Wednesday 20 September – Hanoi
Woke a couple of times during the night, and when I did, I felt good.
But now, at 8.15am, that feeling of wellness is a distant memory.
Head blocked up, some aches and pains, and an overwhelming feeling of lethargy.
Lucky it was a relatively early night…..
Downstairs by 8.45am to begin one of those final days, and the usual breakfast of cà phê sữa đá and fruit is enjoyed. But probably not as much as it should, or could, be.
Breakfast done, bag of clothes in dire need of an appointment with a washing machine retrieved, and we’re outside and on our way around 9.30am.
Up to our laundry place, 2.67kg apparently, and 70 000 Dong quote received.
No problem, and they’ll be awaiting collection, in a much better state than they currently are, from 2.00pm.
Just all so ridiculously easy.
Through the lanes near St Joseph’s, and then around to the front of the church, where yes, it’s impossible to resist the taking of photos.
I’m not sure what we’re trying to achieve with all these photos, but the urge is a difficult one to ignore.
Down to Hoan Kiem Lake, and then down to the southern end, walking an extra block to find my VP Bank ATM.
While the area around the lake was relatively cool, clearly helped by the greenery and its shade, the same cannot be said of the wide open streets south of it.
It’s hot. Like real hot. And while the temperature might ‘only’ read low 30’s, the ‘feels like’ is always hotter here than at home.
Back up to the lake, but now on the eastern side, and things once again feel a little more comfortable.
We take a break for a minute and check Google Maps to try and come up with a plan for the day, with the thought being a little exploring of the streets over the other side of the big busy road.
While standing there I notice a bus go past. But not just any old bus, this one is an orange one with the number 86 on it.
Yes, it’s travelling the road that runs beside the lake, and I watch it disappear up around the northern end.
And yes, it’s nowhere near where I was standing last Thursday, waiting in vain for an arrival that was never going to happen.
Yep, an idiot I am, especially when a vague recollection of actually being told, albeit a few years ago, of the rough route it takes.
Yep, idiot….
Hoan Kiem Lake, with Turtle Tower on the left, and the Ngọc Sơn Temple and Thê Húc Bridge (the Red Bridge) in the distance, on the right.
We make our way over to Lo Su, and then up to and over the busy road, before disappearing down into the lanes.
Previously we’d only really looked over to the left, up in the direction of Long Bien Bridge, so in the desire of new experiences, we head off to try the right side.
Initially, it’s promising, with the buildings being of the older variety. Nothing hugely of interest, but interesting nonetheless, with what is essentially a small Vietnamese community.
We reach a more main road, and looking across to the other side, the scene is completely different to what we’ve just walked through.
It’s a landscape of new and modern, and none of the charm or character that we’ve just seen.
The desire to cross the road drains from my body, almost as quickly as the sweat currently is.
Did I mention it’s hot today?
We make our way down the busier road towards the Red River, and as we get closer, we find that some of that new construction on the other side, is beginning to encroach on this side.
Progress…..
We do, however, stop to watch some of the work being done on one of the new builds, with a young guy on a rope swing, three stories up.
He’s painting, with both a brush and a roller, but attached to a pole, while swinging on the outside of the building.
I find it fascinating, and I admire both his skill and his level of nerve, while I watch him go about his job.
He looks down, notices my interest in him, and gives me a huge smile.
I reciprocate, and give him a thumbs up, which he seemed to enjoy and appreciate.
Much admiration!
We continue on towards the river, going as far as we can, before making our way off to the left.
It’s far from upmarket, but has a much more real feel, and the Old Quarter seems a long way away.
Past some chickens in a cage, that are in a state of either half dressed, or half undressed, as well as some dogs that with their protective nature, have Lisa a little concerned.
We walk on, however, and they lose interest rather quickly.
Running out of path down by the river, which we can’t actually see, we veer off to the left and enter the hems (lanes).
Many are incredibly narrow, and not for the first time in a situation like this, I feel like we’re intruding a little.
But not in the eyes of the locals we come across, who not only acknowledge our presence with a smile, but also with directions of which way we should go.
They’re just so friendly.
We eventually emerge from the narrow hems, and now back out in the narrow roads that we earlier walked, we find a local café.
Yep, it’s most definitely time, as well as much required, and we head over to the female owner, who is a little surprised to see a couple of westerners in her café.
