Hanoi, Vietnam

Vietnam is so much different than anything Margie or I have ever experienced before. We spent about a week in Hanoi and a small island called Cat Ba on the coast of Northern Vietnam. In Hanoi we stayed in what they called the old quarter which has to be the most busiest, crowded places in the world.

Scooters (or moto-bikes as they call them) are everywhere. The only cars on the road are taxis, buses, and larger trucks. Everything else is delivered and transported by scooters or bicycle, and every intersection is a free for all! During our stay in Hanoi, Margie only got hit by 1 scooter when crossing the street! After this we discovered the best way to cross the street is find a local who is about to cross and follow them as close as you can. When on Cat Ba island Margie and I rented some scooters and toured around the island one day. Amazing you can hand a stranger $5 and they will give you their own scooter for the day. No ID, no contract, no credit card, just $5 and I guess we'll see you later today.

We struggled to find a way to convey our experiences in Hanoi and Cat Ba so decided a “top 10” list of experiences should give you a good indication of life here in Northern Vietnam.

• I wish I knew how to say, "Look out for that dog!" in Vietnamese. I realized that would have been a good thing to learn how to say about 3 seconds prior to hearing a big “THUMP” on the bumper when in a taxi.
• Almost got my finger bitten by a chicken who was sticking its head out of a suitcase when loading my luggage into our bus.
• Things you can carry on a moto-bike in Vietnam: Family of 5, queen size mattress, a pig, 25 foot long bamboo poles, 8 geese, refrigerator, tourists that are holding their luggage on each side of the bike
• Bicycles are not for riding, they only carry items for sale, such as bananas.
• Street vendor food is great initially during consumption, what happens after that is 50/50. We found it worth the gamble when 2 people can eat for under a $1. What type of meat we ate though will forever remain a mystery.
• They actually do wear those cone shaped straw hats.
• $.15 local draft beer is a good thing. . . . then a bad thing.
• Free daily mini-bar in your hotel room is a good thing. . . . then a bad thing
• Getting off Cat Ba island goes something like this. Mini-bus #1 to bus station, Mini-bus #2 to ferry until it breaks down on the side of the road and you get on Mini-bus #3, Ferry boat, Mini-bus #4 to big bus station, Big charter bus, Taxi to airport. That day sucked.
• I gave up trying to convince people I was not Vietnamese and just answered “yes, I am Vietnamese” when asked. That typically made things a big more interesting at least. Never got the locals discount though.
• The highway has a shoulder specifically divided for pedestrians, bicyclists, and donkey carts.
• Vietnamese food is AMAZING!