I guess a bit of an introduction is in order. I got to spend the last weekend in June in Hanoi, Vietnam. Though the trip was just a weekend and began as a visa run (my original visa in Thailand was only for 30 days, so I had to leave the country), I fell in love with the city. Really. Hanoi is now one of my all-time favorite cities. I would recommend it anyone and would love to live there one day.
It would be untrue to say I felt no trepidation on first planning my trip. How would the Vietnamese, especially those in the north, react to me? Politics aside, we didn't re-establish diplomatic connection until the mid 1990s. But the man who gave me most of my information about Vietnam has lived in SE Asia for 30 years and told me not to worry. He told me they view us as just another invader, following the Chinese, the Japanese, the British, and the French--so no specific hard feelings. And he mentioned the many American business connections now in Vietnam, and said the two countries are truly becoming close. Besides, in the south, he said, many of the older men fought alongside Americans. They are always eager to re-engage with the culture they spent so much time around.
I certainly wasn't expecting much--capital of a Socialist Republic, former American bombing target and all that. But the appeal of Hanoi is its blend. It was built mainly during the French colonial period and hence feels both European and Asian. So European architecture, but with Asian politeness and service. A perfect mix. It is a major city, but feels rural, with rice farms literally touching the borders of the urban centers. Ancient Chinese temples sit next to modern skyscrapers (since the mid-1990s, the Vietnamese borders have opened and the economy has been thriving).
So, we left Bangkok around 6am Saturday morning, landed in Hanoi at 8, and had our luggage and were through customs by 8:30am. (Air Asia is...interesting. Their motto: Now everyone can fly. And by everyone, they mean 5 feet tall Asians. Not 6.5 foot tall Americans.) We dropped off the luggage and began the sightseeing. First was the Temple of Literature, which is the first temple (and university) in Vietnam dedicated to Confuscious (I've seen five ways to spell that, so I'm assuming nothing can be wrong) and his teachings and dates back to the 1000s. Today it functions as a park/historic site in the middle of the city's large historic section. This might be the most amazing spot I have ever been. Completely serene. The weather was in the lower seventies and slightly grey. You could just imagine the students sitting and studying in the shade of the trees. Here is the front gate, leading into the Temple garden.
Here is the gateway from the front garden into the second garden.
The second garden is flanked by two large pools, overgrown with lilypads.
Once you cross another gate to exit the second garden, you enter the main university complex. A large pool stands in the middle, and is surrounded by what look like giant tombstones on turtles. The large stones are actually lists of every doctoral candidate to have passed the royal exams (literally standing in front of the king while he grills you on history, philosophy, religion, etc.) over the centuries. So back in the 1000s, they had the comps! The turtles are one of the traditional sacred animals to the Vietnamese. Proof I was there:
I know this was a lot of information on the Temple of Literature, but it was a fantastic spot.
A bit more on Vietnam. It is a rather cheap place--the currency is 17,000 to 1. So I withdrew 800,000 dong ($49) and it lasted the whole weekend. Also, American money was accepted everywhere, as it's just easier to handle. The entrance fee to the Temple was 5000 dong for 2 of us--about 15 cents a person.
As for the people, they are rather quiet. I've had multiple ex-pat men tell me Vietnamese women are the strongest, hardest working people on earth. They had to be; generations of men were lost. The population is also quite young, for the same reason, and so is quite dynamic--another reason why American companies are investing at rates comparable to China. (Interesting commentary on Americans investing in Communist countries aside, it really is a great investment environment as the government is following China's example, for better or for worse.) Back to the story: to summarize transportation in Vietnam:
Now imagine that times a million. Yamaha's greatest market is Vietnam. EVERYONE drives a scooter (they have replaced the bicycle). The streets are just unreal. Road lines are useless, as the scooters outnumber the cars easily 100 to 1. And everyone honks constantly. I gave up on not getting hit and had a decent amount of scratches half-way up my calves by visit's end.
One more thing stop I'd like to mention on the first day: After the Temple, we stopped off at a cafe/restaurant called Koto. It was started by a Vietnamese man to help orphans. It is totally non-profit, and staffed by the orphans. They choose between training in back-house or serving, and are provided housing, food, education, English lessons, and healthcare for their two year training program, at the end of which a job is found for them in the service industry somewhere in the city. So the orphans gain careers, the restaurant is self-sustaining, and the hotels and restaurants have well-trained staff. All of the tour busses make a point of stopping by. I got some kind of fruit drink--I wouldn't be able to say the name, let alone spell it. If anyone is ever going to Hanoi, send me an email and I can give directions and details. It really is a must see.
More later, Mike.
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