2012 Moon Festival

    Yesterday after few beer, together with my brother to join the Moon festival party for the lucky draw. The show is so so, and it's to cold to be outside, but everyone there for the Vios. I can see the recession of our town, and the wishes of the countryside people.
    Last night, our family also had the BBQ together. Almost everyone's home, and we had a photo with grandmom. 20,000 cc Beer plus 5000 cc Wisky, how could I sleep at 2 and wake up at 6? I think I need more exercise and healthy food to keep my body strong as usual. We family had a great time, not easy for such a family to spend time together and enjoy we just enjoy the moment.
    For lunch time, another grandmom family, almost every young man had a newcoming baby. It's nice to have kids for a family. Different feeling amongh two grandmom's family, but I do pretty much enjoy my life.
    Today it's also amazing. Motobike ride at the early morning with a little bit hangover. TurorABC at 9:30, and visit grandmom again. She had her quilt sun burned, and the quilt is used already as my grandmom's marriage? I think she use this one day by day for more than 70 years. How could you imagin the traditional Haka family life. I was lucky, there's some Haka genes in my body.
    TuturABC again in the afternoon, I met a guy who used to own a 200 million company. He had a Farrari, but drove only three times in five years. Everyday 5:30 work till the midnight. Now he slod everything in Britian, and star over in Philipins. He told me I would never want to be a rich guy. How wonderful to have the crush in my life, especially for a beginning worker who always wants money. Well, I need more time to think about what he taught me.
    At night, we went to Miaoli for the firework, and had the concert of 蘇打綠. They did a good job, and made the audience quite enjoy the night. The firework is great, and also the my county. In the afternoon, I went to the new house again, I need to do more research for my first own house.

2012 Conner @ Vietnam

9/2 Sunday - Ha noi arrival

9/3 Monday - Ha noi

9/4 Tuesday - Night  train to Huế

9/5 Wednesday - stay in Huế

9/6 Thursday - stay in Huế

9/7 Friday - Night train to Ha noi

9/8 Saturday - Ahead to Halong Bay

9/9 Sunday - Halong Bay

9/10 Monday - Night Bus to Ha noi

I came to Vietnam because the 300 USD plane ticket.

I spent less than three hours preparing my trip including my package, and booking two nights through Agoda. Fortunately I got my visa six hours ahead my plane take off.

I am a young man, have nothing to lose. Although there are some rumors or bad facts about Vietnam on the internet, I still decided to come, with some film in my Nikon and few condom. 

As I am in Ha noi, I realize how causal my trip is. Without transformer for my mac and cell phone, fortunately no need to transform here. How could one made this mistake after traveling more than ten countries?

Lots of bad experiences of backpacking in Vietnam on the internet, I read some and print others out to remind myself for some situation. Honestly speaking, I haven’t had time read , and no need to read that at all. I had a great time for pass five days, and there are still five more good days waiting me.  

I met a Vietnamese girl named Maya on the plane, she join the AIESEC working in Taiwan this summer. She paid me the taxi from Ha noi airport to downtown and bought me a sim card for communication. As we were in the airport, I saw her negotiate with the local taxi driver, with the gentle manner but effective I think. Actually I can’t sleep well for someone paid me, I suppose to pay that. It’s really a blessing. 

First night i had noodle on the street with the price on the wall, because i read someone says the store might change the price on the manu and some extra cost. First day time, I had to learn how to cross the road without any sign. I think I am a good learner, now I can easily do that. Today I met three guy who is nice to me, one cut my sim card in to micro sim card with big scissor for free, then as i bought cranberry, letting the boss to take money from my wallet, paid normal price as others for 20,000, nothing else happen. At night, I sitting on the street with beer, little bit far from the old town area, I got two cups and   boss light me a cigarette, paid only 10,000(0.5 USD). At night, I think I order peanut, but the boss give me cigarette, it’s also a blessing. 

Second day, my friends show me around Ha noi with motobike. You won’t believe that how bustle the street is, maybe 10 times busy than Taipei. It’s interesting to have locals with me, we try some traditional food including noodles, eggs with chicken...so on. At the restaurants, I still can’t believe that I am in Vietnam, how could I be so lucky to be in this moment. Ha  noi railway station are also amazing to me, don’t know why, just a moment reminds me the station on New York, Taipei, Berlin, Tokyo. 

