#69806 - 01/22/08 05:18 AM
JBR (late) Hanoi, Ha Long, Cat Ba
|
shwaygwailo
Member
Registered: 12/03/05
Posts: 255
Loc: OZ
|
Online
|
|
(A bit long)
The last of my JBR's that is more like a journal.
Thanks for reading the other entries.
Friday 9th November (Cont.)
Exit Hue, hello Hanoi.
Flight leaves on time, aisle seat on an exit row. Very roomy. Another pig product in a roll for snacks. Maybe pig or processed something. I’m starting to get bitter.
Land, no driver, the only phone number I don’t have is this hotel, try my USB stick, I’ve gotten lazy again. Hit the internet, number now hab, so all okay now.
Golden Sun Hotel by price and position is great. Really nice staff, asked to switch to a balcony room, we’ll see.
Only on the second floor so quicker up the stairs than the lift. I think it’s the only hotel on the street with a lift.
Buy some DVD’s for 16,000 Dong, maybe a bit over $1.00 AUD but the quality is perfect. I made that clear from the start.
The street is full of restaurants and bars, two minutes to the lake.
Still no Schweppes dry ginger ale and I tried the biggest supermarket in central Hanoi. There is a restaurant on the lake with good food but the staff are desperately in need of training. Slow and grumpy except for one nice guy who became my wing man.
My room has a view of the second floor of an alley, complete with cat, but for this price and location I should just shut up. Just noticed that swastikas are part of the carvings of the television stand, I know they mean something different over here and were appropriated by the Nazis but can’t remember just now.
Excuse me while I take a photo.
Saturday 10th November
First full day Hanoi.
Brilliant view of Hanoi and the lake from the very small rooftop breakfast area. Nearly got p!ssed on by a baby girl as the aims the fluid at the gutter. Of course I’m walking in the gutter because footpaths are for none moving scooters, roads are for moving ones, so the gutter is the only place left for pedestrians. Off to Uncle Ho’s mausoleum. Both he and the building are undergoing renovations, so it’s a no show from Uncle Ho.
My moto man insists on taking my picture while mumbling in Vietnamese.
There is an interesting building next door with western big shots pressing the flesh with local dignitaries for photographers. They want their photos taken, I’m happy to oblige. Point the camera through the big bars on the gates and click. Next sound is the guards going sick. Next moment the drivers arm is around my body and I’m being whisked away. Still have my camera so all is okay.
Looking at the map I now realise it was the Presidential Palace. Whoops. Wonder if I’ll be dobbed into the Vietnamese version of the “be alert, not alarmed” hotline?
Uncle Ho’s museum beckons next door. It has Uncle Ho’s life and the peoples stuggle told through modern interpretive art. Giant fruit, Picasso inspired sculpture and a white version of the pink Cadillac bar sign done tastefully in white.
Even I couldn’t make this up on mescali. Now before you cry that I’ve gone too far this time, I have the pictures.
By the way did you know my toilet burps when the other rooms flush at my hotel? At least this one hasn’t blocked.
Anyway, next to the museum is the one pillar pagoda, camera runs out of batteries, lucky my camera can also take “AA” batteries. Now where could I possibly find those in a tourist area? (cough, cough). Maybe not the batteries they are branded because they only let me take 15 photos, but still enough to get a photo of the Twinkies or some kind of dessert treat adorning the shrine.
Then off to the Temple of Literature, a 1000 year old university, it has a swimming pool and a book shop but I couldn’t find the Student Union or the bar. Some Uni.
Get to the army museum and it’s same same as Saigon but not as good. Okay maybe it’s better but I’ve had enough a quarter of the way through. Get the moto man to take me home.
From the original quote of 20,000 dong an hour the driver now wants 300,000 dong for our trip.
I could have an air con car for 4 hours for less. Bring him into reception for the staff to negotiate on my behalf, his English is as good as my Vietnamese.
He gets more than he should but less than he asked for, I don’t mind paying a bit over the mark, the guys gotta eat, but that was crazy.
The “I’ve been on the road too long grumpy gremlin” is starting to rear it’s ugly head.
Late lunch at café 38 as opposed to café 39 or 28 or Stop etc.
Try to order a red wine, an expat from the US comes to my rescue, have a chat, he is looking for a house to rent but the prices have just gone up.
Get back to the hotel just in time to tell them to move their scooter off the street the police are coming. The lobby is now full of scooters.
Back at the hotel try again to download my photos to a USB stick as I’ve had no luck in this country so far. Clean the virus’ off, update windows, download software updates etc.