Cà phê sữa đá times two (50 000 Dong), along with complimentary trà đá, and we’re soon sipping and savouring out on the footpath, watching the locals go about their day.
The break is nice, and much needed, but the sweat continues to exit my body while I do absolutely nothing but sit.
Yep, it’s hot.
But on the plus side, it is perhaps taking my mind off this ‘cold’ I have.
Coffees done, somewhat, sort of, cooled, we head off in the direction of the busy road, before following it towards the north.
The sweat makes an almost immediate return.
We eventually reach an overpass, and rather than running the gauntlet of the traffic, the easy option of the bridge is taken.
Up the stairs, which doesn’t help at all with the sweat issue, and over and across, we make our way back into the Old Quarter via the Old Gate.
The Old Gate.
Through the street market near Dong Xuan, then across in the general direction of the Emerald, finding Hardware Street, which becomes Stainless Steel Street, without resorting to Google Maps once.
Yep, far better at this than I once was. Although, that’s probably just more due to the fact that we’ve been fortunate enough to be here twice in 12 months.
A quick stop at our convenience store; our girl isn’t there, but instead an older lady, who could be her mother?; for water, and not hearing nor concentrating properly, I hand over far too much.
She promptly hands it back.
I’d like to blame the heat, but….
The ‘bling’ of Stainless Steel Street.
Back to the Emerald around 12.30pm, and it’s upstairs for a rest and recovery session.
It results in little more than just being cooled down, with my time spent laying on the bed with my over active mind.
The last day, and all, and all the little ‘goodbyes’ we need to not just tick off, but actually deal with as we go about them.
I don’t enjoy them, they’re draining, but not doing them is worse.
1.30pm, and it’s back out into the heat. Up Hang Manh and across to Bánh My Mama’s for the usual pork bánh mì, while Lisa changes it up by having bánh mì trứng, which is with fried eggs.
That then gets my brain thinking even more than it is, when I stop to consider what the actual difference is between bánh mì trứng and bánh mì ốp la.
I suspect nothing, or at least very little, but I need to know.
Well, I do, until I just know I’ll forget about it before the actual bánh mì’s are handed over….
While waiting, we get talking to a young Australian guy, from Adelaide, who is here on a brief study tour. He’s a lovely guy, and seems to have really embraced and enjoyed what he’s been able to see and experience while here.
He also takes a fair bit of interest in what we’ve been doing, unlike one of a similar age we have back at home, to the point that he almost walks off without paying when his bánh mì is delivered.
He hastily, and very apologetically, rectifies his mistake, and then a few minutes later ours are ready.
Bánh mì’s in hand and about to head off, I look around for our usual young girl. Unfortunately she’s not here, and that’s a bit of a problem, as she was most definitely one of the ones I wanted to say goodbye to.
Slightly dejected, we make our way back down to Hang Manh, and then around the corner for our, for this trip anyway, final Hanoi nước mía đá.
The usual acknowledging smile is received, and we quickly have our sugarcane juice.
Down towards the lake, and while really not wanting to do it, we check to see if Cammy is at work.
Concerningly, not only is she not at work, but work is all locked up.
Hmmm……
We continue on to the lake, and find a seat in the shade right next to the water. It kind of feels like it’s meant to be, because seat, shade, and right on the water isn’t always easy to come across down here.
Someone looking out for us on our last day?
Yeah, doubt that. It’s probably because it’s just run of the mill, non-descript Wednesday afternoon…..
We sit, savour our nước mía đá’s and gaze out over the water, as you do, when you’re sitting next to water.
I suddenly feel a presence next to me, and turning to my left, there’s a guy standing there.
The usual pleasantries are offered, and my assumption is that we’re about to start an English lesson.
I’m wrong, although he does tell us that he is actually an English teacher.
He’s nice enough, and certainly friendly, but there’s something there that has me questioning what this approach is about.
I’m far from concerned, but it just feels like it’s more than a simple interaction with an interested local.
He begins talking about Facebook, intimating that we perhaps become ‘friends’, but then starts talking about sending stuff to me.
I don’t know what the ‘stuff’ is, partly because I didn’t understand what he was saying, but mainly because I immediately switched off when I suspected I was about to become the target of a hard sell.
Lisa sensed the same thing, and because we’ve been married so long, we both made moves to end the little meeting, and politely excused ourselves under the premise that we needed to be somewhere else.
