Midnight Train to Hanoi

The ringing phone shocked us into consciousness at 7:30 AM. We seldom have a phone in our room, we have no one to call, and hadn't realized that we had one here. Phyl grabbed it and confirmed that we still wanted the train tickets. After a few minutes of grumbling, we fell back asleep. Five minutes later, the phone rang again. After a brief conversation with the desk clerk, Phyl threw on clothes and went downstairs. Upon her return...............




Maddie & Vera

 G- What the hell? Didn't we give them all of the information last night?

P- She had to go over everything again and she wanted money.

G- Why didn't they ask for the money last night?

P- I don't know. Maddie was down there too. I guess they also called and woke her up. She didn't look any happier than I did.

G- Yeah! It's the first damn day the construction work is not going on, it's quiet, we have no reason to get up early, and they're ringing our damn phones at 7:30 AM!!

P- All of Asia is up since 6:00 AM, so it does not occur to them that we might be sleeping in.

G- Ugh! Did you tell her we don't want to ride backwards.

P- I told her and that presented another problem because they have no common sense. I told her that we'd like to be facing the same way the train is moving. She got a horrified look on her face and told me she has no control over that. I told her to ask the ticket clerk to give us seats that face forward and she told me that she was not going to get the tickets. So then I had to explain to her that she could simply ask the person buying the tickets to request forward facing seats. Then the light bulb went off over her head, but don't hold your breath.

G- The lack of common sense, an inability to think outside the box, never ceases to amaze me. Any slight variation or personal request is scary. Let's try to go back to sleep.

Fortunately, after a while, we were able to go back to sleep. One really great thing about Asia is that noon is the standard check out time. This enabled us to leisurely pack and bring our backpacks downstairs to the holding pen just in time for lunch. We were frustrated that it was a wasted day, but we had no options when the train only runs at one time per day. After lunch we returned to the hotel lobby to get on line and found Maddie & Vera doing the same. We talked more with them and learned that they are 19 years old, from Oslo, Norway.


At 4:00 pm we went to a nearby restaurant and purchased food to eat for dinner on the train.  The hotel van took us to the bus station at 4:30 pm. We boarded the train just before 5:00 pm and helped each other hoist our packs onto the shelves above our seats.

G- I really like the efficiency of the Vietnamese train stations.

P- It is a great idea to have everyone stand in sections according to which train car they'll board.

Maddie – It's very efficient in Oslo, and cleaner too.

P- I'm sure it's cleaner in Oslo.

G- The Vietnamese aren't the Swiss, but their system is good.

Vera – This is our first over night train ride. We prefer to ride during the day.

G- Us too. We like to see the countryside.

Of course we were the center of attention when we first got on the train. Maddie & Vera are young and cute and we're stared at for the first couple of hours, but eventually the men turned their attention to other things.

Vera- What is that noise?

G- In addition to the blaring TV, I think they also have the radio on.

Maddie – Why is everything always so loud in Asia?

P- I'm glad to hear you say that. I was thinking I complained about it because I'm older.

Vera- No, it's horrible! I don't understand why everything must be so loud. I'll ask the train man to turn it off.

P- Good luck with that!

G- I wonder if Asians have hearing problems. Maybe it's a cycle.....the older people are half deaf, so everything is loud. This makes the children half deaf from an early age, so they have to have everything loud as they get older. Then because they need everything loud, their kids become deaf, and on and on the cycle goes.

Maddie – Ha! It might be something like that.

When the train man came through the car, Vera did get him to turn off the radio, but that only lasted for 10 minutes and it was back on again. The next time he came through the compartment we asked again and it was turned down to a level that, while still annoying, was tolerable. The evening passed quickly as we talk about our lives in America & Norway and our travels. These kids were very mature for only 19 years old and we took to them immediately.

At 10:00 pm the lights were dimmed and thankfully, the TV and radio were turned off. While sleeping in a train seat is certainly less comfortable than a bed, they're much better than airplane seats, reclining at 3 times as far as the plane and with more leg room. The night was uneventful and the train reached Hanoi at 5:30 AM. We could only imagine the beautiful scenery we had missed as we sped across Vietnam for 11.5 hours on that train.

Can We Pet Your Monkey?