Night train to Hue, I met a amazing girl sitting next to me. We talk for more than two hours, sharing her trip to me, her family, and her dream to being architecture, and she doesn’t like to wear traditional clothes with long hair, so she cut her hair short. Discussing nearby countries, China, Korea, Malaysia, USA..., could you imagine she is just a high school students, who is 11 years younger than me.  I see the hope of the country, and encourage her to read more books and wish her good luck. She show me where to go, and give me her number in case I have some difficulties. Unbelievable girl gives me a wonderful night. 

I can’t find the hotel I found on the internet, carrying big bag walking more than two hours. Motobike sellers keep following me and try hard to convince me to stay in his hotel. I have no where to go, so say yes to 7 USD/night traditional hotel, which has no maps, no internet, no air-conditioner....That’s OK for me to explore the traditional room for one night. Later I found that I am in Hue, not Hoi an, so the hotel is not No. 60 on the same street. Same mistake as I am in Japan for climbing Mt. Fuji.  

Hue is famos for its historical attractions. I came here on Tuesday, seeing lots of students wearing traditional clothes, that’s really pretty, that’s too bad have no photo. After few days trip in Hue, I have to say that the girls in Hue attracts me more. I had a bike for a day tour, surely without any map but energy riding everywhere. I did got confuse where is the direction, but I am pretty much enjoy that. Now I would like to adress some points of my view:

Here is the currency: 1 USD~20,500

Hue: small bottle water-3,600, KFC set-63,000, noodle-20,000~35,000 Beer-10,000, Bike parking -2~5,000, coffee on the street-7,000, fruit(Rambutan)-10,000, subway bread-5,000-15,000, hotel-USD7-15, Bike rent-20,000 boat trip-100,000

The living cost in Vietnam is not a problem for me, one with normal job in Taiwan. Before my trip, I read some blog discussing the trip in Vietnam, many of them are negative. I do have some nervous as I have my money out, doubting whether I am fooled. Today I rode my bike to countryside, meet some local guys can’t speak english. The bread with meat is only 5,000, and the sugarcane juice is also 5,000. I like these guy, sometimes I pay twice to appreciate they didn’t cheat me. 

Parking in the Palace costs 5,000. I can’t accept that, so I ride around to other side parking to non-people area, soon someone asks me for 5,000. Damn, I waste my time turn whole around for the same price. It’s OK, less 1USD. After the tour in the Palace, I become friends with the guy who charges me. He is cute as I invited him in my picture. Today I am thinking about what’s difference between 2,000 and 5,000? Nothing but feeling for me. And as I bought the train ticket, Maya bought me local student fare first and would like to change to mine, the lady says no for international students. She said international students are richer than locals, no discourt for me. It’s OK, and that’s make sense for me after my bike trip. 

Cheated is not good, and tourists blame locals most for cheating. But in my opinion, being cautious to everything, and also be nice to everyone. I had been sitting on the street for food many times, and the price is acceptable. I don’t know whether I was cheated or not, but I think less than 1 USD for a nice meal and experience is worth enough. Just enjoy the moment even though you got cheated. In my trip, I saw many times the interaction between locals, they are nice to each other. Sometimes we foreigners think they are not friendly enough, I think the gap comes from the language. I have been to Thailand, they are friendly and is a smile country, I think they live for tourism, but in Vietnam, people live in their own way, no urgent intention to make change for someone can’t talk vietnamese.

You can definitely travel to some where well civilized, with lots of Starbucks on the street. Or you can enjoy different culture in the developing country. I believe that 50 years ago in my hometown is quite similar to Vietnam right now, and my grandparents are struggle for their life letting their children to have a better life. Without being cheated, I would never know what’s going on in the real world. That’s part of the journey, just live with that, few thousands Don for such experience is fare enough. And the money you lose from  currency exchange in Taiwan Bank is more than the money you be cheated. 

