Day 16 – Hanoi

January 9th 2009

Breakfast at this hotel is all over by 9am, ouch, so there's no lie in this morning – not that there'd be much chance for that as we're positioned on the 1st floor overlooking a reasonably major junction, and of course there's no such thing as double glazing round here...

Surprisingly fresh this morning, well not me, I stuck to bottles of beer, but Sarah's black russians don't seem to have had any adverse effects either.

We did have a bit of a disaster last night which I omitted from my blog. While withdrawing a million dong (sounds impressive, it's about 40 quid) from a cash machine, the majority of which are in small cubicles that you have a door to, bit like a phone box, I got distracted looking at the map with Sarah and because I didn't retrieve my card it swallowed it. While I was furious with myself straightaway this sort of thing must happen all the time as Citibank, who's machine it was, had a full set of instructions up for how to reclaim your card. As I lost it on a Thursday night though I had to retrieve it Friday or that would've been it, closed over the weekend and our pickup on Monday is before the bank opens. So, after breakfast I call the bank and speak to a lady who tells me I can pick up my card at 5pm, phew, but that the bank closes at 4pm. What? “The bank closes at 4pm, come round at 5pm and bang on the door.” Oh, that's alright then.

We set off for today's sightseeing hopeful that the system will work.

Heading in the opposite direction to yesterday, towards Ho Tay, the West Lake, we are relieved to encounter fully functioning pavements, and so as not to go on about it, this is the same for the rest of the day.

Although the guidebooks don't mention much about it, it seems we're really close to a full on military base, right in the heart of the city – well I suppose they've repelled enough attacks to be better safe than sorry. We pay a pound each to go to the top of the old North Gate as our guidebook does promise views of the military grounds. Unfortunately it's not £2 well spent as you can't see anything, but there's a pretty temple up there so not all is lost.

Carrying on around the outside of the base we start to see the real Communist magnificence in terms of monuments, parade grounds etc. Given that Vietnam is a long way behind the old Soviet Union and China in the Communist hierarchy it does make you wonder at what Moscow and Beijing must be like, because the area around the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is very impressive. Ho Chi Minh's in there apparently, although it's shut today. Top tip, don't visit Hanoi's government run buildings on a Friday, they're all closed! He didn't want to be in there apparently, his wish was to be cremated, but in a Lenin style he lies permanently in state here – well apart from the 3 months he spends in Moscow each year for routine maintenance. Yes, horrific, I know.

We then encounter the first real restrictions we've had in Vietnam, which I was reminded before we came here was a Communist country but apart from the odd old fashioned propaganda poster you'd never know. Once we leave the main parade square all the truly magnificent buildings – the Presidential palace, the Russian Embassy, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex – are all covered in “no cameras” signs, with uniformed security hovering in wait should you whip the camera out of its case.

Carrying on our way we get to the lake which is much bigger than the one in the centre of Hanoi. Wouldn't exactly call it picturesque but it would be nice to have such an expanse of water close by back home. As we sit to rest and look at the maps we attract plenty of attention from women selling fruit, which when we finally get the message across that we don't want to buy the next step is to ask us to take a photo of them, no, ok well take a photo of us wearing their old fashioned carrying mechanism – looks like a big set of old fashioned scales they carry over their shoulders, should know what it's called but then again, perhaps not. Either way we're not interested but it's a while before they go. Is strange because we haven't had any of this before, perhaps times are harder in Hanoi than the rest of Vietnam.

More wandering, through the botanical gardens, where we either see 2 weddings or 2 wedding fashion shoots, can't be sure as it's just bride and groom and photographers. A bit of a loop around the back of the Ho Chi Minh museum, closed of course, and we get to the Temple of Literature, a temple dedicated to Confucius which was also the site of the country's first University. Much of it has been rebuilt recently, modern but still in the old style, and it's another welcome respite from the traffic outside.

Lunch is a sandwich in the Smile Cafe, which I wouldn't normally mention but by total accident the Smile Cafe is one of a chain of educational eateries where disadvantaged kids are given training in the catering industry. We've read about the other outlets in one of the guidebooks, they do good work and we certainly feel good about eating there.

On to Lenin Park to see the statue of.... Lenin. Flag Tower, Military Museum (closed) and the rather disappointing Ambassador's Pagoda which wasn't the easiest thing to find and didn't live up to Sarah's “it'd better be worth it” when we got there.

Now I'm pretty certain we finally got scammed today, as my mother in law predicted we would at some point. At this stage of our walk we're stopped for the 3rd time today by a “student” - always a girl, and always with an equally young lad on a motorbike waiting to whisk them away. The first time was not far out of our hotel this morning at which point we were scammed or, with about a 1% probability, did something worthy. Obviously we're armed with experience for the 2nd and 3rd time this happens and after we scam some directions out of them, as of course part of their scam is their willingness to be helpful, we hit them with the “you're collecting for the Red Cross are you? Well we paid this morning” line and they go off on their way. It's well thought through though. Lots of credentials and a book that you're invited to write your name, country, and donation. Ever the cynic, and skinflint, I see what the others have donated and put in less, about £2, so not the end of the world. Some have donated a lot more though, £20 and above, must be laughing all the way to the bank these kids.

We get to the Citibank about 3:50pm, not being convinced about this coming back after the closing time (see cynic reference above), but are told “obviously” to come back at 5pm. OK, see you in 66 minutes time I suppose.

Time to kill, we hit a small shopping mall which is crammed with Western brands, it's just like walking into a 4 storey mini Arndale centre, Ronaldo's up there in the Nike Store, it's all very reassuring. Have the strongest decaf latte ever and after browsing some of the stores we head back the bank which is, as promised, closed – and shuttered. My faith in the system is certainly tested as we're about 5 minutes early so just have to stand and wait. Magically at 5pm on the dot the shutters come up and we're buzzed in, quick flash of the passport and my lovely cash card is back in my possession, as memorable moments go, not one I thought I'd be having but the relief is massive. Celebrate with a bit of haggling at the market and withdrawing another cool million.

The evening's setting in now and roads around the market are very busy but we find a parallel route to our inward journey of yesterday where at least most of the pavements are passable. Back to the hotel for a rest and packing, we're off on our Ha Long Bay excursion tomorrow – 8am pickup - before finding something to eat.

Decide to stick with the hotel fayre as after all the walking we've done today we're both really tired. So it's a quick bite then back to the room for more reading and the choccy bar we sneaked in a purchase of this afternoon :-)