Hanoi, Vietnam - September 4, 2002
Back to Vietnam! I've been wanting to get back here for quite some time for a number of reasons. I visited here almost a year and a half ago and was very impresses with all of Vietnam and particularly Hanoi. I loved Saigon equally as much, but Hanoi is filled with the leafy motorbike-filled streets. Everywhere life is lived in the streets with balconies overlooking down below, and trees with shady lining above everywhere you go. There is also a definete roar of motorbikes and honking of just about everything you can imagine. Its been awhile since I've been here!
One of my goals upon arrival was to try to meet expats and people making a living here. I was kind of curious what they did to keep themselves here. I did meet a few expats. I met a couple people who were just finishing running in the Hanoi Hash Runners Club. They run something like 10 kilometers through rice fields or something, and then afterwards they drink beer. I met them my first night. There was one person from Netherlands who'd been here six years, and currently working in the Canadian Embassy. (I don't know why they couldn't find a Canadian for that though?). Anyhow, the reason they stayed was because they came to Hanoi six years ago and just couldn't think of anywhere else to go next... fair enough..
I was also coming back to Hanoi for the possible consideration of teaching English in this city in the future. I had a list of schools and how much they pay and everything. But mainly I wanted to come back to see if this was such a city I would like to spend some serious time in the longterm. I just re-arrived again, so we will see how I feel about that one.
The other plan is to go into China as well.. there is a part of that country that I have wanted to see for a long time.. it is the provence of Yunnan.. Kunming is the capital city in that region.. and there are suppose to be some amazing backpacker laidback cities such as Dali, Lijiang, and Ruili among many others. So that is goal #2.
One other mention is that there is a girl waiting for me in San Francisco.. who is having a birthday tomorrow.. Happy Birthday to her! I wish I could be there.. she was originally going to join me in Korea for 10 days at this same time.. but the plans fell through.. so now I have to wish her Happy Birthday from abroad..
Okay, back to Hanoi.. what else can I say? To anyone who hasn't been here before.. its a city of motorbikes and bicycles. There are also some big vehicles.. like private cars and buses, but they are the exception and not the norm.. for the most part though.. this city has one rule.. the larger vehicles wins.. and the loudest honker wins (which is usually the bigger vehicle again)..
The other thing that I can see about Hanoi is the total lack of things such as fast-food restaurants and the like.. for the most part, you just try to find the good vietnamese food.. or suffer through the hybrid tourist-oriented attempts to make burgers, pasta, and pizza in the Old Quarter (which is basically where all of the tourists stay).
Feels good to be back in Hanoi..
Next Journal Entry in Hanoi, Vietnam:
September 6, 2002
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Wintermoon2@yahoo.com