Am put in charge of reception while she has lunch over the road, and after an hour and a half I have my photos backed up. Yeah!
Maybe I should bin this camera as an unreliable hanger on.
Forgot to mention the local Mafia controls the T-Shirt sellers at most tourist spots in Hanoi, they are the shady types off to the side.
Burn photos to CD and buy a marker to label it. CD works, marker doesn’t. Com sow.
Sunday 11th November
Good start to the day, first sleep in for a while, off to the real “Kangaroo Café, apparently there is a fake one around here somewhere. Breakfast is all day, big and cheap. Should have booked my Ha Long bay here but somehow managed to get sucked in at my hotel. Organise a two day trip to Ha Long but don’t want to stay on the boat overnight. Heard too many horror stories, that are later confirmed.
Try to get a beach bungalow but cannot so end up spending $20 US more to stay at a 4 ½ resort at Cat Ba. Go for a wander around to shops, late lunch and meet a surgeon from Brisbane just off the train from Sapa. Getting very tired, a bit like a horse race.
Ha long should be good, pick is 08.00 tomorrow. I’m leaving my luggage at the hotel, they can’t guarantee a room on my return but offered the couch in the lobby, no joke, it has toilets with a shower and the shutters come down for the night. Hanoi is very busy so might need it.
Off to dinner and bump into Jay my wine saviour from yesterday and his newest waif Jonathan from Melbourne.
Home to separate my stuff.
Monday 12th November
Off to Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba.
Pick 08.00 for Ha Long Bay, then the stop, start at other hotels. On the “getting to you, getting to know all about” luckily not “sound of music” style the guide ask “Where you from” sounds like a tout or pick up line to me. Anyway I’m the only one that answers “Not Malaysia” being the only one in the minivan not from there, and a little tired. One and a half hours later we stop for a half hour break for the driver which just happens to have stalls in an all weather undercover warehouse. Hmmm. Coincidence? I think not.
The passengers get to the why are we waiting stage and move to the bus as a hurry up signal. Deb from Malaysia has been sitting next to me for 90 mins while her friend Ying is up the front asleep. In KL they had a male Aussie housemate on company exchange, he didn’t warn them about “drop bears” but apparently wombats kill snakes by stomping on them and they have very hard bottoms. Later they agree it is strange we eat both sides of our national coat of arms (Kangaroos and Emus), because the US don’t eat Bald Eagles.
Ha Long is very hazy, at lunch they only make up tables of four so no one eats alone. Good idea. Me, the girls from KL and an Indian chap all share the meal.
Cruise, walk some caves, it’s all same same, Cat Ba apparently has some good parks for a walk, might see if I can’t just stay there and explore something different. We’ll see.
Off the boat to the mini bus, only 3 hotel drops to organise but it takes 35 minutes before we get on the bus. Trip to Cat Ba hair-raising even by south east Asian standards. I hold on instead of displaying my more normal idiot crazy traffic smile. The fold down seat I’m on by the door folds up as we speed around a corner and luckily we are all so crammed in there were plenty of people to catch me.
I am dropped off first and consider getting yet another T-Shirt made “Jetty to Cat Ba, I survived. 07”. I know I’ve got at least 16 sales already.
Truly one of the worst drives, no photographic proof, who had a hand free.
Tell the others “Well done troupes” as I exit the bus. Nervous laughs all round, but we are united by memory.
So here I am at the “Grey Braggers Inn”. A very flash resort, got it for $50 US instead of the rack rate of $80 US. Private beach, (no use to me in the dark) dinner (set menu) and breakfast included. Drink prices are horrendous, for two drinks I could buy a bottle in Hanoi.
Use the hotel computer to web check-in for Singapore airlines and only four hours after the flight opened am damn lucky to get an aisle seat.
It’s not all bad, I have a balcony paid for by my drinks, waves crashing on the private beach and a floodlit aqua swimming pool three floors below. It could be worse, remember “I survived the drive, Cat Ba 07”.
Tuesday 13th November
Ha Long Bay cont.
The disorganisation continues, I’m up and about in plenty of time, phone rings at 06.55, now 07.15 pick up not 08.00. Now, not so plenty of time. So guess what? The bus comes at 08.00 after all, so I’ve grabbed a breakfast box, but it’s not the same as a full buffet breakfast at a flash hotel.
Last pick up for the bus is two Irish guys who are still drunk (Hung over) and need to be woken up. They are asleep on the benches in front of me on the boat as I write.
This is day two for all the other passengers on the so they already know each other.
