Our man in Vietnam - 1

At the beginning there was a book.
Asia, geographically so close, is very alien to me. So when I decided to go on holidays, somewhere not too far from home, I looked at the book shelf for a hint.
Our man in Havana - CLICK? No, too far away.
The Quiet American - CLICK - just right - Vietnam!
- Malaysian Airlines is OK? - asked the travel agent.
I understood her concern - one airplane shot down, one lost. Strange murder at Kuala Lumpur Airport.
- Is OK for me.

So let's go. With God's help.

Several hour later I read on the same screen, that we are only 6,790 km from Mecca - that means we are in Hanoi.

Taxi which drove me from the airport after few minutes left the freeway and entered a maze of narrow and crowded streets. My hotel had a quite impressive frontage and very stylish interior, but it was enough to make few steps left or right and it disappeared in the chaos of lights, wires and decorations on adjacent houses.
My first challenge was a walk to  Hoam Kiem Lake - CLICK.

Footpaths occupied by scooters, motorbikes, trading stalls. There is no choice, but immerse in the thick stream of traffic. Something like this - CLICK.
After one step I got enough, I backed to the footpath hanging to the post as there was no space for both feet. After some time I thought, that I noticed a gap in the stream of motorbikes and stepped down on the road. I was terrified by honks behind my back. There was no way of escape, just cower and move slowly.
And soon I reached crossroads.

Then the next challenge, return to the hotel. All the way I repeated the address : 14 Luong Van Can, 14 Luong Van Can. There were quite decent street signs, but they somehow disappeared in the kaleidoscope of commercial signs. I noticed number 22, so only 4 buildings more to go, but I do not see my hotel. Luckily I recognized a lady in purple gown selling some dumplings. Happy return.
Explanation of mu confusion was simple. Frontages of buildings are very narrow and quite decent entry to my hotel disappeared among colourful buildings around.

After 3 hours spent in Hanoi I am quite pessimistic - it is not for you old man. You will be only a trouble and annoyance to the touring group
And the group is just going to have an inaugural meeting.
Fearless - there are 16 of us - 12 Australians, 2 Canadians,1 Italian and 1 person from USA. Four married couples in early 50-es, one lady with a father of my age and 5 singles much, much younger than me. Our guide is an young Vietnamese - Hoc.

Fearless? Yes. In other words - Intrepid - this is the name of the company organizing our tour - CLICK. I saw them once in action few years ago, at the walk around Mt Blanc and I got impression, that it is the style of tourism suitable for me. Their style means using local resources, public transport, some physical effort.

After short briefing we go to the restaurant for dinner. There is an opportunity to exchange opinion about local traffic:
Horn signal means - I am behind you, bigger and stronger than you and determined. I assume, that you also know what you are doing. Lets continue our actions in peace.
Lack of horn signal means the same.

Our guide informs us, that Hanoi has some 8 million inhabitants and around 3 millions of motorbikes. We are in the Old Quarter (called also French Quarter) where density of population is much greater that in the other suburbs.

Evening, so all those who currently do not drive, are having a meal.

Luckily our restaurant is equipped with tables sized for adults.

Halong Bay.
Next day we travel by bus to Halong Bay. Crowded city streets change into a crowded road. Broken road surface, potholes, around us houses in a very bad shape.

Halong Bay is so well documented on Internet, that I will limit my photos to just one - to convey a misty climate of our voyage.

Halong Bay has been placed on UNESCO Heritage List. Definitely it deserves such an honour, but on the other hand it attracts more crowd on already crowded waters. Below boats around the entrance to the Sung Sot (Amazing) Cave

Following the Intrepid policy I look around for a local business. It comes without a call

Brave women paddle on these boats all day, from one tourist boat to another. Their offer is not impressive: biscuits cigarettes, potato chips, drinks. Good are handed over in a net at the end of a long pole. The customer puts money in the same net.

The night we spent on the boat.

Next day, the kitchen chef in few minutes carves out from a carrot a flower and a net, same as these which decorated our last night dinner.

Coming to the shore I notice advanced building works. In few years time this place will be same as any popular sea resort.

On our way to and from Halong Bay we visit Hong Ngoc Handicraf Centre. Place full of stunning embroidery and other handicraft made by physically handicapped people.

We had also lunch in this place - honey chicken - delicious!

At night we boarded a sleeper train to Hue. Distance over 700 km, 13 hours trip.

On the surface it looks OK, but the coaches are quite old, doors knocking all night, cumbersome toilets. It reminds me sleeper train from Prague to Warsaw in 1994. Just 3 years after  a final fall of communism in Poland. The difference is, that Polish sleeper trains at that time were plagued by robbers while Vietnam has opinion of one of the safest countries.

So communism has some positive features.

Vietnam continued - Part2, Part3, Part4, Part5, Part6.