Tet 2012

[james&nicole 2]

About 20,000 feet above Hanoi I lost the sun. Little did I know, it would be 14 days befoore I saw the sun again.

Two weeks of wet. Heavy wet, light wet, big wet, small wet. Dr Seuss could write a book with this wet. There is nothing that compares to rice field wet. Mosquito nets in winter? That don't happen in Minnesota. Those buggers don't do well at -35.

Sky so grey and bland, no definition, no contrast. Like a giant bowl placed over the ground. Rain and mud everywhere.

I loved it.

Hanoi-- the airport ain't in town. I had an am flight and had to wait over 12 hours for Nicole to arrive. It being Tet and all, she couldn't get a flight from HCM to Hanoi at our leisure. I stayed at the AVI Airport hotel. 5$ ride from.the airport with hotel voucher. There is a gov't khach san near the airport, but bad tripadvisor reviews kept me from it. While I was at AVI, an American couple came In and said they spent no more than 20 minutes at that hotel.and had to get put of there.

Scary moment...... I slept at AVI for a few hours then went back to the Hanoi AP to p/u baxa . We .picked.up a .gypsy cab to take us back to the hotel.

I had been to the hotel during daylight and knew the way back. The gypo taxi guy had a shortcut in mind.... He jumped on.the freeway going against traffic, yes.....going the.wrong way, turned off the freeway into a dirt road. I'm thinking how the f can I escape this mugging. I got 3 G American in my pocket (can't.trust the safe.in the hotel.....yeah the safe has a lock, but it weighs 10 lbs and is not bolted down). I got a wife.to cover.and. I'm not sure when I am. Plus I got a case of green oil, some tet gifts and assorted sundries in my room. We can't find the hotel in the dark and rainy night. It is locked up with steel rolldown doors and no sign. I think I'm in hcm where the hotels 24/7..

Sorry mods, gonna hafta merge this, phone cung dien. Very difficult. More to.follow.

S

P

[luckytxn 2,263]

Definitely wasn't my experience when there and when I go back I hope for myself that my experience is more fun.

[ScottThuy 140]

I'm in it now ... it was raining for the first 4 days this trip... not hard enough to clean anything, just wet enough to get the dirt wet enough to stick to anything and everything.. The sun came out today... what a huge contrast... yesterday was foggy rainy cloudy and dreary.. today is sunny and cool and clear... the mosquitos here are lighter in the winter but they never seem to totally go away.

Accomodations vary so widely from one street to another. Another faculty member recommended the hotel I got booked in to the Dean... What that guy was thinking is beyond me... If I want to live on the cheap as a tourist thats one thing, but that is rarely the case for me... I have been in some really bad hotels here... and often stay at the Daewoo..

be careful with the taxis here... I wont take a gypsy taxi as they tend to want to jack up the rate 500%

[crea78 0]

What is the weather usually like mid-end of April? I will be there for two weeks while my fiancee does her interview. Last time I went in June, it would rain a few days, but was mostly sunny.

[luckytxn 2,263]

What is the weather usually like mid-end of April? I will be there for two weeks while my fiancee does her interview. Last time I went in June, it would rain a few days, but was mostly sunny.

Hot and muggy.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

What is the weather usually like mid-end of April? I will be there for two weeks while my fiancee does her interview. Last time I went in June, it would rain a few days, but was mostly sunny.

You going to Hanoi for the interview?

[dalatian 4]

Two weeks of wet. Heavy wet, light wet, big wet, small wet. Dr Seuss could write a book with this wet. There is nothing that compares to rice field wet. Mosquito nets in winter? That don't happen in Minnesota. Those buggers don't do well at -35.

Sky so grey and bland, no definition, no contrast. Like a giant bowl placed over the ground. Rain and mud everywhere.

I loved it.

[james&nicole 2]

What is the weather usually like mid-end of April? I will be there for two weeks while my fiancee does her interview. Last time I went in June, it would rain a few days, but was mostly sunny.

The weather in HCMC has been pretty consistent year round in my experience. Pretty hot and humid with thunder shower type rains rolling through. I never felt the weather was as oppressive as some people made it out to be. I stay hydrated and out of the direct sun if possible. I bought some hi tech travel clothes but honestly, a lightweight cotton shirt from Target works just as well and only costs 10 or 15 bucks.

[james&nicole 2]

I'm in it now ... it was raining for the first 4 days this trip... not hard enough to clean anything, just wet enough to get the dirt wet enough to stick to anything and everything.. The sun came out today... what a huge contrast... yesterday was foggy rainy cloudy and dreary.. today is sunny and cool and clear... the mosquitos here are lighter in the winter but they never seem to totally go away.

