Despite winging my travels in many ways, I do like to be prepared. I held out until there were just 2 weeks left to apply for a Vietnam visa, as a big update was coming. It was worth the wait. They opened e-visa applications for all countries! And what a breeze. There are a bajillion websites offering visa services. The one I picked hooked me up in 3 days at 60 USD. No flight ticket, hotel bookings or itinerary needed. Before, one had to book a tour to get an acceptance letter. What fortuitous timing!
I knew I would be fresh meat at the airport as a Western-looking solo traveler, so I sucked up the rates to exchange the last of my Thai Baht, got a local SIM card and negotiated a taxi ride down to 50% less. I withdrew 1 million Vietnamese Dong, not knowing its worth at the time. I’m literally a millionaire!
I decided to spend one night at a little hotel near the airport and immediately hit the streets by late afternoon, with my neurons firing on all cylinders. Apart from all the flashing, Vegas-looking signs and unnecessary HOOTING, it still felt like Thailand. It would take some time to adjust. I was also resisting the urge to speak the little Thai that I learnt, but still found myself bowing! Nothing wrong with that, I thought.
It was another situation where I was the only pale face wandering among the locals as they went about their daily lives. Kids riding bicycles were particularly interested in me, chasing me on their wheels and asking where I was from. They are the sweetest little things!
I scanned my digital map and made a beeline for the “Beer Club”. It was full of locals enjoying suds at the end of their day. It was 35 degrees C and I was drenched in man-sweat. The waitress set up a huge fan near my face and I quaffed two cheap beers. No ice though! I wonder if that can be asked for?
On the stroll back, the locals were preparing for the evening. Fires were being lit in different forms, with some in hand-crafted barbecues and others on the naked concrete. I feasted my face off! I couldn’t resist the braai-type food, so I am yet to try the infamous local dishes.
A crack of thunder woke me at 3am. I experienced that special moment when you forget where you are for a few split seconds. Excitement surged and I began watching YouTube videos on the do’s, don’t’s and must-do’s in Vietnam. My favourite channel is called “What The Pho” (which is pronounced “fa”). Love that! “What The Fa(rk)”
A top tip was how to cross the street. Hold you arm out and walk with a steady and assertive confidence, and do not change your pace! Another tip is to not use the Western way of calling someone over with a hand gesture, as this means you want to fight! You rather have to perform a flappy hand gesture towards your body. Crossing your fingers is basically the same as flipping someone off and tapping your chopsticks on a bowl can summon evil spirits. There was lots to learn!
After 1,000 years of Chinese occupation and influence, the language is rather difficult. I don’t know if any of your brains operate like mine does, but “Xin chào” is “hello”. I remember this by thinking of our Italian friends saying “Ciao” (same pronunciation). “Cảm ơn” sounds like “come urn” and means “thank you”. That’s a bit of a weirder association but it worked for me!
What The Pho gave me so many ideas and I made quite a diverse list of things to do and try. I thought at least two weeks in Hanoi were in order, bearing in mind that half of the work week was when I worked to earn my noodle cups.
I was stationed at the top-end of West Lake for 6 nights in an entire studio apartment! I got a 52% “genius” discount on this via Booking dot com. It’s called “LUCK APART 8”. However, this did not present itself on Google Maps, so I asked the taxi to take me to LUCK APART 9, assuming it would be next door. Nope. Different district! But this was a happy mistake as it meant a 25-minute walk alongside the inner-city lake.
But then something smelt fishy… I saw loads of dead fish floating belly-up in the water! Some big buggers too, with no signs of injury. I’ve heard that the lakes and rivers in this part of the world are well-polluted…
I was still in a somewhat transitional state, but I knew that there would be many tales to come.
Next: Vietnam #2 – Taken for a Ride
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