First Day in Hanoi – June 13, 2012

Yes, Hanoi is hot. Just walking around Hanoi is fascinating. Lots of green trees and lakes, and people. Life is lived right on the sidewalks. You can’t walk on the sidewalks because people sit on 6 inch plastic stools in a circle talking or fanning in front of their goods. Parked motorcycles also fill the sidewalks, so you are forced to walk in the streets. This is a problem! Motorcycles careen down the streets, usually with two people, many wearing masks and covered with long-sleeve jackets. No one stops, not motorcycles or cars. Tom learned fast to start walking across the street without hesitation. After crossing and seeing me paralyzed on the other side of the street, he quickly learned to grab my hand and coerce me.  Now (after 5 hours of walking), I walk across a teaming street without hesitating or looking. It’s the only way to survive.  If you look to see what is coming and react, that is the sure way to get hit. By the way, we have seen no accidents.

We ate our first Vietnamese meal at Buncha, a noodle shop recommended by the Hanoi Elite, the hotel where we are staying. We weren’t sure at first because it looked like all the other places with people eating on the street and looking very hot.  Then we noticed a second floor that looked air-conditioned and sure enough that’s where we ate. Other locals were up there and rotating fans were going. The room was about 10 feet by 10 feet with small tables. You don’t order. A woman brought a big dish of green leaves, some rice noodles, red chiles and garlic, meat (pork or beef, not sure, but tasty), bowls of broth, and fish rolls. We weren’t sure what to do. We poured things into the broth.  Everything was very good.

As you can see, I am not sure what it is or how to eat it but it was rather yummy.

This is the outside of the restaurant.  Looks like a lot of the cooking and dishwashing is done on the sidewalk.

Four Canadians from Vancouver came in and sat and looked totally baffled. They asked us what to do. We told them just to eat what they brought. They drank beer and were also happy with

their meal. They had just arrived. We were already experts with our 12 hours of experience.

The hotel is tucked on a side street. The taxi last night just stopped on a street and the driver pointed down the lane. Fortunately a guy from the hotel appeared to help. The clerk greeted us warmly with a mango smoothy and a map with information for walking. Our room is on the top floor (fifth floor) with no elevator and very skinny stairs.  There is an air-conditioning unit or I would return home.  Nice bed, and a wonderful breakfast.

After our first day of touring, where we were offered numerous rides on tuk tuks, we appeared sweaty and hot. I imagine it seems strange that tourists who must have money would walk when they can ride. I got a few looks of pity because my blouse was soaked. When we arrived at the hotel around 3:30, the woman at the desk told us that the electricity was out in the Old Quarter.  This means NO AIR CONDITIONING! She said, “I hope you understand. We are sorry.” Of course, we understand. Most people here live without air-conditioning. My spoiled self wanted to cry. Instead I rinsed off in the shower in our (did I mention?) fifth floor room. Fortunately, the electricity was only out about an hour.  Very, very lucky.  You would never know I was from Louisiana.

Added by Tom - forget what I said about everyone wearing helmets on the motorbikes - that must be on highways or something because nobody in town wears them.  Crossing streets is a combination of game of "chicken" and organized chaos.  I think that SLO can really learn something about commerce and marketing.  If we would let the stores display their merchandise all the way out on the sidewalk,  allow motorbikes and bicycles to park on the sidewalk and encourage all restaurants to spill out to the sidewalk, then pedestrians would walk in the street and slow traffic down.