#not like i have a choice anyway . (lets the images float thru my mind like clouds on a windy day)

[fisheito]

will i ever stop thinking about little red riding yakumo and the big bad fox.?hm. no... no, i don't think i will

[wanderinglotus7]

Good Morning, VIETNAM!

Let’s semi cross Vietnam off the list of places I’ve visited outside of Thailand. A group of friends and I traveled to Vietnam these past 6 days. Since our time was limited, we spent our time in the Northern region of the country. Most of our time was spent in Hanoi (the capital city of Vietnam), and we spent 2 days and 1 night in Ha Long. The plane rides and bus/taxi rides weren’t terrible except for the insane traffic. I thought traffic in Bangkok was horrible; Hanoi has Bangkok beaten so far. From land to sea, beeping and honking is the soundtrack of the people. Motorbikes cloistered the streets, alleys, and highways. Vietnamese drivers seem so reckless, but some people are reckless drivers in general doesn’t matter where they come from. I know riding in the taxis, I probably had about 20 mini heart attacks from the close calls we had; almost ramming in the back of buses and other vehicles, almost running over motorbike riders & pedestrians, tour boats crashing into each other coming into or exiting ports. Que the panic attacks.

The natural beauty of the north is remarkable. The rice fields in the midst of urbanization is a metaphor for how man and nature can coexist without one overpowering the other. The weather felt like heaven touching my soul. he average temperatures were between the 70s-low 80s degree Fahrenheit. My type of weather; reminds me of Virginia [which made miss home even more]. It rained a few times cooling things down even more. I’ve never been to places like Washington and Oregon, but from other individuals and some television shows/movies, Northern Vietnam reminds me of America’s Pacific West Coast. Then Ha Long Bay is drenched with multiple islands scattered among the sky blue water with a nice breeze tickling the skin. Like in Kanchanaburi, I felt so at ease and filled with peace. I found my serenity. 

Wondering around Hanoi, we found a quaint and cute vegan restaurant where I had my first authentic taste of vegan food. I discovered my new favorite type of tea: winter tea (fresh lemongrass and ginger tea). I’m a sucker for tea and it I was ecstatic by the many options of tea I could choose from and it wasn’t milk tea or over sweeten tea (not knocking my southern sweet tea or McDs’ sweet tea). My friend Alex could OD from caffeine because there are hundreds of coffee shops covering every inch of Hanoi. I like Thai food, but I’m getting tired of eating some kind of chicken or pork dish with rice. And I love spices, but my taste buds needed another flavor besides Thai spices and seasonings. Vietnamese food is delicious and you can see a Chinese influence within their cuisine which makes sense because Vietnam is so close to China anyway. My heart jumped with glee being able to eat fresh seafood and eating a real breakfast. When I mean a “real” breakfast I mean an IHop or Waffle House breakfast: omelettes, pancakes, french toast, bacon (but don’t eat the pork), cereal, and etc. I say don’t eat the pork because some of the pigs in Vietnam are dying from some disease that got imported into the country from South Africa. Instead of chicken or pork, chicken or beef. The beef is better than the beef sold in Thailand (and seems less questionable...). I recommend everyone who visits Vietnam to eat their Vietnamese sandwich called Banh Mi. They are sub sandwiches made with either pork, chicken, or beef (at some food stalls); they even have a vegetarian option as well.

Reeling it back in, we came across an old cathedral looking church, played a strategic board gamed called Splendor at a tucked away cafe & board game shop. Later that night, we checked out the local night market where we ate more good food and I became impulsive and selfish and bought a bunch of stuff. However, I didn’t do too bad because I purchased reasonable items and the currency (Dong) is cheaper than Thai baht. The goods are cheap, but made decently and in some good quality. I really didn’t have that much money, but having all those smaller bills in my possession made me a big BALLER! Unlike Bangkok, I did not see one pigeon in Hanoi, however, take a look at some of the menus around there and you’ll find the answer to why. I can’t lie, I did catch a case of baby fever; the children were so adorable I wouldn’t mind adopting a couple or I can imagine myself having a little blasian mini me. The locals are nice like the Thai locals. There were street dogs, but not too many that I could tell. Most of the dogs I saw were of pure breeds and on the small side (i.e. Yorkies, Poodles, Corgis, etc.). What made my day was seeing a black and white Husky puppy (that’s the next dog that I want in the future).

