Return to SE Asia: A Solo Traveler in Bangkok, Luang Prabang and Vietnam, 1/08
Jun 12th, 2008, 03:19 AM
#161
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All I can say is that I am savoring these last days of freedom before the Hall of Shame transport shows up! Panda I am eternally grateful to you for allowing me the suspended sentence...
I will be around this weekend and will buckle down over the report! I do have a notebook but was not as diligent at making notes as on other trips.. But I do take fish oil.
I will be around this weekend and will buckle down over the report! I do have a notebook but was not as diligent at making notes as on other trips.. But I do take fish oil.
Jun 12th, 2008, 12:24 PM
#163
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Here is a bit more, to be continued soon:
The next morning, Guide Hung and the driver picked me up at the Hilton at 8am and we set off on the roads to Halong Bay, where I was booked for an overnight cruise on the Emeraude:
http://www.emeraude-cruises.com/halong.html
The drive took us past landscapes that were similar to those we passed en route to Tam Coc a few days before. Boarding was not scheduled until noon and I had wondered why we had departed the hotel at 8am since the drive does not take 4 hours. This mystery was solved about an hour after departure, when we pulled into the first of many rest stops. The “rest” part of the equation is merely a formality; these “stops” are actually shopping opportunities and the drill became familiar after the first one, which came about 9am:
Large concrete, hangar-like structure, crammed to the brim with every known and some unimaginable variety of Vietnamese kitsch ranging from diminutive beaded purses to limestone dragons four times my height. Next to the large aka expensive “artworks” are bulletin boards placarded with photos of smiling couples posing besides their purchases with copies of the shipping labels attached.
See Mr. and Mrs. Manual Chang of Jakarta with their humongous new pink marble dolphin fountain!!! Here is Prof. Remington Purdy with his rosewood library desk…bound for his study at LaSalle University!! These rest stops cum gift shops bear interesting names. I wish I had copied them in my notebook, but “Heavenly Peace and Disabled Environment of Vietnamese People” captures the idea.
The first time I fell for the “would you like to stop and use the rest room” ploy. The second time it was ok, too. But by the third, I began to voice my annoyance, only to have Hung explain that the guides are allotted free meals and snacks at these stops and to deprive them of such would be most unsporting of me, particularly since these were the weeks before Tet and every “rest” stop meant another gift for the guide and driver. I began to joke about the pileup of guide gifts in the back of the van (mostly boxes of tea and cookies and, curiously, even a bottle of Chilean merlot!)
One way to avoid this series of stops might be to leave your hotel at 9am instead of 8, but just make sure that this ploy does not result in a high speed chase from one emporium to the other before your arrival in Halong City.
At 11:45, with the van groaning under the weight of all the gifts, we pulled up to the Emeraude arrival lounge and I completed the check in formalities and surrendered my overnight bag……..
The next morning, Guide Hung and the driver picked me up at the Hilton at 8am and we set off on the roads to Halong Bay, where I was booked for an overnight cruise on the Emeraude:
http://www.emeraude-cruises.com/halong.html
The drive took us past landscapes that were similar to those we passed en route to Tam Coc a few days before. Boarding was not scheduled until noon and I had wondered why we had departed the hotel at 8am since the drive does not take 4 hours. This mystery was solved about an hour after departure, when we pulled into the first of many rest stops. The “rest” part of the equation is merely a formality; these “stops” are actually shopping opportunities and the drill became familiar after the first one, which came about 9am:
Large concrete, hangar-like structure, crammed to the brim with every known and some unimaginable variety of Vietnamese kitsch ranging from diminutive beaded purses to limestone dragons four times my height. Next to the large aka expensive “artworks” are bulletin boards placarded with photos of smiling couples posing besides their purchases with copies of the shipping labels attached.
See Mr. and Mrs. Manual Chang of Jakarta with their humongous new pink marble dolphin fountain!!! Here is Prof. Remington Purdy with his rosewood library desk…bound for his study at LaSalle University!! These rest stops cum gift shops bear interesting names. I wish I had copied them in my notebook, but “Heavenly Peace and Disabled Environment of Vietnamese People” captures the idea.
