Good Morning Vietnam!!

"Ha Long Bay"

As soon as I knew it my three days of realaxing were over and once again I was getting ready to step into a bus for what might have been my longest bus journey yet. When first booking my bus from Vientiane to Ha Noi I was told by the travel agent that it would take 22 hours. Now, dont get me wrong, 22 hours does sound like a long time but when you are comparing the price tags of either flying ($175) or suffering ($18) it becomes quite clear why I chose the later.

The start of this entry is kinda going to be a step by step of my whoel journey so it will show you why over and over again patients is a virtue and why be in a hurry in Asia is incredible frustrerating.

I was first picked up at my guest house by a mini bus at 6pm, just to mention it was suppose to be 5, then I was taken to the main bus station just outside the city where all of the main busses are sitting and had begun unloading. I was about to pick up some water and snacks for the road when one of the crew members, basically, started yelling at me and ushered me into my seat. So now here I was, at 6:20, sitting in the same seat that was going to become my dear friend over the next day or so. After sitting for a few minutes, and no movement by the bus, I decided to get up and walk out side to stretch but was quickly discovered and once again ushered back on the bus to hurry up and wait. After what felt like a life time, almost two hours to be exact, the bus finally started at 8:30 and we were on our way to Ha Noi at last.

Fortunately I was one of the lucky ones that got to the bus station at least early enough to manage to get a seat. The ones the arrived later, may have not have had to wait the extra two hours on the bus at the bus station, but then did not manage to secure a true seat and for the next 30 hours these poor unfortunete people were stuck on a plastic stool that were placed all down the isles insuring not one spare inch of money making room was waisted. Honestly if this would have been me I don't know if I would have, or could have for that matter, been able to convince myself that staying on that stool was worth not spending the extra 18 dollars and getting to the station a little earlier the next day.

After we set out we drove for about seven hours when our bus came to a stop outside a tiny house in the middle of Norther Laos. Assuming this was a quick toilet and drink break I got of the bus to realize that all of the locals were going into the house. I finally managed to find one of the bus crew that could speak English and he explained to me that were very near the border but we were just having a quick stop because we had to wait for the border between Laos and Vietnam to open. After I persistently asked how long it would be, it turned out that our short stop was 5 hours long! Everybody, well at least all the Westerners, all came to the conclusion that we should have just left Vientiane later but of course some times common sense is lost in translation.

I spent the five hours of our "quick stop" reading, eating and chatting with other confused backpackers and with my canvas hammock, that doubles as a blanket/pillow for bus journeys, I even managed to lay outside the bus and catch a little bit of shut eye before we were on the bus again and finally headed to the Vietnam border.

Once again my border crossing went rather smoothly, that's twice in a row, and after two hours at customs and immigration we were all loaded back on the bus and on our way to Hanoi.

A little lesson I learned about Vietnam traffic is there is no right of way. Its the person with the bigger vehicle and the loudest horn that makes the rules no matter what the circumstance is. When we were about 3 hours outside of Hanoi our bus pulled out to pass someone when there was clearly not enough time to do so (Its a pretty normal thing). The only difference was, normally they managed to squeeze in just in the nick of time or lock on the brakes and squeeze back to there original position, but this time we were faced with a head on collision with a semi, or, to basically run the truck beside us off the road. Fortunately, we didnt completely have to push the other off the road, but we did have to hit them to get enough space to go three wide, on a small highway, and continue on our way. The crazy thing about this is after it happened we didnt even stop. So with one smashed out door and minus a few windows, we carried on like nothing ever happened.

We finally arrived in Hanoi at 7:00pm so, in total, this journey took 26 hours which, I dont think I have to tell any of you, is a long long time on a cramped bus. Obviously flying is the better route and at $175, after stepping off the bus, seems like a bargain but then what would I write about.

Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam, although commonly mistaken for Saigon (HoChinMin City), and is the busiest city I have ever experienced. The traffic is the one thing that is truly amazing. People who think Bangkok is busy only need to travel to Vietnam to realize how organized and structured it really is. If you do manage to cross the street without getting hit, the amount of horns going off is enough to do anyone's head in. My first experience with crossing the road was a little tricky. I stood on the side of road for around a half an hour waiting for an opening big enough to able me to get across the road safely. After realizing that this wasn't going to happen and also realizing that a red light is a decoration, I decided to ask a local woman about the proper technique to this task. Of course she had a little laugh at my expense but then taught me the golden rule, close your eyes and walk. This seems strange and I admit is very scary the first couple of times but it does work. The object is to walk at a slow but steady pace, dont stop, and dont try to dodge a motorbike or they are guaranteed to hit you. But if you walk slowly, amazingly enough, everything goes around you and you reach your destination unharmed.

I spent the next two days wandering around the capital city and getting a feel for what Vietnam was going to be like compared to the other countries I have visited. After getting over the shock from going from Laos to Vietnam, which is the equivalent of going from the Moon to Vegas, I really started to enjoy the city and really was able to see the beauty hidden in the absolute chaos. Hanoi is definitely one of those city people love or hate. I am not really a city person but ,as with Bangkok, I loved it. It seems normal cities bore me, but once the get to a certain craziness level, I love them.

After I was through with Hanoi I booked a two day cruise to Ha Long Bay. Halong Bay has been named a World Heritage site for it spectacular scenery and also the amazing amount of stories and caves that go along with this bay that is around 1500 square kilometers and holds almost 2000 limestone islands.

Local legend says that long ago when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help to defend the land. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. After that, dragons were interested in peaceful sightseeing of the Earth and decided to live here there.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of my whole trip. The bay was amazing, which I expected, but I am talking about everything else. When you book tours in Asia you soon realize that you really have no idea what to expect. Even when they show you pictures and tell you exactly whats to happen, it rarely ends up going that way. This trip was the only trip I have done that it was the opposite. The boat was amazing, even nicer than their pictures, the meals were gourmet Vietnamese 4 course meals, and the staff spoke good English and were very entertaining. Overall it definitely ranks up there on the activity, with the most bang for your buck, I have done on this trip.

Before I knew it, it was time to once again head back to Hanoi, which I then had 2 hours to rest and get something to eat, before jumping on, yet again, another night bus to Hue. Ha Long Bay was my couple days of relaxing before I really had to start to make it a point to get moving.

I have traveled in Asia for almost 5 months in total now and the one thing I have learned is that schedules mean nothing and you cannot book things based on what time they say your going to be back. My Ha Long Bay tour was scheduled to be back in Hanoi at 4:00 pm so against my better judgment, mainly because if I would have left the next day it would have been a waste of a night, I booked a overnight bus the same day to Hue departing at 6:00. The beginning of the day went to schedule but just as I expected, when the boat arrived at the mainland, we were informed our bus had broken down and there would be a small delay. No problem really because I still had a couple hours to play with. It became a problem when the bus showed up 3 hours late and it seemed inevitable that I was going to miss my bus and loose my ticket. Luckily on the way home a girl from the company rung the bus and got them to wait for me. The second we arrived back in Hanoi there was a moto waiting to wisk me away, through the crazy traffic, and I got to my bus with time to spare. Sometimes I am still amazed how helpful people are when your least expecting it.

Hue is a town that isnt exactly a main stop and everyone there is pretty much only staying a night to break up the long journey from Hanoi to Hoi An. None the less I have an enjoyable day. I basically just got something to eat, napped (since you dont sleep much on the night bus), and explored some of the historic sights of the city. Tomorro is another bus journey but at least its only about 6 hours to Hoi An. Listen to me, its like, "Oh it only 6 hours, piece of cake."

"Vietnam Border Entering From Laos"

"Ordinary Daytime Traffic In Hanoi"

"The Oilers Shirt Makes This Picture"

"My Home In Ha Long Bay"

"Ha Long Bay"

"The Bridge and Protective Wall Of Hue"

"Historic Hue"