Because Hue was once the capital of Vietnam, the countryside surrounding the town contained numerous Emperor's burial tombs. Phyllis had done all of the research and knew which ones were the closest and which ones were worth seeing. We left the hotel and were immediately accosted by a motorcycle driver. After negotiating a price of $10.00/each for the day, he called a friend and we set off in a light drizzle.


Our first stop was the Tu Hieu Monastery where a few dozen monks still live and work. The spiritual head of the monastery is Thich Nhat Hahn, a world renowned author who had been living in exile in France since the communists won the war, and had only recently returned. The monastery was set on a relatively small hill, in a quiet pine forest.

G- OMG! Look at the baby monkey. (He walked on a leash beside a young monk.)

P- How cute is he?!

G- Adorable! I want to pet him.

We approached the young monk who gave us permission to pet his monkey, but before the permission was granted, the little monkey stopped yanking on the monk's robe and was trying to climb up Phyl's leg. She petted his head and he grabbed hold of her arm and hand. Just like a baby, of any kind, he began trying to teeth on her hand. After a few minutes, I had my turn to play with him.

G- He is so cute. I really want to hold him.

P- I don't think our permission extends quite that far.

G- I know. Isn't it nice to finally get to pet a monkey and not be afraid that it might attack us?

I'm surprised you touched him as quickly as you did considering how much you've carried on about monkey bites since we arrived in Asia.

P- This one seems tame and you may have noticed, he did not come racing towards me like he was coming to steal my jewelry.





Back on the motorcycles, we headed to the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, stopping on the way, at a village sales stall where a lady was making scented incense sticks.

My driver – Do you want to try rolling the incense stick?

G- Yes!

P- My lil goofy girl! You are always willing to volunteer for whatever.

G- Why not? Now I'll know how to make incense sticks should the need ever arise.

P- I think there's a big need for that.

G- Hell, in Buddhist countries they burn these things like crazy. Maybe I'll become an incense manufacturer when we return home.

P- News flash, I don't think you can make a living selling incense sticks to the few Buddhists in the US.

G- Whatever. Knowledge is power.

P- You are a fool.

G- A fool who now knows how to make incense sticks! Ha!

Of course we had to buy some sticks and 2 paintings, after all, isn't that why the motorcycle drivers brought us here? The area was also known for the making of conical hats and another lady sat making one nearby. If you held them up to a light, you could see images through the palm due to the paper doll like cut outs that were glued to the inside of the hat.

P- I really want a hat.

G- I'd say get one, but how in the hell would you get it home? It would get totally smashed.

P- I know, but I want one! Whah.

G- No whining, Gladys. I bet you could buy one out in Village d' lest when we get home.

P- But I want one from Vietnam.

G- It's almost the same if you buy one in Village d'lest. Watch how she's making it and you can make your own.

P- Yeah, right. I cook. I don't do crafts.

G- Then no hat for you.

We arrived at Tu Duc's tomb complex before lunch and were directed by our drivers, to return to a certain 'restaurant' for lunch, where they would be waiting. The tomb complex was incredibly large, was set in a pine forest, included a lake, and had actually been Tu Duc's summer home. We strolled around the gardens, toured a pleasure pavilion, then climbed to his Stele. A Stele is a stone slab, upon which was etched the story of the emperor's life and reign. This one had his story etched in bronze. It is usually written by the emperor's son, after his death, but Tu Duc had no offspring (not due to a lack of trying, as he had myriad wives and concubines, but it is believed that he was sterile from small pox) and had written his himself. Most striking about the buildings and tomb was the Chinese writing and architecture. We later learned that the Chinese had most heavily influenced this area, before the French invaded.

P- Where do you want to eat lunch?

G- I guess we'll eat where the drivers want us to eat. You know they're getting a free lunch or something for bringing us there.

P- We don't have to eat where they tell us to eat.

G- I know we don't, but the food is probably the same at all of these places, so we might as well help them out.

P- You're probably right. I'm sure we can choose from rice, rice or rice, no matter where we eat.

As we were finishing lunch a cycling group of Europeans pulled up and stopped for lunch.

G- How'd you like to be cycling around Vietnam?

P- No, thank you. That's something crazy Michelle & Laurence would like, but not me.

G- Yeah, every Saturday they ride further than these cycling 'vacationers' do each day. I'm sure it'd be a piece of cake for them.

P- I'd rather just have the cake.

