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well it's been an interesting trip, was not ready to go home until my ride to the airport convinced me otherwise. Megan and I arrived in Hanoi around 4:30am after another earth moving train ride,this time our cabin companions were two Vietnamese guys that did not speak English and snored most the night. I couldn't take it so I turned my iPad iTunes on and hid it under my pillow until the screen darkened, I prayed for quiet, after a while it was but then intermittent through the night, it was even louder than the train's moaning and a groaning and a shaking and rattling, how is that even possible? We arrived to a dark Hanoi, the air so thick from pollution and humidity my fragile lungs hacked in revolt, oh how I missed the big city. Once we crossed the train tracks, which still amazes me, we were inundated with taxis that crowed the parking lot and their drivers constant in your face "taxi?". we carried our loaded backpacks and day packs, slightly heavier from the Sapa humidity, and a little bit of shopping, first in the wrong direction then turned around and snaked our way through dark, somewhat empty streets of Hanoi, still, the odd driver had to honk just encase we could not hear them coming or their lights shining our way, Seriously? Our short 5 minute walk was probably closer to 20-30 mins. we arrived at the hotel around 5:00 am. Agreeing on the "agreed" upon price was a bit of a challenge so Megan just shrugged and said whatever, paid the slightly higher "agreed" price. was this the end, no, don't be silly. Her credit card would not work, try again, yes, it worked but the receipt is faint and the receptionist had to confirm with the bank that it went through so he stapled it inside their log book for later. Up to our room, 802, rest, shower and quick repacking and a nap before Megans pickup at 7:30am. we confirmed with the new reception the bill was paid and shared the story of what happened, I asked if there was a restaurant in the hotel, "did you not get your breakfast voucher?" ... Don't be silly of course not, we could barely pay for room and explain two different departures and that we needed the room only until 4:30 pm , breakfast was not even a thought, good thing for Megan that she missed it, it was cold penne pasta, cold sticky rice with what might have been nuts, cold greens with what look like ichiban noodles, what else? Cold bacon and pieces of mystery meat shaped like pieces of wieners; watermelon and cucumber, sounds good eh? At least the coffee was somewhat decent.
after I showered I wondered out on my own. going the scenic route and using the hotel map to keep me somewhat pointed in the right direction, i made my way through the local market which was bustling with the early morning activity. Vendors set up with their fresh fruits, veggies, meats and live fish flip flopping in the bucket. it amazes me, although it shouldn't, the narrow lane was jammed with scooters and cyclist that wind their way through the market and stop in the middle of the lane, which to me is a extra wide sidewalk, to shop. traffic was beginning to pickup. I heard "taxi?" so many times I would just ignore or shake my head no. sidewalks were starting to get plugged with people having breakie and parked scooters which means walking on the road. I am getting comfortable crossing the street with confidence and feeling one with the traffic without being one with a vehicle, sure can spot the newbies to the area. I have only seen three scooter accidents this entire trip which is amazing, two today, pretty good considering. I plodding around the old quarter, got a bit lost but headed towards the sun and found my way again. I stopped for my last passion fruit shake and a croissant by the lake, same place our group went after the ill fated water puppet show. An older Parisian gentleman people watching and enjoying an orange juice invited me to join him. his name was Richard and he just arrived in Hanoi for a few days then heading to other destinations. we had a nice chat, talked about the craziness of the place then I was on my way back to his hotel. scenic route again but I made it, Megan would be proud. it was still early so I walked around the area the hotel was in; koto and Pho 24 and the Temple of literature are just around the corner. Megan is going to kill me, I found a fabulous shop which sells quality minority goods for a decent price, so much better than Sapa on so many fronts. Happy, I go back to the hotel, shower, pack everything (13.6kg-pretty good, I did dry out my clothes from the Sapa trip, it was extremely humid and everything felt damp); load a few pictures and time to go.
leaving Hanoi has been hard or more like hair raising. Thinh arranged for a driver, cannot trust the taxi drivers-sometimes they kidnap their passengers and demand money. my driver seemed pleasant enough until he started driving. it was 4:30, roughly 45 -60 minutes to the airport, plane delayed 1.5 hours and not leaving until 9:30, plenty of time. it's rush hour, there is a ca-billion scooters on the road. we are behind a car, the light is green but scooters that have the red light are still going, so my driver lays on the horn. Light turns red, he lays on the horn. Light turns green, the car in front proceeds but then the light turns red, but my driver is determined to go but is cut short by a bus that took too wide a berth when turning left in front of us and could only move when a few scooters moved and when moved to the right. Ok we made it, honk, honk, as he speeds up to the next car, honk, honk, flash the lights as it's getting dark maybe they get the idea. we are stuck in traffic more honking, cursing, phone rings, gets cut off, rings again. I wanted to reassure him that we have plenty of time, no need to rush.. "yes mam" as he continues his antics even commenting on how poor the scooter drivers are. OMG... Are we heading to the airport, I don't know where I am, it's been 45mins, should be there soon enough, God help me I just want to go home. we make it to the outskirts of town, he speeds up, honking and flashing other motorist to clear the way, we are doing 60 km, feels like 100, compared to scooter traffic, I am going to die, either by his driving or cause I am kidnapped. he goes to turn off the main road, its blocked, did he just say I can take a motorcycle from here? I ask much further, no response, try a different way.. "How much longer, 5 minutes?". a few more, it's just there... Bloody hell all I see is flat land that is covered in haze, no planes...OMG.. There is the airport, thank you Lord. drops me off, walk in, okay, they are not loading quite yet as the plane is delayed....sit around. announcement, the window is open, good, I am second in line...waiting and waiting...others are showing up, the people at the window have been there a long time, right they are missing their connections due to the delay in the flight. okay, I ask, I am okay, I have 30minutes to my next connection, they will hold the plane if needed. my turn to checkin, no change in flights...half bloody hour later. I must have got the newbbie or the idiot. he could not wrap his lobe around me arriving in Hong Kong on the 15th and leaving on the 16th (1:00am) and arriving in Vancouver on the 15th - ever hear of a time change? good lord, he had to have the supervisor confirm my flights a couple of times, he printed the boarding passes and luggage and torn them up and re-did it, then tells me he cannot check me through to Edmonton that I have to check in to continue, well ain't that grand, better go well as I have he last flight out. Head to immigration, the officers sit behind this high counter all you see is their heads. Hand my passport, he flips through it several times...now what? I don't recall having a departure form, look around nothing. He calls his supervisor who then takes my passport to the next counter where he partakes in a discussion with a few different officers, do, ta, do...tap... Okay hurry up, I am getting nervous. Comes back, passport stamped and return. Quickly check that my visa made it back in my book, nope! Back and ask for my visa...okay they keep them...what a rip off, for $100 I want to keep the full page visa I have been packing for weeks, they did not even stop my passport.
Well I ended up running to my next flight in hong kong, find my seat, damn window, I asked for an aisle...erg.. Yeah get to move to an aisle with extra seat in between, boo... Sitting across from loud asian family, hopefully they quiet down. watched "the help" and an Asian film, cannot recall the name but it was good. Land in vancouver, pray my bag made the flight as well...yes! Made it.. Immigration, customs, cashier (opps!) then checkin for home. get he pat down on security....again! Gate 27, double check the monitor, hmm gate 50...damn... I just checked in...walk to 27, few people but no sign, have time, walk to 50, this is it. Yeah! My poor blistered feet need a break. been on the road since 4:30 pm Hanoi time, it's now 12:40pm Hanoi time, 20 hours, another 3 to 4 hours before home.
Got home around 2:30 am... Chill then nap time.
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