Hanoi, Vietnam - September 6, 2002
I had to take a one day tour so I went to the "Perfume Pagoda" outside of Hanoi. The pagoda itself was moderately okay, but the journey there was incredible. Part of the journey involves a one hour boat ride on a river surrounded by jutting mountains that push themselves away from the center of the earth. For the most part, they are like the land-locked Ha Long Bay that is so famous.. or equally similar to the ones in China nearby to Yangshou. Anyhow, the journey there turned out to be signifantly better than the destination.
Also, on that tour I was in a small boat with four Italians.. which was an interesting conversation.. we talked about pizza.. and i think new york pizza is the most similar to pizza in italy.. big slices with sparing use of cheese and bread.. so tastey!.. much different that what is served throughout most of the USA.. and at its extreme under the title 'chicago-style pizza' which has thick bread and thick cheeze.. anyhow, interesting conversation.. and of my italian co-boat riders had lived and loved San Francisco.. so we talked extensively about Little Italy in SF as well as the one in NYC..
The other big conversation I had during the Perfume Pagoda journey was with two Israelis.. they were traveling together.. and whenever an Israeli meets and American.. there is pretty much an instant bond.. I mean, I feel bad for the Muslim side of the argument.. but anyhow.. when I meet an Israeli.. its an instant bond.. thats all I can say.. anyhow, interestingly.. the two Israeli's parents were actually from Baghdad, Iraq.. and according to them.. when Israel became a state.. every Jewish person in Iraq was forced to evacuate leaving everything behind.. so anyhow.. that was an interesting conversation that related very well to the Six-Day War with Palestine.. the other interesting thing was all of Palestine's brothers.. pretty much outcast and denied them any chance or opportunity to assimilate or adopt into any of their formed cultures/countries.. virtually forcing Palestine be within those controversial borders.. anyhow, the whole Israeli/Palestine issue is immensely complicated and controversial.. but often times.. in the American media.. you only hear the Israel side.. and in the non-American media.. you often only hear the muslim argumented (based on the American's media biases).. somewhere in the middle lies alot of complicated and controversial truth.. interesting to think about.. and now that its nearing sept.11 once again.. its something thats coming up once again. I do have to say how sorry I am for the many real honest and pure Muslims who didn't want to have a lunatic fanatic start a jihad and mess up their individual lives..
Anyhow, back to Hanoi.. Perfume Pagoda was good.. maybe the hardest thing about life in Hanoi.. is the almost constant desire for people to take you somewhere.. every corner there are motorbike riders yelling 'motorbike' at you.. as if you didn't know they were waiting there for you anyhow.. but on the upside.. the best counter for this is to completely ignore them as if their waving hands and yelling at you didn't exist.. and they seem to feel kind of silly i think.. maybe once they get use to my face.. they won't even bother with me anymore..
Next Journal Entry in Hanoi, Vietnam:
September 8, 2002
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