It was misting as we drove to and along the river, then headed onto a narrow, dirt path to the tomb of Minh Mang. This tomb was really secluded, in the countryside, and we basically walked around the grounds by ourselves. We first walked through the outer wall, across a small bridge over the Crescent Lake, then into the Honors Courtyard, which resembled the one in Tu Duc's tomb, but seemed larger. To get to the Stele we had to climb a lot of steps, but the view was rewarding.

G- What a peaceful setting. It's good to be the king.

P- Of course, you don't get this setting until you're dead.

G- At least when you're dead you don't have to climb all of these steps; other people carry your body.

P- I might be dead by the time we finish climbing all of these steps today.

G- Well I'm not carrying your dead body, so make sure you collapse at the bottom.

P- I love that you love me.

G- I'm practical.  Why hurt my back if you're already dead?  It would only be worth it to hurt my back if there was a chance of saving you. 

We walked down the stairs, across a courtyard, then up more stairs to another gate which led to the tomb. We walked through a neatly manicured planter garden, then onto another bridge spanning the lake. A woman sat nearby hawking souvenirs and selling hot tea. Fortunately, as we headed out, we were able to walk along the lake and around all of the stairs. We reunited with our drivers at an older lady's wooden structure, where we were instructed to sit in small plastic chairs and served hot tea. There was just no getting around drinking the hot tea. Chicks scratched at our feet as we drank our tea.

Our final stop was the Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh. Built in the early 1900's, on Chau Chu Mountain, in a Vietnamese style, with obvious and abundant French elements, this is the smallest of the tombs. We climbed many steps to reach the first level consisting of the Honors Courtyard and Stele Monument. Up additional steps, we reached the tomb itself, made of white, heavily carved, stone. Whereas the outside was plain white, the glass and ceramic mosaics on the inside contained every color on the color wheel, and the ceiling was painted in vibrant colors.

On our way back to Hue we stopped at a bunker, built during the “American” war, at a curve in the Perfume River. The vantage point was incredible and we could see for miles in each direction. The bunker was relatively small, and dark, and Phyl refused to even go near the door, her claustrophobia rising to the surface.

We returned to Hue around 5:00 pm and I handed each of the drivers 225,000 Dong ($10.00/each, as agreed, plus an approximate 10% tip). Generally, tipping is not done, nor is it expected, in Vietnam, and we tipped very few people while we were there, but we enjoyed our tour and our driver/guides did a good job. Well, as usual, no good deed goes unpunished.

Gina's driver – This all you pay?

G- We agreed on $10.00.

Gina's driver – You give 1,000 Dong tip?

G- $10.00 equals 200,000 Dong.  The tip is 25,000 Dong.

Gina's driver – No. 22,000 Dong is 1 dollar.

G- We have paid everyone 20,000 Dong to the dollar and we only get 19,000 Dong to the dollar.

P- You see, that's what you get for giving a tip in the first place. I told you we didn't have to tip them.
Take back the 25,000.

Phyl's driver (who spoke good English) – (to us) Everything ok. (to Gina's driver he said something in Vietnamese.)

G- (to Phyl's driver) We agreed on $10.00 which equals 200,000 Dong.

Phyl's driver – Yes. Everything is ok.

Gina's driver – Continued to complain in Vietnamese.

P- Take the 25,000 back! Ungrateful bastard.

G- (to Phyl) Your driver isn't being an asshole! I'm not taking back his tip.

 (to Phyl's driver) What is his problem? I'm sure I don't even want to know what he's saying. Tell him he doesn't get to inflate the exchange rate and it's not as though most of my payment goes to a 3rd party and he's only getting a little bit of it. He negotiated the charge and if he doesn't like my tip, he can give it back.

Phyl's driver – (trying his hardest to soothe everyone) It's ok. Thank you. (He pulled my driver away, still complaining, as we walked off.)

We were incensed and shocked by what had happened. Part of it was our fault for having negotiated in US Dollars and not in Dong, but we could not understand why he expected a big tip. The incident bothered me for the remainder of the evening and I continued to process it. This annoyed Phyl who has the ability to just say screw it and screw him and not give it another thought.  Too bad!  While I'm processing, she has to listen.
 
We had had enough of Hue and the intensity of the hawkers and made arrangements with the hotel desk clerk to take the train to Hanoi. Our preference is to ride the train during the day so that we can see the beautiful countryside, but we learned that the only train to Hanoi left at 5:00 pm and would arrive in Hanoi at 6:00 am the next morning. As we booked our tickets, we chatted with 2 girls from Norway, Maddie & Vera, who were taking the train with us.