The first time I fell for the “would you like to stop and use the rest room” ploy. The second time it was ok, too. But by the third, I began to voice my annoyance, only to have Hung explain that the guides are allotted free meals and snacks at these stops and to deprive them of such would be most unsporting of me, particularly since these were the weeks before Tet and every “rest” stop meant another gift for the guide and driver. I began to joke about the pileup of guide gifts in the back of the van (mostly boxes of tea and cookies and, curiously, even a bottle of Chilean merlot!)
One way to avoid this series of stops might be to leave your hotel at 9am instead of 8, but just make sure that this ploy does not result in a high speed chase from one emporium to the other before your arrival in Halong City.
At 11:45, with the van groaning under the weight of all the gifts, we pulled up to the Emeraude arrival lounge and I completed the check in formalities and surrendered my overnight bag……..
Jun 12th, 2008, 06:52 PM
#164
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EK, As Gpanda so correctly states
your reasons for us checking Fodors every 5 minutes are
A. I haven't completely abandoned my report.
B. I've made some painfully slow progress.
C. Instead of finishing this report, I did a complete report on another subsequent vacation.
D. The exquisite detail in my Italy report should excuse my tardiness in completing this report.
All of the above shows that EK travels too much, writes great in depth reports and also tries to have a life in NYC.
However I am unable to complete my Vietnam itinerary until you have finished you trip report. Vietnam is virgin territory, and as such need your trip report to be able to duplicate some if not all of your ecperiences. If you want my itinerary I need your report.
True have no shame in being a copy cat, and am truly enjoying your reports.
Italy, been there, done that and would like to do it again. So please get on with the rest of your Asia trip.
your reasons for us checking Fodors every 5 minutes are
A. I haven't completely abandoned my report.
B. I've made some painfully slow progress.
C. Instead of finishing this report, I did a complete report on another subsequent vacation.
D. The exquisite detail in my Italy report should excuse my tardiness in completing this report.
All of the above shows that EK travels too much, writes great in depth reports and also tries to have a life in NYC.
However I am unable to complete my Vietnam itinerary until you have finished you trip report. Vietnam is virgin territory, and as such need your trip report to be able to duplicate some if not all of your ecperiences. If you want my itinerary I need your report.
True have no shame in being a copy cat, and am truly enjoying your reports.
Italy, been there, done that and would like to do it again. So please get on with the rest of your Asia trip.
Jun 13th, 2008, 03:05 AM
#166
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Oh goodness, it looks like mob rule here. Ok..I will be resuming very soon. Both of you are quite funny!! Maybe we should just have dinner and I can gab on and on about the trip!! Just kidding!?? Ok, I will buckle down!!
Jun 13th, 2008, 05:18 AM
#168
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Same here, waiting to put my itinerary together for central vietnam. Have already starting emailing Vietnamstay.com with questions...not sure how much longer I can hold them off. I already used one good excuse - - the Thai Air JFK-BKK flight was cancelled, so I had to revise my dates.
Jun 13th, 2008, 12:12 PM
#169
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After few formalities, we boarded a small boat out to the mooring place in the Bay. This quick ride affords a view of Halong City, which is divided into the old town (we did not see) and the new area where the Emeraude office is and where the beach is rimmed with concrete high rises and tourism is the raison d’etre. It was here that I got my first look at my fellow cruisers: The majority were European (French and German) couples and there were a smattering of elderly Japanese, a honeymooning Australian couple, and a pair of lovely women from San Francisco in their 30s. (They had booked with Aurora Travel and were very pleased with the service) There was also a group of a half dozen extroverted Thai women laden down with bags of fruit and stacks of snack boxes. These women would be my next door neighbors. More about them later!
The weather was foggy and damp and would remain so throughout the cruise. But even before boarding the ship we caught a glimpse of the karst mountains for which the Bay is famous. Spectacular scenery and I can only imagine how truly incredible it would look in sunshine. But as it was, I could not complain too much, for it was never cold on board and it did not pour so the decks were never off limits for picture taking or strolling. Unfortunately, however, I was not able to do any swimming or other water activities, although one brave couple did venture out on a kayak later that afternoon.