Accomodations vary so widely from one street to another. Another faculty member recommended the hotel I got booked in to the Dean... What that guy was thinking is beyond me... If I want to live on the cheap as a tourist thats one thing, but that is rarely the case for me... I have been in some really bad hotels here... and often stay at the Daewoo..

be careful with the taxis here... I wont take a gypsy taxi as they tend to want to jack up the rate 500%

Hi Scott, yeah the taxis in Hanoi seem to take more liberties than in HCM. They often go the long way around

As for hotels in Hanoi, I'll check out the Daewoo. I've toured the Hanoi elegance in 09, it seemed nice, I stayed in the Zephyr, big room on the top floor. Faded and dated, it has seen better days. Not worth the 200$ price. The best hotel I've stayed at in Hanoi was the Sofitel Metropole. Top notch but pricey. Club level room was 350$ after tax. I also stayed in another wing there and it was 250$ out the door. This time round I stayed at the Charming Hotel on Yen Thai st. 30$ for a window room. It was a couple doors down from another of the Elegance chain which seemed very nice. Yen Thai st is a small alley so the taxi can't pull up to the hotel. Its about a 100 foot walk to the bigger street. No.real need to spend big on a hotel however. 25 to 30$ seems to be the sweet spot for a decent hotel. I've been very happy with that price point in VN. The AVI hotel near the airport is mainly good for layovers or one night stays. There not much around that area. I like Hanoi, interesting town.

[james&nicole 2]

About 20,000 feet above Hanoi I lost the sun. Little did I know, it would be 14 days befoore I saw the sun again.

Two weeks of wet. Heavy wet, light wet, big wet, small wet. Dr Seuss could write a book with this wet. There is nothing that compares to rice field wet. Mosquito nets in winter? That don't happen in Minnesota. Those buggers don't do well at -35.

Sky so grey and bland, no definition, no contrast. Like a giant bowl placed over the ground. Rain and mud everywhere.

I loved it.

Hanoi-- the airport ain't in town. I had an am flight and had to wait over 12 hours for Nicole to arrive. It being Tet and all, she couldn't get a flight from HCM to Hanoi at our leisure. I stayed at the AVI Airport hotel. 5$ ride from.the airport with hotel voucher. There is a gov't khach san near the airport, but bad tripadvisor reviews kept me from it. While I was at AVI, an American couple came In and said they spent no more than 20 minutes at that hotel.and had to get put of there.

Scary moment...... I slept at AVI for a few hours then went back to the Hanoi AP to p/u baxa . We .picked.up a .gypsy cab to take us back to the hotel.

I had been to the hotel during daylight and knew the way back. The gypo taxi guy had a shortcut in mind.... He jumped on.the freeway going against traffic, yes.....going the.wrong way, turned off the freeway into a dirt road. I'm thinking how the f can I escape this mugging. I got 3 G American in my pocket (can't.trust the safe.in the hotel.....yeah the safe has a lock, but it weighs 10 lbs and is not bolted down). I got a wife.to cover.and. I'm not sure when I am. Plus I got a case of green oil, some tet gifts and assorted sundries in my room. We can't find the hotel in the dark and rainy night. It is locked up with steel rolldown doors and no sign. I think I'm in hcm where the hotels 24/7..

Sorry mods, gonna hafta merge this, phone cung dien. Very difficult. More to.follow.

S

P

We stay in Hanoi one night and leave for the village in the morning. Five of us...in a Toyota corolla.....for four hours. Traffic is thick in Hanoi, stays busy until we hit the dirt roads. Motorbikes overflowing with families, packed to the gills with supplies and those little trees. I even saw a full size pig tied to the back.of a motorbike. Each new road we turn onto is smaller than the one before. Farmland now wet and fallow. I see people turning over the earth with hand tools. Big fields and small shovels. No tractors, just modified bicycles to bear the load. We are getting close.

The village that lost its name....

Oh it had a name once, but they had to give it a new name after it was destroyed. It's new name roughly translates to "burned earth".

You see there is a small mountain, a hill really, about maybe 500 to 1000 feet tall just outside of town. First the Japanese, then the French, then the Americans (and probably the Chinese before all of the others) came and took that hill. It was an ideal place for artillery. The town was shelled into oblivion. The only place left standing, the only safe haven was the Catholic church. The entire village lived in that church. When the invaders left, as they always do. The people reclaimed the land. There is really nothing there. Just rice. From the hill you could control traffic on the small river and shoot your guns, but there is nothing to pillage, nothing to gain, everyone who took the hill eventually left with nothing. When the shooting and bombs stopped the farmers planted and worked the land. Rice.

So this will be my home for the next couple weeks. The Grapes of Wrath meets Ma and Pa Kettle meets Deliverance, with some unsettling Wicker Man moments (the good one with Edward Woodard, not the Nick Cage abomination). Farmers, salt of the earth, awesome. I used to work on ranches, hauled hay, worked cattle and set irrigation when I was younger, so this a trip down memory lane.

I went to a town hall type meeting on the church grounds after mass. Menfolk only, so many interesting characters. They had a microphone and a small PA system, some one would get up and deliver an impassioned oratory, really incredible stuff, then hand the Mic to someone else who word continue. I have no idea what was being said but it was intense. When the power went out and the PA died these guys just put the Mic down and continued as if nothing happened. We all sat there and drank beer, ate snacks and listened to the speeches. About fifty of us. I could tell by the faces of the 10 or so young guys (late teens, early twenties) they were just there for the beer. I figure they were bored with the talk and I got the impression they would leave the village.and move to the city as soon as they were able.