Pleasure Palace

The construction workers behind our hotel began their day at 7:30 am. Armed with earplugs, we were able to fall back asleep until the pile driving began at 8:30 am. Note to self, always look out the window when checking into your hotel. Phyl volunteered to trudge down the numerous flights of steps in search of hot water and returned with a large thermos, allowing us to have coffee before setting off to explore Hue.

We had barely stepped onto the street when motorcycle & cyclo (bicycle propelled tuk-tuks) drivers began harassing us. It was not possible to walk more than a few steps without being yelled at for rides. Not since Bali had we experienced such relentless pestering. As we reached the river, tour operators and boat drivers joined the assault and we did not experience a minute of peace until we began to walk across the bridge.

Hue, Vietnam's capital from the early 1800's until about 1945, when the last emperor abdicated his thrown to Ho Chi Minh, contains a walled Citadel. Inside the Citadel is another walled area that contained Emperors' private residences and ceremonial halls.

As we walked toward the Citadel gate, we passed a mobile fish store and stopped to watch a little boy gleefully stick his hands into the fish tank.

P- This is interesting. I've never seen a mobile fish store before.

G- You know they love to wheel, and sell, their goods around the streets.

Cyclo driver – (pointing to the tanks) Fish.

P- (smiling) Yes, fish.

Cyclo driver – Fishes.

P- Yes, they are fish.

Cyclo driver – (pointing again to a different tank) Fish!

P- (looking at me) Does this mofo think that I don't what fish are? (to him, pointing at the fish) FISH!

G- You know they like to teach you things, or maybe he's proud that he knows that they are fish.

P- Whatever.

I finished taking my photos and we continued walking toward the gate, of the Citadel, only to have cycloman follow us.

Cycloman – You take tour in city. One hour tour.

P- No thank you. We're going to walk around.

Cycloman – Very far. Need tour.

G- No thank you.

While we stopped to take a few photos at the gate, he lurked behind us. We walked across the bridge, he followed us. Once inside the gate we stopped to read the guidebook to decide which way to walk.

Cycloman- You take tour.

G- We are going to walk.

Cycloman – Very far. 5 Kilomets.

P- We want to walk.

We tried to read our guidebook and review our map, but he would not shut up or go away.

P- This bastard had better go away because I'm getting really annoyed. I can't even hear myself think.

G- Try to ignore him.

P- I've been ignoring him for 15 minutes now but he won't go away.

Cycloman – You take tour. Very far to walk.

P- Go away! We are not taking a tour!!! (to Gina) I wouldn't take his tour if I was a double leg amputee. I'd crawl on my hands before I'd get into his cyclo.

G- Bwahahahahaha!

Finally getting our bearings, we walked off. He followed us until we cut through a park he could not enter. The sun was hot and we were sweating. We walked to the entrance gate to the palace, only to have the large iron gates closed just as we crossed the inner mote.

P- What the hell?

New cycloman – It's closed for lunch. You want tour of the city?

G- No, thank you, we just going to walk around.

New cycloman – It's big city.

G- So we've been told.

P- We're walking.

We strolled along the inner moat and red brick wall surrounding the palace grounds, then walked through the town toward the lake. We passed women, with roadside stands, selling flower arrangements and what looked like funeral wreaths, but we doubted that was the intended purpose. We walked down a quaint neighborhood street with well manicured homes and yards, no doubt a wealthy area. We watched warily as a dog began to follow us.

P- Watch out for the dog.

G- I don't think he's out to get you Gladys. His tail is wagging and he appears to be sniffing for the perfect spot to pee.

P- Oh my gawd! Look at the spot he selected!! LMAO!

G- He is a bastard! When that woman comes out to collect her bedspread thinking it'll smell all fresh and clean, it's going to smell like dog pee. Hahahaha! That's terrible. I told you he wasn't after you.

P- I'd have kicked him in the head if he tried to pee on me.

G- You are nuts!

