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Hanoi by far, was my favourite destination out of all the places I visited on this trip. It was refreshing after being in Malay culture for so long to be somewhere cooler with non-spicy food! However, my first impression as I entered the airport was not great. I needed a visa to enter Vietnam and I thought I had to apply beforehand and paid USD50 for the application. But turns out I could've applied for one upon arrival (as many other travelers did) and I had to pay an addition USD25 when I arrived too... Granted, my process was way quicker and I was greeted by someone holding up my name as I approached immigration. I thought he was sent by the hotel or something and not by the visa office I applied through. Anyway, he took my application and he basically just handed it to the processing officials and cut my application in front of everyone else's. I wasn't surprised at all but I still feel like I was ripped off through the website. So a tip for you travelers, just apply for a visa upon arrival. It'll be slower but it'll save you USD50.
I was also meeting up with my dad at the airport as he was joining me and Denise in Vietnam since he deemed the country "unsafe" for two girls traveling alone. His flight from Taipei was about an hour after ours so we waited in the baggage claim for him. When he finally arrived and we left to search for our airport pickup, we couldn't find the placard with our names or hotel name on it. At that point, I thought the guy who greeted me with my name upon arrival was from the hotel, not the visa office, and I was quite mad that he left us. My dad, true to form, said, "This is still a developing country. It's not surprising they would rip us off." Oh dad. Anyway, we found the person holding the sign. Turns out they were holding a sign for their other hotel, and they flipped it over after a while (they were too cheap to make two signs). The ride from the airport to the hotel was quite long - about 45 minutes or so on a bumpy and noisy highway. Once we crossed the bridge over the river to enter the city, the traffic started and we were surrounded by non-stop honking from cars, trucks, mopeds, and even bikes - many with customized horns! It was quite intriguing how they get around other cars by honking incessantly. We finally arrive at the laneway our hotel was situated on. Yes, the car could not fit through the lane! Some porters came to receive us and pick up our luggage, and the attractive manager spoke English quite well while reviewing our stay details. Oh yes! We were also welcomed with the BEST, and Denise agrees, the BEST mango juice ever. I've never had such deliciously fresh mango juice.
We couldn't check into our rooms yet since we arrived in the morning, so we decided to head out for some lunch and wander around the Old Quarter, the district we stayed in. Thanks to Dave's Lonely Planet guide, I found some vegetarian options for my dad, one of which was only a short distance away from our hotel. We eat the overpriced food, and head to Ho Hoan Kiem lake. We surprised at the number of people by the lake - it's as if all the tourists in Hanoi congregated at the lake at that exact time. People were waiting for a sight of an ancient, giant turtle. It would've been terribly difficult to even see the turtle in the murky green, eutrophic waters.
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| traffic = my worst nightmare |
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| Uncle Ho's preserved body lies within |
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| Water puppets. Too bad we didn't get to see the show |
We were heading to Halong Bay the next day and woke up early to a breakfast of PHO! How I adore having pho for breakfast! Our journey to Halong Bay took four long hours (when realistically it could've just taken two on a better highway and if the driver drove the speed limit). The road was bumpier than ever and we were constantly in a horn battle with other vehicles. It was nice when we finally arrived and saw the beautiful karst landscape surrounded by the emerald waters. While waiting to board the "junk" as they call the ships there, this little marmalade kitty jumped on my lap and started napping! It was so adorable. When I got up to leave, he dug his claws into my jeans as if he didn't want to leave my warm lap. The cats in Vietnam make me want to own a cat.
Overall, the short journey in Halong Bay was really enjoyable and relaxing. There were no TVs, radios, reception...which was a bit of a problem. See, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami hit as Denise and I were kayaking around. We had no idea there was an earthquake until we turned on the TV in Hanoi. It was a huge shock to all of us and lucky that the tsunami didn't travel down to where we were.
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| delicious and fresh salad on the Junk! just the right amount of sour. |
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| Lonely boat in the Halong Bay |
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| Pho Ga! for breakfast :D |
On our last day in Hanoi, Denise left in the morning to return to Singapore. My dad and I had some time to kill before we had to head to the airport so we wandered to another part of the city. I've read many articles about tourism in Hanoi. It truly is a slow, laid-back city. I wish I got photos of the locals just sitting on the low stools in the Bia Ha's (like beer cafes) by the street, drinking domestic pints and chowing on food. I enjoyed the vibe, the food, and the people in this City. Despite its lack of traffic lights, I survived crossing the streets (thanks to my Dad).
Next stop - Siem Reap, Cambodia (Where Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom lies)