Anyway, back to Tet, it seemed kind of like a reverse Halloween for adults. People come to the house bearing gifts of sugar, liquor, red bag, etc. Have some tea, chat for a bit and go to the next house. Looking out at the town small groups of people were everywhere going from house to house. Family is important and the family I'm in is big. I must have went to thirty homes. And was welcomed in all. I never drank so much tea in my life. They offered food and drink everywhere. Beer and liquor. I drank snake wine, three day old wine, banana wine, some kind of fruit I'd never seen before wine, wine that tasted like a margarita, wine that tasted like southern comfort, all kinds of wine and all of it homemade. It was in old water bottles, old coke bottles, jerry cans and giant jugs. I had a blast.

Hands tied behind his back the young dog struggled in the cold mud, slowly awaiting the lunar feast.

Ironically in those moments it was probably the only time that dog was ever loved.

Within a couple hours the dog was served. I don't know if it was because the dog was young or if all dogs taste like that but it was good. Very tender. I liked it much better than the beef.

It was about 50 to 60 degrees everyday. The houses did not have any heat. The doors were only closed at night and they were so draft it didn't matter anyway. There were fires but they were used for cooking only. Thankfully this time around they had hot water from the tap, a western toilet and a table eitherto eat on in the house I was staying. I'm not a prolific squatter, nor can I sit comfortably on the floor to eat. Even those little tiny stools are problematic. I'v dropped about 20lbs and want to lose 20 more, so next time I can go low and still be able to swallow my food. It was very interesting to sit around with the family and listen in. It's amazing how similar people are everywhere. Families talking about their kids, gossiping about the wife of one of the brothers and so on. I get a translation every so often and peoples body language tells the.rest of the story. Oftentimes I felt like I.did when I was a kid sitting at the adults table listening to them drone on and on and wanting to be anywhere else. But it was all good. I wouldn't trade any of it away. I had a great trip.

10,000 miles from home listening to a Vietnamese version of "Guantanemera", breaking bread and drinking tea with 95 year old women who are still working in the barn, having conversations that neither side understands but doing it anyway, having to duck to go through doorways, bumping my head on something everywhere I go. I'm 5'10". If I was 6'5" I would be used to bumping my head. In Vietnam 5 10 is the new 6 5. Going down stairs sideways because they are cut so small they ball of my foot hangs over the edge, getting excited every time someone fires up a bong then realizing.its only tobacco, bringing my own napkins and fresh wipes everywhere I go, stumbling over the broken sidewalks, washing my socks and not having them dry for 3 days, sleeping on beds that are just a piece of plywood, pulling over on the freeway so the nun we are traveling with can take a leak in front of god and everyone,pulling over on the freeway so I can take a leak, walking down a narrow alley towards this fetching, haunting, magical music, incense wafting through the air, chickens at my feet, people elbow to elbow as I get closer and closer to the incense and funeral party the music grows and suddenly the alley fills with motorbikes, the rush hour shortcut, now no one can move, not me, not the motorbikes, not even the chickens but the music plays on and on. Surreal. Psychedelic. I can't wait to go back.

[tcTTct 37]

How the heck do you remember this much detail??? I can barely remember what I had for lunch!

[Sayha or bust. 71]

Thank god for S. Vietnam didn't see any dog on the menu or public BBQ's of my dog friends. Granted I could buy it at the market my wife's family don't take much of a fancy to it.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Thank god for S. Vietnam didn't see any dog on the menu or public BBQ's of my dog friends. Granted I could buy it at the market my wife's family don't take much of a fancy to it.

I was offered dog several times last time I was there. Third country I ate dog. Always tasty.

[Ronnie&Hang 12]

Anyway, back to Tet, it seemed kind of like a reverse Halloween for adults. People come to the house bearing gifts of sugar, liquor, red bag, etc. Have some tea, chat for a bit and go to the next house. Looking out at the town small groups of people were everywhere going from house to house. Family is important and the family I'm in is big. I must have went to thirty homes. And was welcomed in all. I never drank so much tea in my life. They offered food and drink everywhere. Beer and liquor. I drank snake wine, three day old wine, banana wine, some kind of fruit I'd never seen before wine, wine that tasted like a margarita, wine that tasted like southern comfort, all kinds of wine and all of it homemade. It was in old water bottles, old coke bottles, jerry cans and giant jugs. I had a blast.

James..you are bringing back lots of memories from Hanoi for me..I felt like I was "ve que an Tet" again on Hang's Dad side of the family in HaTay. I have to give it to you..you are having the experiences the not even many VKs have ever seen..

[Sayha or bust. 71]

I was offered dog several times last time I was there. Third country I ate dog. Always tasty.

They would have to trick me to eat it. I've tried everything my wife put in front of me but I would eat a cat before a dog.You could buy that too.

James..you are bringing back lots of memories from Hanoi for me..I felt like I was "ve que an Tet" again on Hang's Dad side of the family in HaTay. I have to give it to you..you are having the experiences the not even many VKs have ever seen..

Ronnie, you guys have a baby? Congrats to you and Hang.