Which we pretty much did, anyway.
We bid him farewell, remaining unlinked through Facebook, and head back into the streets, and up to Cammy’s work.
Again, out of luck with the shop still closed, and I now have a terrible feeling we may have missed our opportunity. But knowing that she has, just in the last few days, taken on a second job in a nearby hotel, we head around the corner in the hope of, first of all, finding this hotel, and second, finding her in it.
And, bingo!, we get lucky, as we can see her sitting at the front desk.
We reluctantly head in, worried that we may be interrupting, but her co-workers are more than happy for us to talk to her.
The ‘goodbye’ is done, and as it always is, it’s tough, but helped slightly with it being promised that it’s very much a ‘see you later’.
Back to the Emerald a bit before 3.00pm, and the ‘goodbyes’ continue, with it this time being with Jenny, who is about to finish for the day.
Once again, it’s tough, and I’m really going to miss our, pretty much daily, chats.
Back outside, and with the day fast disappearing, it’s time to tick off another of the ‘lasts’.
Up to Hang Bong, and then across to Affetto in Hang Trong. Two cà phê sữa đá’s ordered, seat taken out on the street, and the sights of Hanoi taken in and enjoyed as much as the coffee.
A taxi pulls up in front of us, and both the driver and a male passenger help a girl out of the car.
All is not well, with her unable to walk, nor even stand, unassisted.
I help by moving a spare café chair, so the two guys can sit her down, and then her female friend sits next to her, essentially holding her up.
I’m really not sure what is going, with my suspicion being that she’s drunk. As in very, very drunk.
She proceeds to then help confirm that suspicion, by removing the contents of her stomach several times, all over the footpath.
Lisa jumps up and gets the attention of the older woman in Affetto, who comes out to assist with a bucket and some water.
Her friends try and help her, but apart from holding her hair back, as well as trying to stop her falling off the chair, there’s not a lot they, or anyone here, can do.
It’s all a little concerning, and I am rather worried for her, as she is as drunk as anyone I’ve ever seen.
We finish our coffees, while also watching where we put our feet, and head inside to fix up the bill of 50 000 Dong.
I use Google Translate to tell the young girl that we leave tomorrow, while her mum repeatedly apologises for the unwell girl out the front.
There’s really no need for an apology, and I try to let her know that we have no problem with what has just happened.
We head back out, wish the two non-drunk locals all the best, and they thank us for our help, which again, the very little that we could do, was no problem at all.
Around the corner and up to St Joseph’s, and then on to Bánh My Mama’s. We’re in luck, as the young girl is back, and she gives us a smile when she sees us.
Google is once again utilised, and with that, another of the ‘goodbyes’ is completed.
Into the nearby lanes, then out onto Phu Doan, laundry retrieved, and then back down to the Emerald to drop it, and Lisa, off.
Another ‘last’ begins, with the final afternoon walk up to Bat Dan.
Seat on the footpath taken, beer arrives, and then so too does my ‘drinking partner’ woman, who isn’t, as well as her Vietnamese Willie Nelson lookalike partner.
The usual acknowledgements, along with a brief chat, and more confirmation of the little relationship we have.
But this is it, and like a number of others here in Hanoi, I’m really going to miss her.
The usual sights, my Hạt Dẻ guy, who I am also going to miss, the rubbish and recycling ladies, pyjama guy; they’re all there, as they usually are.
I sit and watch, while also doing the usual over thinking that I tend to do, which annoys me greatly.
Three weeks ago tomorrow, I arrived in Hanoi, and when I did, today, our last full day, seemed so far away.
But, here we are, it’s here.
It feels like the end, but I have to keep reminding myself that it’s not, as we still have another week to go.
It annoys me that I think like this, but I think that all comes down to what Hanoi does, and means, to me.
I love all of Vietnam – well, the bits that I’ve seen, but Hanoi just has this hold on me. It always has, and maybe that’s the reason, because it’s been that way since day one.
It’s just a place that I really struggle to leave, and as such, I tend to count down to that day.
Yep, that annoys me, and as much as I tell myself to live the moment and stop looking forward, it just never really works.
A couple more beers, a goodbye to my ‘drinking partner’ and her friend, and I head off back to the Emerald, for what is likely to be the second last time.
Yep, there I go again…..
Upstairs, a bit of packing done, not only to get some of it out of the way, but also to just annoy, and sadden, myself a little bit more.
