Toilet Hopping in Crazy Hanoi
22 August 2009 – 26 August 2009
This was stop one in Vietnam and represented our first port of call during the trip where we had no idea what was going to happen next with no set itinerary from here on. As we were arriving late in Hanoi and Pezza was suffering from what is technically known as Travellers Diarrhoea we decided to book two nights accommodation and found a hostel called The Little Hanoi Hotel. No sooner had we booked it I received an email from them asking if we wanted to take advantage of their free airport pick up – the $22 a night for our double en-suite room inc. breakfast began to sound like a bargain. It was probably a good thing because we met an American guy on the plane who lives in Hanoi who said that once the sun went down you’re only likely to find the Mafia controlled cabs that will pick you up and take you to a fake hotel with the same name! Pezza said this guy was ‘Five stars fit.’
Immigration in Vietnam is one where you at least need to engage your brain, there’s a few different queues you need to be in at various times, a few forms to fill in and fees to pay. You’re left with one of the better looking visas in your passport but as pages begin to run out you start to hope for nice little stamps in the corner of a page rather than a full page sticker taking up room (I can hear you all saying, “Aahhh, poor Andy running out of room in his passport.”)
Night Traffic Drifting Past Pezza
Once through, our pick up was there in the best car we will see all week, it could have been any car as Hanoi is a motorbike and moped city. I know there’s hundreds of Vietnam films out there but as I’m not that much of a film buff I have to relate everything to Forrest Gump and the Top Gear Vietnam Special. So much of Top Gear is staged but when they are on the streets of Vietnam on their bikes avoiding other bikes with their entire family and huge boxes of chickens it is completely accurate. They use bikes for everything and have absolutely zero concept of the considerate driver. If there is a space in the road they will get into it, regardless of what side of the road it is on or any red traffic light. If somebody is in the space of road they want to occupy then they beep their horn. It can be broken down by the following equation:
Volume of horn X Size of vehicle = Road Priority
Things take on a whole new twist when you try to avoid the roads by trying to walk on the pavement. Pavements in Hanoi are not for walking on. They are a place of business, a family dinner table, a shop front, a rubbish dump, a car park and, sometimes, an extra lane of the road. Generally we found it easier just to walk on the road.
We made it to our hostel where we found the staff to be the most friendly we have ever experienced, always going out of their way to think of something to make your stay better from booking the extra two nights’ stay, arranging flights, taxis and doing everything they can to help Pezza over her toilet fixation. The $22 a night works out at around £13.50 and has easily been the best place we’ve stayed so far.
A Family Making Bags on the Street
Our time in Hanoi was restricted to the Old Quarter, it’s the highlight and the description above is typical of every street and a ‘must do’ here is to simply take time to wander around and take in the sights, sounds and smells of this phenomenal city and stop off at a bar or cafe to take a drink, cool off and watch the world go by at a staggering pace. We took in a few sights, most notably in and around Hoan Kiem Lake. However Karen’s problems plus our our two day excursion to Ha Long Bay rules some things out. We ended up staying in Hanoi for four nights (including the trip to Hal Long Bay). Sure, we could have stayed longer and visited the notorious Hanoi Hilton, home to John McCain for five and a half years in the sixties but by all accounts the place is more dedicated to when it was used to lock up Vietnamese prisoners during the French colonial war, and we are also pining for some time away from large cities having done nothing but chase around capitals for the last two weeks. We are now on our way to Hoi An where will will spend some time taking in more of Vietnam’s city life but mix it with their gorgeous beaches and rice paddy fields.
We’re sad to be leaving Hanoi. You will get annoyed by the traffic and the way people will barge in front of you in shops & restaurants but it’s not a great deal worse than the likes of London but once past that you’re left with an amazing place, I’d love to use the word ‘unique’ but I’ll reserve judgement on that for a few weeks yet.
For the pictures, go to my photo page
Show on map
Is it sad that I can tell you exactly where the first photo was taken?
Hanoi is definitely unique. I’ve been to every major town and city in Vietnam now, I think, and Hanoi definitely has some magic about it. Of course, Hoi An weaves its own spell. As does Dalat. Nha Trang again feels different. Ho Chi Minh doesn’t so much amaze as astound with its size.
And so on.
You will likely find the accommodation in Vietnam among the best and cheapest you will ever stay in. Cambodia is probably the only place I’ve been that tops it as far as price goes. I always pay over the odds in Hanoi and stay at the Backpackers Hostel, but I’d feel like I was cheating on someone if I stayed elsewhere!
I’m half surprised you’re not in one of the pictures!
I’m suprised at your comment about airport immigration. I found it easy and straight forward. I was also very concerned about the taxi from the airport, but fortunately I’d befriended a German-Vietnamese lass who spoke the language and we shared one into town.
Immigration wasn’t difficult but you just had to be aware of the various forms and order of queues.
Not quite like immigration in many other countires.