In a world heritage area I think with some very impressive views although same same as yesterday they finish their photography in the first fifteen minutes, whip out the guide books and the like and from then on it’s no talking.
Did you know that floating fishing villages in the middle of no where have satellite TV receivers
It is a huge bay and set of islands but one day is probably enough. If the guides English was better I’d be half way back to Hanoi by now if that’s possible from Cat Ba.
Get bored witless on the boat.
Trip home on the bus and I’m with the Irish guys again and the guys they got p!ssed with last night, again separated from the group.
Lunch was interesting, one fish, six prawns, some greens and a big bowl of rice with a tissue in the middle, discovered only after we had eaten down that far.
Point this out to the waitress and get “Em oy” (so sorry) and a new bowl of rice. Nobody is eating.
How much for a helicopter, I’m prepared to pay. Bring on four o’clock.
Robert one of the p!ssed Irish guys burnt his hand getting off the boat by grabbing an exhaust pipe. “It looked like a hand rail” was his excuse and the way the boats are crammed together I believe him.
Half way home he is a bit more awake so I patch him up.
Back in Hanoi, no room for me at Golden Sun and pass on the couch option.
They book me into Nam Phuong hotel around the corner.
For those familiar with the movie “Wake in Fright”, I am now in the Vietnamese version of his hotel.
As an aside did you know that KFC wipes are excellent for on the spot stain removal from your clothes.
The Vietnamese, once they get to know you love to touch you. More common than in the rest of Asia so far, is same sex couples holding hands or with their arms around each other. It’s not a sexual thing, just how they do it.
It seems to go like this,
First time you meet a local, you are a stranger.
Second time you get a Hello.
Third time, big Hello and a touch.
Fourth time, want to come for a beer after work.
God’s truth, happened to me.
So at my new digs the Nam Phuong hotel, the view is a bit different today, just two glass frosted louvers compared to a full balcony overlooking a private beach yesterday, how the mighty fall.
Home tomorrow, I know the area and next door has a good breakfast so can’t complain too much.
Wednesday 14th November
Exit Hanoi.
Driver on time, Cow on the expressway, did the internet check-in so no queue, food situation at Hanoi airport is dire.
Whatever local currency you still have in your possession from any of your travels, dump it now at any ridiculous exchange rate because Singapore and most other places won’t touch it.
So ends my trip at 34 pages in A4.
shway
_________________________
"I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself"
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#69810 - 01/22/08 06:52 PM
Re: JBR (late) Hanoi, Ha Long, Cat Ba
[Re: shwaygwailo]
|
pommie
Member
Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 72
Loc: Perth, WA
|
Offline
|
|
Shway
Exzcellant well done, enjoyed every minute, you will have to have another trip soon, so we can have some more great reports.
Pommie 
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#69811 - 01/22/08 07:40 PM
Re: JBR (late) Hanoi, Ha Long, Cat Ba
[Re: pommie]
|
shwaygwailo
Member
Registered: 12/03/05
Posts: 255
Loc: OZ
|
|
Online
|
|
Thanks Pommie, I think I need a rest, these holidays wear me out.
shway
_________________________
"I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself"
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#69821 - 01/23/08 09:37 PM
Re: JBR (late) Hanoi, Ha Long, Cat Ba
[Re: shwaygwailo]
|
CathyP
Member
Registered: 11/15/04
Posts: 643
Loc: Australia
|
|
Offline
|
|
Well done Shway, Your reports are the best (and funniest) I have ever seen. They were so entertaining, could you imagine a movie like that haha. (you should post your photos) I will miss not having more to look forward to.
Cathy
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#69825 - 01/24/08 05:38 AM
Re: JBR (late) Hanoi, Ha Long, Cat Ba
[Re: CathyP]
|
shwaygwailo
Member
Registered: 12/03/05
Posts: 255
Loc: OZ
|
|
Online
|
|
Thanks Cathy, Gary, Pommie and other readers, for the encouragement in making me finish my journal.
You say make a movie, no one would believe it, well you and others might.
I’ve edited some gruesome parts for a family friendly site and reserved some personal family reflections.
I only noticed today that AWD is offering photo uploads on the same day you ask for photos. Coincidence?
Unfortunately, I’ve burnt my broadband for the month.
Jokes, aside when I’m back up to speed would love to show you my photos.
shway
_________________________
"I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself"
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: AWD-Peter
|
6518 Members
19 Forums
17033 Topics
69094 Posts
Max Online: 175 @ 07/13/07 08:24 AM
|
|
|
