Thạch Lỗi

By the time I got into my last plane on this ticket, I'd been awake - other than a couple of quick cat-naps - for 48 hours! I was that person who demanded my window seat when someone was already sitting in it and asking me to take the isle instead. No way! I earned that window (also near the front) - some bribery for the missed flight - and was in desparate need of some uninterrupted sleep. I tucked in and it was lights out; I don't even remember taxiing or take-off. Just over 2 hrs later I awakened just as we were landing in to a pea soup of thick fog. Kind of scary but it was a smooth landing at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN).

Customs was fast. A fellow Air Canada refugee gave me the heads-up that Vietnamese customs guards don't take time to smile or say hello. Do not try to make conversation nor joke with them. That proved true. However they sure did take time to scrutinize my papers and compared my passport pic to my face for so long I started to fear I might get deported or imprisoned. Seriously.

Then suddenly I was spit out into a strage, warm, new world where pretty much no one spoke English and I had neglected to set up my Google Translate with Vietnamese. Rookie mistake! Next task: find Vietnamese money and transportation. Sorting out a cab was just too hard in spite of all the text-help from Naila who was now a well-seasoned SE Asian traveler. I opted to walk instead as it was within a couple of km. Good shoes and a comfy backpack for the win.

Before I left home, a friend told me I should practice for SE Asia by crossing the Lewvan without stopping. Just dodge through the cars sowly and make eye contact. (For my Toronto peeps - it's kind of like Kingston Rd but not at rush hour. For my mountain friends, think 16th Ave.) He was right. So on my first day in Vietnam, after traveling 36 hours and being awake for 48hr, I had to get across 12 lanes. Fortunately there was a median and it was getting late, so it was only slightly terriying. I did not go slowly nor make eye contact. I waited for a small break and ran for my life. Naila said if you run it screws up the tempo and that's how to get hit by a car. Sheesh!!

I found my little hotel, the HD House. A king bed and private bath was a real luxury for the equivalent to $20. Interesting fact - the shower in hotel bathrooms here are just set into the wall of te bathroom. No separate area. No shower curtain. Kind of brilliant as every time someone showers, the entire bathroom gets cleaned. 😆

The front-desk guy, who spoke no English, walked me down the street to a good place for dinner where no one spoke English. A big plate of veggie fried-rice and giger soup was soooo tasty and cost the equivalent of $2.75. On the way I waved at a few kids and they proceeded to grab my leg under the fence while I ate and I grabbed for their hands with chop stix. Totally cracked me up. It did not crack up their guardians so that was the end of that.

Satisfied that my belly was full and proud that I had survived the first 2 hours, I crawled into my rock-hard bed and slept like a stone.Read more