After boarding, I was shown to my cabin (#220), a double towards the front of the boat (Bow?). There were two single beds and a separate bathroom area with shower. I found it attractive and the beds were quite comfortable. I also took a peek at the much larger luxury suite in the bow..that would be the way to go if you need lots of space and, in fact, the suite was offered to us for an upgrade fee since it was not being occupied. (I cannot remember the exact charge but there were no takers; I might have accepted had I been with another person).
Lunch was next on the agenda.
Before I delve into the details, I will make one suggestion: While food and soft drinks and coffee are included in the package price, alcohol is not. If you plan to imbibe, you might want to investigate bringing your own stash to avoid the high prices charged onboard. You could not, of course, BYOB in the dining room, but I wished I had had at least a bottle of wine in my cabin!
Lunch is served buffet style in the wood paneled brass trimmed dining room. (Unlike the other Halong Bay tourist craft, Emeraude is not a junk but a reproduction of an early 20th Century paddle steamer that plied these waters in the French colonial era. ) The food was quite good, with a mix of Vietnamese fare (spring rolls, summer rolls) and seafood (chafing dishes piled with cracked crab, shrimp, clams), along with a couple of more mundane offerings. (My favorite dish would be the steamed clams served for lunch the next day). During lunch I was seated next to the Thai women who, coincidentally, were my cabin neighbors. After dessert, these ladies beat a hasty retreat to their quarters and were scarcely seen outside mealtimes for the duration of the cruise. I would later learn what kept them busy in their cabin!
After lunch the ship cruised to the “Surprise Cave,” a well-touristed cavern which required a fairly strenuous walk up sets of steps to the entrance.
The weather was foggy and damp and would remain so throughout the cruise. But even before boarding the ship we caught a glimpse of the karst mountains for which the Bay is famous. Spectacular scenery and I can only imagine how truly incredible it would look in sunshine. But as it was, I could not complain too much, for it was never cold on board and it did not pour so the decks were never off limits for picture taking or strolling. Unfortunately, however, I was not able to do any swimming or other water activities, although one brave couple did venture out on a kayak later that afternoon.
After boarding, I was shown to my cabin (#220), a double towards the front of the boat (Bow?). There were two single beds and a separate bathroom area with shower. I found it attractive and the beds were quite comfortable. I also took a peek at the much larger luxury suite in the bow..that would be the way to go if you need lots of space and, in fact, the suite was offered to us for an upgrade fee since it was not being occupied. (I cannot remember the exact charge but there were no takers; I might have accepted had I been with another person).
Lunch was next on the agenda.
Before I delve into the details, I will make one suggestion: While food and soft drinks and coffee are included in the package price, alcohol is not. If you plan to imbibe, you might want to investigate bringing your own stash to avoid the high prices charged onboard. You could not, of course, BYOB in the dining room, but I wished I had had at least a bottle of wine in my cabin!
Lunch is served buffet style in the wood paneled brass trimmed dining room. (Unlike the other Halong Bay tourist craft, Emeraude is not a junk but a reproduction of an early 20th Century paddle steamer that plied these waters in the French colonial era. ) The food was quite good, with a mix of Vietnamese fare (spring rolls, summer rolls) and seafood (chafing dishes piled with cracked crab, shrimp, clams), along with a couple of more mundane offerings. (My favorite dish would be the steamed clams served for lunch the next day). During lunch I was seated next to the Thai women who, coincidentally, were my cabin neighbors. After dessert, these ladies beat a hasty retreat to their quarters and were scarcely seen outside mealtimes for the duration of the cruise. I would later learn what kept them busy in their cabin!
After lunch the ship cruised to the “Surprise Cave,” a well-touristed cavern which required a fairly strenuous walk up sets of steps to the entrance.
Jun 14th, 2008, 12:39 PM
#171
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The access to the Surprise Cave is, as mentioned above, entails a steep walk up several sets of steps clinging to the cliff face overlooking the Bay. If you do this walk in warm weather, make sure to take a hat and bottled water. The Vietcong used these huge caverns, reportedly discovered by the French in 1901, as hiding places during the American War. Tourists follow a path that winds and climbs through intersecting chambers which are, unfortunately, illuminated by rather luridly colored lights courtesy of the Chinese, or so the story goes.. The cave is apparently a stop on every tourist itinerary and judging from the activity in January, it must be quite crowded during high season. Most of the tourists were peering at the various formations trying to convince themselves “yes, yes…now that you mention it, it does look like an elephant with its trunk raised standing under a palm tree…..” Indeed..I can see it now!!!
