On The Way To Ha Long Bay

by | Jun 8, 2010 | Lessons Learned, Summer 2010: Southeast Asia & India, Vietnam | 1 comment

 

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About to board an 8am bus to Ha Long Bay. We’ll be staying overnight at a junk in the bay (so don’t expect to hear from us for a bit); I’m looking forward to waking up and eating rice while watching a sun rise over the sea.

 

Yesterday in Ha Noi we did a DIY Walking Tour where we saw in order:

  • Ngoc Son Temple
  • Hoan Kiem Lake
  • Memorial House
  • Bach Ma Temple
  • The Water Puppet Show
  • Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex
  • One Pillar Pagoda
  • Temple of Literature

I also got lethargic from the heat (yes, I gotta man up before I reach India; I’m disappointed in myself), had a brick fall on my foot, got brushed by a motorbike, and consumed a lot of cold stuff to beat the heat including a:

  • Pina Colada
  • Avocado Shake
  • Mango, Peach, Pineapple, Mint Frozen Yogurt combo
  • Mango, Pineapple, Watermelon, Peach fruit shake
  • Mango, Pineapple, Orange, Melon fruit shake
  • and a lot of bottled water

And things I learned since yesterday:

  • Ignore cabbies who approach you; their rates are higher (by 10 fold). Instead, flag one down yourself.
  • Everything closes an hour or two ahead of printed closing time. We got to a restaurant that was supposed to close at 10:30, but they stopped serving food at 9. They seated us and brought us menus anyway, but just to tell us we couldn’t order anything. Yes, I was confused too.
  • When crossing streets in NYC, run fast. But when crossing streets in Ha Noi, take your sweet ass time; they won’t stop for you but they’ll do their best to swerve around. Any sudden movements, and you = roadkill.

Pictures to come once I find an internet in Vietnam where it doesn’t crash every 5min and whenthespacekeyisactually working well (pounding onthiskeysofreakinghard).

Total Distance Walked: 7-8 miles.

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- At time of posting in Ha Noi, it was 29 °C - Humidity: 89% | Wind Speed: 5km/hr | Cloud Cover: n/a

 

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