Hanoi (North Vietnam Day 1)

April 14, 2013 Day 1

The hotel was closed. Despite warnings online that most small hotels closes at night it still felt a bit weird to have to knock at the glass door and wake the personnel up. ( who was sleeping near the door on a folding bed). He let me in, and we had to wake another employee at the lobby who checked me in. I had to carry my own luggage to my room which was also a bit new to me. I had to remind  myself that I'm staying at a backpacking hostel, not a HOTEL. :) By this time, it was already a little past 3am, tired and a bit sleepy but never too late to practice taking some selcas using my tripod haha. You know how it is, travelling solo = crappy self photos. ^.^ I decided against catching some zzzz's as my first tour is due in less than 3 hours and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to wake up in time for it.

my first cup!

Sunday Walking Tour ( Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake )

I read about the Sunday Walking Tour offered by Mr. Ahn of Awesome Travel in Trip Advisor and reviews were pretty good so I thought it's the best way to introduce myself to Hanoi. What's more important is that the tour lasts for about 3 hours and includes walking along the maze that is the Old Quarter, a visit to the Hoan Kiem Lake, and breakfast - all for $1. Amazing, right? I know. So I quickly dropped him an email, and he told me he'd pick me up at my hotel between 6am to 6:05. Wow, a 5 minute window. Sure enough, he arrived right on the dot and I was introduced to the Others: someone from Atlanta,GA, Italy, Australia, Sweden, and me. United Nations right there.

I didn't get to ride a cyclo. maybe next time I will.

The Huc Bridge

really, I'm crazy about the conical hats ^.^

hands down, the best coffee I've ever tasted in my life. and the place is lost in the maze that is the Old Quarter. Believe me I tried to look for it again. without success.

Pho Bo. at the same restaurant. 

In and around Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword)

The Turtle Tower

The Sunday Walking Tour was really worth it. I don't know, I don't think I'd had the chance to appreciate the beauty of it had I only seen it late in the day, when traffic is crazy and the side streets bustling with people. It can get really cray. It was a fitting introduction to Vietnam, just as I'd imagined it would be.

I checked out of the hotel at noon but left my luggage at the hotel's storage room since I will be back after a few days. My train bound for Hue leaves at 7:30pm and I only need to be there half an hour before departure so I had plenty of time to kill. I figured I'd just stroll around the Old Quarter, I found out soon enough that it was vastly different from how it was early in the morning. It was chaotic. By this time I was hungry and tired from my flight and lack of sleep as well. I wanted to sit down and have some soda but as I kept on walking I see no signs of Coca Cola or Pepsi, just streetside restaurants with people crowding around perched on low plastic seats. It got too overwhelming for me and my bag was getting heavier by the minute. So I did what every tourist would do in the same situation. I headed to Hoan Kiem Lake and went inside KFC lol. Even then, ordering was a chore because the crew also do not speak English. Upstairs though I had a really good view of the city so I decided to just wait there til it's time to go to the train station.

The city center. This is where I cross as the traffic is slower. Sinh Cafe is at the ground floor and you can get a free map and even book your taxi (more on that on my last post).

Around 6pm I hopped on a motorbike and asked to be driven to the train station. I paid 50,000 VND. I really loved that driver. He doesn't speak English but he made some serious effort to warn me by motioning to my bags several times. I understand he wanted me to keep an eye on my belongings all the time. What a sweetheart. 

I went inside the train station, bought a banana and a bottle of water. As a rule, I don't eat much if I know I will be on the road for hours. It will be a 14-hour train ride. At exactly 7 o'clock I presented my ticket and went in to find my train. This has the be the sole and only difficult part of my entire 7-day Vietnam adventure. I can't find my train! I felt like Harry Potter on his first day to Hogwarts. I approached the train that was right by the entrance and presented my ticket asking if it was the SE7. He shook his head. I went back to the lady checking tickets and she told me, and I struggled to understand, "Platform 7". I walked around and checked for a sign that says 7, nothing. I couldn't understand any signs at all. It didn't help that even the announcements inside the waiting area was in Vietnamese. It was getting late and I was starting to worry. I CAN'T miss my train. It was past 7 so I knew that my train has to be in here somewhere. I must have approached 5 more different people, all of them doesn't speak English. My heart sink every time they shook their heads. I went all the way to the end of the train, crossed the rails, and started to walk closer into another train. It was dark and I wasn't even sure if that train is still in working condition. I mean, it doesn't look like its moving or the engines are on. I saw a glimmer of hope though when I saw a group of uniformed train officers climbing aboard. I took my chances and approached one coach. Finally! He didn't wave me away. So I went inside and looked for my berth and my bed. I didn't have any trouble finding it. Hallelujah! Thanks also to this site which had a screenshot of a train ticket and how to read it. http://www.seat61.com/Vietnam.htm#How to buy tickets The compartment was empty and I settled on the lower berth. I was disappointed since there's no electrical outlet. I will lose time better spent on touring once I get to Hue to charge my camera's battery. :(

A short time later, two British guys came in. I asked them out of paranoia if we were indeed on SE7 and they said they hope so as well lol. We talked for maybe a good 20 minutes about their travels and of course the Philippines. I expected the questions about Balut or duck egg embryo which not surprisingly they hadn't tried. They already know about adobo. I bid them goodnight since I was really, really bushed by that time. Okaayy, so I worried a bit since there were only 3 of us inside but what the heck, I left everything up to Him and slept. 

Despite the fact that it did cross my mind that they could be serial killers lol, I slept for 10 hours straight haha. I sat up and looked out the window. I still had the urge to pinch my cheeks, still can't believe I'm travelling countryside Vietnam. For the most part, it looked a lot like the Philippines. It was interesting though how the cemeteries had a lot of mini temples in them. After about 2 hours I got a bit impatient. The train left on time but was late in arriving. Good thing the guys I shared the compartment with had a pretty good idea where we were, I had to ask them about three times if we were already in Hue. 

Day 2 here:  http://ilovecoffee-oldworld.blogspot.com/2013/04/central-vietnam-hue.html

Summary of Expenses:

Sunday Walking Tour      $1

ride to the train station:   50.000 VND

train ticket Hanoi - Hue  $65