Ha Long reminds me of Virginia Beach; the board walk, strips of bars and restaurants, casino, fancy hotels, and a local amusement park nearby (i.e. SunWorld). While there we did the most tourist thing, we payed and enjoyed a 6-hour boat tour of Ha Long Bay. Fun Fact: the recent King Kong movie (with Samuel L. Jackson) was filmed in Ha Long Bay. The tour included a free lunch and snacks, activities, transportation, and many Instagram worthy photo opportunities. During the tour, we physically visited three islands. The first island contained the largest cave in the bay called Surprise Cave. The rock formations are cool and not too depressing. The second island we had two options: tour the island in a banana boat or kayak. I never been kayaking before so, I chose to Kayak. Kayaking gives your arms a good workout and requires teamwork to navigate the waters. I saw more wild monkeys this time nobody was attacked or harmed. The water was for sure cold, and my butt did get soaked but it was okay because I dressed appropriately. We ended the tour at TiTop Island. I was tired and wanted to relax. Instead of hiking to the top of the mountain, I stayed on the beach until it was time to return to our boat. If I google myself in the near future, I’ll probably find my image in various tourist photos. At one point, one woman took mutliple photos of me and Stacey on the beach with the woman’s friends and relatives. Strangely, she had me posing pretending to take selfies while she took photos of me (what ever floats her boat). I took a pleasant nap on the way back to the main port.

Later that evening, we explored the area. Went to some bars and played card games (even received a free beer from our hostel), ate some good pho soup (and other food). Meet a couple whom got engaged earlier that day and their friends, and participated in Karaoke with even more fun-loving strangers. The next day, before returning to Hanoi, we purchased tickets for SunWorld. We rode the world’s tallest cable car system, walked thru a beautiful zen garden, and a rode a mini “roller-coaster” ride (it’s much faster than what it appears to be). The views from the cable car were gorgeous! The journey from Ha Long to Hanoi is about 3 hours (wasn’t too bad); the bus wasn’t crapped and the seats were decently comfortable.

Honestly, I felt a bit more cultured when we returned to the city. We visited some museums: Vietnamese Women’s Museum and the Hoa Lo Prison Museum. I’m a woken feminist, so viewing the women’s museum really perked my interest and Vietnamese contributed and sacrificed a lot for the sake of their country. Through most of Vietnam’s history, women played major roles in fighting and trying to maintain their independence. Who says women can’t be bada****. Some of their most prominent leaders/rulers were women. At the prison, the Vietnamese people were brutally treated by the French. Men, women and children were imprisoned Hanoi’s hell. The prison was a death sentence for all prisoners; some individuals were able to escape, but those who did manage escape wither escaped and survived [which were few] or escaped, but their lives were immediately cut short once they tasted freedom. I also received another perspective on the Vietnam War which my Grandfather Donald Bailey fought. Always be skeptical because history can be interpreted in various ways depending on the person or group retelling the story. Sometimes the truth can hold some biases as well. Always double check your sources and facts. In addition, I made my first investment. I purchased an authentic piece of Vietnamese art signed by the actual artist. Kept in good condition it could be worth more money in the future, but I doubt I will ever sell it. Also, I purchased a handmade bamboo notebook from an indoor market. I can’t forget that I sat through my first jazz performance at a real jazz club. Jazz music isn’t my top choice (R&B/Soul #1), but I like jazz if I’m in the mood. The atmosphere of the club was sick; wish I can remember the name of the club, but it did take us a while to find the location of the club because it was hidden behind the opera theater. And Shannon found a restaurant that sold delicious Mexican food (lucky for us because it was Taco Tuesday).

Beneath the beauty, I witnessed the ugly. Violence against women is real y’all. Walking back to our hostel, we witnessed a group of citizens intervene in a could’ve been deadly situation. A woman was being followed a strange man carrying a knife. I’m not sure of all the details; apparently the man was making unwanted advances towards a passing a woman and she rejected him. I guess he didn’t like that so, he decided to follow her with a knife. Some people noticed what was happening and went after the guy. The woman was unharmed, the group was able to remove the weapon and led the man to a near by police station. On another night, a group of [drunk] 8-10 men try to encircle me; two men had the nerve to grab and yank on my arm. Luckily, I was able to tear myself from them and get away. I was so close to bustin some heads open if they didn’t let go of my arm or kept trying to entrap me (and we were close to an alleyway..I’m not about that life). Seriously, I don’t need anymore trauma in my life. Not just women, but everyone should be careful because anything can happen (hopefully they don’t).

With God’s fortune (grace) maybe in 3 or 4 years I’ll return to Vietnam and explore the Southern region. I can see more of what my grandfather witnessed during the war and learn more the war and the country’s history. I may discover another side of Vietnam (pretty or ugly).