Night train to Hanoi meeting Maya, I bought the lunch box on the train, I knew the feeling of uncomfortable, afraid to be cheated. But what can i do, just buy lunch box paying 500,000, he said he will change me later. He never come back, and I can’t even recognize him.  Of course I found him later, and he pretend he forgotten, as nothing happen. And there are also some time I found that maybe I was cheated. But as I am on the train, I was thinking about that isn’t that quite reasonably have different price for locals and foreign, just like the train tickets celler saying, they earn a lot. I can accept the different price, but they have to show the price first, or fix and reasonable price for foreigners.  

It’s good to meet maya again, and we went to the busy bus station, 120,000 four hours to Halong Bay. The driver is a little bit slow, and pick some passengers on the street. Lunch with Maya family, I can’t believe that I am having lunch in Vietnamese family and feel comfortable. I don’t know why, everything seems familiar to me, the street, tea , dishes, and family. Do I have ultra adaptability or I am retarded and incapable to sense the world. 

I am lucky enough, to learn how to do some traditional Vietnamese dishes, and I am super fan for any big chief. Cooking outside with the coal, and neighbors talking next to the wall , it’s typical countryside life, with beautiful weather. Parents come back from work, and children preparing the meal, it’s wonderful combination. I can’t see the set in Taiwan now.

In the morning, the market is different, family comes here for diversity breakfast. I had two special, and bought something for my lunch. The weather is quite nice here, Halong Bay looks like a well developing for tourists. Over night trip costs 120 USD for two days trip included three meal. I didn’t take that because too expensive for me. I took the six hours trip for 250,000 don. As I am sitting on the boat, I was thinking about I should take the one night on boast trip because I am just one time visiting, should spend my time with high quality, 120 USD is not so unaffordable, why should I act so poor? But soon after the trip, I feel that I mad the right decision, maybe next time when I am not alone, I should spent one night on the boat with my girl. The trip is nice, and if I could do that, I prefer sitting on some simple small boat instead of tourism boat. But I enjoy the ride, sitting on the roof of the boat. The view is express as I climb to the top of Ti top Island, you mush visit here in your life. I would like to buy some seafood for family, but I can’t negotiate with the vendor, I believe that they would earn more if they mark their price out. Back trip on the roof without clothes, locals treat me a white wine, like the feeling. And meet some local young workers communicating in limit english. By the way, on the boat locals non stop eat make me impressive. 

After the trip, riding along the coast, the weather is too nice, I think the beach is one of the top beach in the world. And I also visit Maya father’s land, no kidding, the land is almost like a mountain and the work must be quite heavy, chicken, duck, and ten types of fruit trees. After today trip, the happy ending is drinking the fresh beer on the street. Two fresh beer with peanut costs you 50 cents. And as I enjoy the moment, Maya went to the market for dinner. How wonderful to be vietnamese man. Dinner time, well, I am a not bad cooker at Taiwan, but here I can only serve the table and wash the dishes. I do enjoy  the meal with Maya’s family, and drink tea together, how good the family is. In the early morning, we back to Hanoi in a crazy Mercedes van. 

Well, it’s like waking up from dreams, in the dream 27 years Conner had a great time in Vietnam. 

notes: 

I meet some Taiwanese tourism, I think that;s a little bit noisy, I can’t see any difference from some from China. 

In Hue, the vendor asks three western young girls where are they from, they said we from China in a frivolous way. 

It’s quite easy to be lost anywhere in Vietnam, remember to memorize some important building, lake or river.

Luckily, I can watch US Open here, and it’s interesting no ad between sets. 

Remember to bring some gifts from Taiwan, you can’t expect what would happen, I think Kaoliang wine is best, maybe HTC is ok if not too expensive.

After eating different foods in Vietnam, I had to admit that the food here is awesome, and this morning I had the beef noodle, quite similar to Tainan row beef soup, but better here. 

I change money in the local golden store, it’s embarrassing his first time seeing NTD, and I think lots of people in the world don’t know where is Taiwan. Try harder to promote. 
I have been tp the some suburban region, hear that 3,000 USD for a marriage. I feel bad as I sitting back the moto, because some man in Taiwan have this idea. It's wired and not healthy, a lesson for me to think about it.