delicate One Pillar Pagoda built of wood on a single stone pillar, is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, the symbol of purity, rising out of a sea of sorrow. 

It was a major accomplishment to find the embassy.  I had to turn around and reroute a couple of times because alleys are deceiving and it was raining of course, but eventually I completed the two mile trek and got my documents approved.  My evening was capped splendidly with a mango smoothy and Vietnamese beef and rice dish.  Yu-mmers.  So far my stomach is strong and without complaint! 

On the grounds of the Temple of Literature

Final Day (Tuesday)

This day was very confident in road navigation.  I visited the lake (which is guarded by a golden turtle with a sword), many streets within the old quarter, and spent some brief time in the Temple of Literature.  I wish I could have budgeted more of the day for the temple because it was probably the most beautiful structure and garden that I had seen in Hanoi. Unfortunately I had my large pack on my back, my small pack on my front, and it was 95 degrees with nearly unbearable humidity, so my visit was short.  My packs were ready to go because after the temple, I was to have a quick dinner with one of my hosts and head off to the train station!  A few wrong turns while navigating to dinner made me sweat even more than I was already, and I must have looked like a silly, sweaty American to many passing Hanoians. 

A testament and further evidence that I was staying with the best surfing hosts in Vietnam, I was escorted to the train station, and she even made sure I found my train coach and berth without issue.  I will miss my hosts but I hope to keep in touch and perhaps volunteer some assistance with an NGO one of them works for. 

My train cabin was awesome.  I shared it with two gals from different regions in Germany and a guy from northern Spain.  We chatted about our stay in Hanoi and the funny things that we had encountered, from pick-pocketers, to drinks with beans floating in them, to the women with 4” heels and rain gear ruling the road on their motorbikes.  As darkness quickly fell on Vietnam and the train pulled into a rhythm, we climbed into our soft sleepers for the night. 

“Goodnight!”

“Gute nacht.”

“Buenas noches.”