Back out just before 7.00pm, with the view of possibly changing some money before dinner.
Over to Hang Bac Street, and we find the gold / jewellery shop from last year. Quick look at XE.com; rate is showing 15 800 to one Australian dollar; and I head in to ask the question.
He offers me 15 700 Dong, in a matter of fact way, and one that exudes very little interest in the whole transaction.
It annoys me a little, so I thank him for his time, and head back out in my not terribly unusual, stubborn way.
Over the road to another one, and they, like several of the other ones, appear to be packing up.
Question asked, answer of 15 500 Dong given, and it appears my stubbornness has been my downfall.
The offer is politely declined, and the decision made to cease wasting the short remaining time we have in Hanoi.
Time to do something about dinner, so we head back in the general direction of the Emerald, stopping at our phở bò place around the corner.
As usual, and not surprisingly, it’s really good, as too are the beers and the scenery.
Dinner done, bill of 140 000 Dong paid, and we begin our walk up to Bat Dan.
Lisa needs a toilet stop, so while she makes a detour back to the hotel, I wait at the bottom of Hang Manh, and watch the yellow seat restaurant touts do their thing.
It’s all business as usual, but only until a police van comes past, and a fair dose of karma is delivered.
Yep, a few stools, a couple of tables, along with some advertising signs, are confiscated, and I can do little else but chuckle while watching it all unfold.
Lisa reappears, and while I bask in my smugness of what I’ve just seen, I can’t help but be aware of that whole feeling of inevitability, as we make our way up to Bat Dan for the final time.
We get there, seat taken in the usual spot, beers ordered, beers delivered, beers drunk, and it’s the same as it always is, so absolutely no complaints, despite the looming departure hanging over us.
The time arrives where a sensible decision needs to be made, and it is.
Google Translate is used to tell a few, with acknowledging looks and handshakes returned.
Leaving my young guy till last, but only because he was always going to be the most difficult one, I show him the translation on my phone stating that we’re leaving tomorrow morning, while also giving him a heartfelt cảm ơn for looking after me so well.
He reads it, then stops in deep thought, before replying, in simple English, “You…..my……friend”.
Aaaargh, I wasn’t expecting that! And it wasn’t just about what he said, but the way he said it, and the way he looked at me when he did so.
I can do little but tell him the same, along with repeated ‘thank yous’, while also trying to keep control of my emotions.
We head off down Bat Dan for the last time, and then into Stainless Steel Street. Over to our convenience store, and very fortuitously, our girl is there.
“Một……, hai……, ba….., bốn…..”, I say as we enter, with again the emphasis on the bốn, with more like boooon.
She laughs. But still corrects me. I love it. And I love our little relationship.
Supplies of chips, a Coke, and because this is it, an ice cream as well, are handed over, and as she scans them, I ask her to tell me the price in Vietnamese.
She does, and once I get my brain around what I’ve just heard, I repeat it to her in English.
Apparently I got it right, and she seems rather impressed with my effort.
Transaction complete, and because I just can’t not do it, I let her know that we’re leaving tomorrow, while also thanking her for the Vietnamese lessons.
But a hẹn gặp lại is also thrown in, letting her know that we will hopefully be back next year.
She acknowledges, and smiles, and while I get the feeling that she too has enjoyed our brief moments, there’s no way that she’s enjoyed them more than me.
We bid farewell, and head on back to the Emerald for the final time, but only on this trip, around 10.00pm for the usual on the bed.
Another ‘milestone’, of sorts, is reached, and one that I’m not overly happy about. I love this city, and I love the people, and I find it hard to imagine not ever returning here.
That also applies to the vast majority of the rest of Vietnam that I’ve seen, but again, Hanoi just has this hold on me.
It’s like returning ‘home’, whenever we get here, but it also hurts when our time is up.
And this time it’s no different.
I’m just very pleased that we still have another week to go. Although, I am also well aware that that remaining time will absolutely fly by.
And the head cold?
Yeah, it’s still there, but, fingers crossed, I’m hopeful the worst of it is behind me.
Midnight ticks over, and as much as I don’t want it to, our final day needs to come to an end.
Can Tho tomorrow, but more importantly, Green Village, and some friends we haven’t seen for 12 months.
Yep, I’m really looking forward to that!
Cheers,
Scott
seriouslynot 