Two blocks later we arrived at a lake, surrounded by a wall on one side, and covered in bright green water hyacinth. In many spots hundreds of sticks of colorful incense was lined along the wall to dry.  On the far side of the lake was the footprint of an old temple that had, unfortunately, been destroyed in the war. Hue was pounded to smithereens during Tet Offensive. We walked around the lake and turned left on the far side where we passed a large home with huge pots of ancient bonsai trees in the front courtyard. The trees were amazing and the biggest bonsais we had ever seen. Across the street from the home, a man sat at an old time, foot peddled, sewing machine making alterations to a pair of pants.

With no place in particular to go, we simply wandered aimlessly as we explored the neighborhoods. On main streets, the front yards and first rooms of the homes were dedicated to whatever business the family owns, but on these neighborhood streets, we were able to view strictly private homes. Almost all of the front yards were gated with flowers planted along the fence or in neatly manicured gardens. Many dogs barked at us as we passed, a few following us. Again the myth of the Vietnamese eating all of the dogs was dispelled. Finally, we hit a dead end at a river. Hungry and thirsty, we followed it on a narrow path until we came across a young girl who spoke English and told us how to get back to the street alongside the Palace moat.

We stopped for a cold beer and ate a tomato & onion salad and a plate of fried rice. Although we ate outside in the garden, it was a fairly nice restaurant, and we watched in horror as a table of Asian tourists threw all of their refuse on the ground under their table. Napkins, plastic water bottles, chop sticks, hand wipes, whatever. It looked as though a group of preschoolers had eaten at the table. We've been in Asia now for 4 months, but will never grow accustomed to this practice.

Returning to the King's Palace, we walked along a path between the moat and wall until we reached the main entrance gate. Quite the imposing structure, it was approximately 2 stories high with 3 large, wooden doors in different entrance alcoves. Ones status determined the entrance door he would use, with the king being the only one allowed to enter through the middle door. The King's Palace was a large compound of numerous official buildings and private residences. The Palace had been allowed to fall into disrepair, but efforts were currently underway to restore the buildings.

We walked through the enormous reception hall with it's black and red painted columns, then into another courtyard. We had just begun walking across the large courtyard when the sky suddenly opened up and it started to pour.

G- Dammit to hell! I have carried my umbrella for months and never once had the occasion to use it. I took it out of my pack 2 days ago.

P- You mean I am more prepared than you for once? I have my umbrella.

G- It appears that you are. Thanks Gladys, at least we have one umbrella.

Thankfully, there were many covered walkways inside the palace compound, and we were able to make our way to the Emperor's mother's residence in the far corner.

P- This is the Emperor's mother's Pleasure Palace.

G- Oh really? Her own pleasure palace. It's good to be the Emperor's mother.

P- Notice the wife didn't have a pleasure palace.

G- I wonder what the Emperor's mother did in her pleasure palace.

P- The book says she relaxed, wrote poems and tended her garden.

G- That's all? Yeah, right.

P- I think I'd like to have a pleasure palace.

G- Me too.

The Pleasure Palace was a very cool space. Built half on land and half over a small pond, it was made entirely of wood, with many beautiful carvings. On one side of the 2 room structure was a garden with raised brick beds. The room overlooking the pond had numerous doors that could be opened to almost create the effect that there was no wall. It was understated, but very serene. Everyone should have a pleasure palace.

The rain showed no sign of stopping and we were getting cold, so we hired a cycloman to drive us home. The cyclo was wrapped in a tarp to protect us from the rain, and we sat on top of each other, cramped, but warmer, and viewing the street threw a narrow rectangle cut into the tarp.

P- I hope this poor cyclo driver can get us back over that bridge without dropping his nuts.

G- The bridge isn't very arched, but I hope the wind doesn't blow us and him over the railing.

P- He smells of alcohol, so I doubt he's feeling much.

G- Oh, good. That makes me feel much better. It's always safer when your cyclo driver is drunk.

P- At least he's only peddling, which means he can't go very fast.

G- But it's always the drunk driver who crashes and doesn't get a scratch while the other people are maimed or killed.

P- I don't think you'll be maimed or killed when we're only going 5 mph.

G- If we plummet off the side of the bridge, our speed will increase dramatically.

P- Now who's the crazy one?

We arrived at our hotel without incident and heated ourselves with warm tea. After walking so many miles during the day, we stayed in the lobby until dinner because we didn't want to climb the 5 flights of stairs to our room.  Later we found a 'western' style restaurant where we enjoyed a pizza, a glass of DaLat wine, and a conversation with a very interesting Australian couple.