Happy New Year, 2011

Back in a day, best wishes...

Merry Christmas, everyone

All's well...

Angus

December 23, 1996 - December 17, 2010

Sapa/Halong Bay (Dec. 5-9)

Ok, so I left off arriving in Sapa. It's a quaint place whose main attractions are the mountains and the local aboriginal groups ("ethnic minority" as one called herself). The Hmong people are noted for supporting the US during the American/Vietnam War. Obviously, that did not work out too well for them. But they appear to live relatively traditional lives (dress, housing, etc), with the main difference being that they now hawk their handicrafts to visiting tourists. I'm no expert on them so am hestitant to make comments.

I did some hikes and took in the stunning scenery before making my way back to Hanoi and out to Halong Bay. The attached pictures show it all!

Room for Rent!

Yes, my housemate Alex just announced he is leaving January 1st! Anyone know of someone who would like to rent a nice, furnished room (my downstairs bedroom) for $700/month? It comes with two awesome housemates (one human, one canine).

Hanoi, Dec. 3-4

"No, this is how it works

You peer inside yourself

You take the things you like

And try to love the things you took..."

-Regina Spektor

Landed in Hanoi to a very different Vietnam than I remembered from 2003. Of course last time was Saigon, and they say Hanoi is totally different. It was. Yes, there's the constant noise and activity, French colonial architecture, everything looking just a little bit broken. But the fashion! Even people's moto helmets sport flash plaid designs. And women in current dresses and bright, high-heeled stilletos prowl the streets on scooters, impassive looks plastered on their faces amidst the chaos. The stores are a mix of the utilitarian and the outright haute couture (not that I care, but I ventured into a store selling about 7 items. All Hugo Boss)

My favourite moment in Hanoi comes in the mid-evening, around 10 pm. The noise.... stops. The motos and Mercedes (yes, there are lots), must have vacated the streets as it is virtually impossible for a Vietnamese driver not to honk his/her horn every 15 seconds to alert everybody and nobody to his presence.

Food-wise, I do well. Thanks to Ben I had a phenominal bun cha (noodles, grilled meat, cucumbers in broth, mint in a do-it yourself Hanoi-only lunchtime meal). And thanks to CJ, I ate grilled fish in herbs with a little rice and a lovely local draught beer. Subtle yet resounding flavours.

Then to Sapa via overnight train. Being rocked to sleep, I am reminded how cibvilised train travel is. I wake up to a new place and a misty dawn. While I wait for my minibuis to fill up at the station, a woman came by to sell me a hot coffee. Perfect.