I arrived late into the Hanoi airport, and as I was walking to the minivan station to take a collective ride to the city center, I saw a single monk walking around from taxi station to taxi station as the drivers tried un-relentlessly to over-charge the poor guy. I approached him and asked him in Thai if he needed a ride. He replied yes, but clearly wasn’t used to speaking to women, and so was a bit stand-offish with his reply. I explained to him that the minivan taxi is less than $2 to the center and there was still one seat left. He is a Lao monk; I could tell by the similarity yet differences in language between us. I said for him to follow me to the minivan station to talk to the driver and he hesitantly accompanied me. We discovered that there were no seats left that weren’t next to a girl. Impossible. The monk said thank you and bid farewell to me. I watched regretfully as he walked to yet another taxi station and made arrangements. He had no luggage aside from his one lone shoulder bag. I don’t know his business in Vietnam, but I could instantly feel the less than embracing feeling for monks that I was getting in here in this new place, and it made me concerned for his time spent here. As I sat in the minivan fretting over this monk, I was missing Thailand so deeply before I even left the airport parking lot.
The driver took us to the city center by the lake, and with my belongings I walked down the street checking prices at various guesthouses. The rate was much higher here on average than in the other countries I stayed in, and when I finally happened upon a place that had a rate of $10 a night I jumped all over that opportunity. They sadly informed me that they could only give me one night since the next day they were to begin remodeling the building. They informed me that they had a friend who ran a guesthouse by the other end of the lake and could assure me that the rate would also be $10 a night. I pondered this for a moment….so….they have a friend….sounds like it could be troublesome for me to agree to stay there with out seeing the room nor meeting the people. But, what the heck, why not? I agreed and they called for a motor-bike driver to come and pick me up to take me there. When I arrived I paid for the room and the man escorted me up to the room. We began walking up the flights of stairs…one…two….three…and so on. Until we arrived on the 5th floor roof-top of the building. The room was a quaint little room but with amenities like hot water-awesome, a min-fridge-useful, and free cable TV-where I quickly developed an obsession for Korean dramas with English subtitles. Most of the broadcasting cable in Vietnam is from Korea and Japan, so I was brushing up on even more Asian culture in this new place.
The room had an amazing view of the surrounding area and I was welcomed with a brilliant thunderstorm and accompanying downpour of rain the following morning. I woke up startled when I began hearing a ridiculous amount of noise. I walked out of my room and peered out the big windows, it was such a frenzy of rain and thunder that I could now understand why Vietnam has 3 rice harvests a year while Laos has 2 and Thailand has just 1. This place gives new meaning to the phrase of ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’, more like ‘its raining elephants and tigers’ here in Vietnam.
Since I was still feeling terrible from being so ill, I spent 3 full days in bed with only the momentary absence from my room to quickly find the Vietnamese equivalent of the noodle soup I so dearly love. 
Here in Vietnam they call it Pho…it’s pretty good, (but just not the same as the Thai and Laos styles). Every soup lady makes it slightly different, and it is typically served in the mornings. So I became a regular at 2 different places, one in the morning, and one that I discovered around the corner from my guesthouse that serves it in the afternoons too; so I was set for the days of rest ahead of me. 
I’m telling you, I totally became hooked on the Korean drama scene….another bane for me in Asia I suppose….move aside scarves….hello Korean TV! In Vietnam the broadcasting cable all has English subtitles on the Korean channels and I was able to understand it all. For any of you people out there that are suckers for chick-flicks…you should check them out, its out-fight dangerous to start watching them if you are sick in bed and have nothing but time on your hands. I even discovered that you can watch them online with the subtitles also. Here’re some websites for anyone interested: http://www.koreanmovie.com or http://www.mysoju.com
After a few days of rest, I was fully anxious to get out and explore the streets of this new place. I suppose the weather sensed this because once I was feeling well enough to spend a day wandering the markets, it decided to take a break from the torrential rains; lucky me! First I walked to the lake to check out a Confucius temple there that I had read about. Rather touristy but interesting still. Everywhere I went, the Vietnamese people seemed so happy to see me and talk to me. 
Children always became excited when noticing me. there were far less tourists here than other places I had visited, and I actually felt more of a culture shock here than any other place I had been (aside from Bonpong). Many of the Vietnamese people speak English and I kept getting the same story, most of the tourists are French, so a lot of the Vietnamese people can speak French, however they actually want to learn English pretty badly.
After the temple, I wandered the market area. This city is so busy its crazy! You could be entertained for hours just sitting in one place and watching everything. You could get lost in the shops for hours and loose track or where you are so easily. There is so much to see, to eat and to touch.
I came across a woman selling pineapple and asked if I could be her for a minute; pretty awesome of her. And the thing I’m holding is a heck of a lot heavier than it looks by the way. Props to the Vietnamese women for carrying these all day for such long hours; they much have traps of steel. 
I passed many people selling produce and flowers on the streets, they are all from areas outside the city but come into town everyday with their goods, hoping to make money for their families. 
The shops were full of anything and everything you could possibly think of or need. The streets were categorized by the goods being sold. There is a specific street to buy silk, zippers, shoes, tombstones, Chinese lanterns, I’m telling you…anything!
One day is not nearly enough in this city; there is simply too much to see. I happened upon another Confucius temple that was nestled in the midst of this chaotic neighborhood where my guesthouse is located. It was surprisingly quiet inside. 
Although many of the restaurants have less than appetizing appearances, you gotta try the food when visiting a new country. I always like to stick to the street vendors since the people who operate it takes great care to sell food and their livelihood depends on it strongly. Also, since they don’t have a permanent residence for their equipment, the entire outfit tends to be pretty clean….more than I can say for some restaurants. I’ve passed by quite a few that rats aren’t even fit enough to have rats dine at.
The coffee here in Vietnam is really strong, and pretty good….not as good at Guatemala’s but the best I’ve had in Asia so far.
It’s not too expensive either…I bought some to take home with me. 
There were quite a few food items in this country I simply wasn’t willing to try…like pig’s tail and other organs for example. 
All of the food I was willing to try was pretty good. Here are some photos of some things I did try. 
Walking late one evening on my way to get something to eat, I passed an alley-way that a group of men had turned into a pseudo-house. They made a raised platform where they had a group bed, a TV and were lounging there watching. I thought it was so funny I asked if I could take their photo. They motioned it was okay but to be quiet. 
I proceeded on to a restaurant for dinner. In Vietnam, during the day shops fill the streets and people from outside the city wander the streets peddling their goods. However, in the evenings these streets are transformed, the shops close and pull down their garage style doors and lock up for the night only to return early the next morning. This free space that is now available on the sidewalks is made to use by the restaurants and food vendors. 
Small plastic tables and chairs are unloaded and families work as a group, some cooking, some cleaning some serving. The people crowd to these places for substance, and also for conversation. You will also find on many street corners places where people gather to drink cheap beer that is home brewed; about 8 cents a glass. By morning, it will al be cleaned up and the shops will open before sunrise. If you are drinking at one of these corner places and maybe aren’t paying close attention as you are lost in conversation, you may really be confused while the environment around you changes so smoothly and think maybe you over-did it that evening. These business owners have it down to an art; the tourists may not even realize what is going on.More to come on Hanoi...
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