Nonetheless, the Surprise Cave is pretty spectacular and certainly worth the hour or so that a visit comprises. Once you exit, you will have plenty of opportunity to buy “Halong Bay pearls” from the various stalls outside the entrance and at the docks. (You will see these in Halong City, and in Hanoi as well; I did not price them).
Visit to the cave complete, we boarded the Emeraude and continued our cruise. In the late afternoon the ship dropped anchor and we were given a chance to kayak or swim but the less-than-ideal weather was not conducive to these activities. I would have loved to be able to swim in the Bay!
I have already mentioned the high price of alcohol on board. If you forget to bring your own supply, there is an alternative to the bar prices: Plenty of local vendors approach the ship in rowboats piled high with everything that the locals imagine the tourists must want. The chief draw appeared to be beer and snacks.
Late afternoon found me, and most of my fellow cruisers (sans the Thai ladies) seated in the wicker armchairs surrounding the bar on the upper deck. There are worse places to pass a few hours!!
Before dinner, we were treated to a demonstration on making Goi Cuon, summer rolls. (The main thing to remember is not to put too much stuffing inside the rice paper!) Yours truly volunteered to demonstrate what we had learned in front of the attentive (!) audience.
Before too long, it was dinner time. Before entering the dining room, I gave some thought to the evening’s entertainment possibilities. According to the printed schedule, “Indochine” would be screened on the deck after dinner, but I had just rented this film (highly recommended!) from Netflix. And so, deciding to loll in the lap of luxury, I made an appointment for a pedicure in my stateroom, at 9:30 that evening.
Plans made, I proceeded to dinner….
Nonetheless, the Surprise Cave is pretty spectacular and certainly worth the hour or so that a visit comprises. Once you exit, you will have plenty of opportunity to buy “Halong Bay pearls” from the various stalls outside the entrance and at the docks. (You will see these in Halong City, and in Hanoi as well; I did not price them).
Visit to the cave complete, we boarded the Emeraude and continued our cruise. In the late afternoon the ship dropped anchor and we were given a chance to kayak or swim but the less-than-ideal weather was not conducive to these activities. I would have loved to be able to swim in the Bay!
I have already mentioned the high price of alcohol on board. If you forget to bring your own supply, there is an alternative to the bar prices: Plenty of local vendors approach the ship in rowboats piled high with everything that the locals imagine the tourists must want. The chief draw appeared to be beer and snacks.
Late afternoon found me, and most of my fellow cruisers (sans the Thai ladies) seated in the wicker armchairs surrounding the bar on the upper deck. There are worse places to pass a few hours!!
Before dinner, we were treated to a demonstration on making Goi Cuon, summer rolls. (The main thing to remember is not to put too much stuffing inside the rice paper!) Yours truly volunteered to demonstrate what we had learned in front of the attentive (!) audience.
Before too long, it was dinner time. Before entering the dining room, I gave some thought to the evening’s entertainment possibilities. According to the printed schedule, “Indochine” would be screened on the deck after dinner, but I had just rented this film (highly recommended!) from Netflix. And so, deciding to loll in the lap of luxury, I made an appointment for a pedicure in my stateroom, at 9:30 that evening.
Plans made, I proceeded to dinner….
Jun 15th, 2008, 04:47 AM
#174
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Since the details have apparently gotten a head start in their rush to desertion, I have to correct two mistakes I made in this last part:
1. My favorite dish were the clams which were served at dinner that night (to be described soon) (not lunch the next day; there is no lunch on the second day)
2. I booked a pedicure AND a manicure in my suite
All will be revealed shortly..the outcome of the "spa" treatments and the secret of the Thai ladies!
1. My favorite dish were the clams which were served at dinner that night (to be described soon) (not lunch the next day; there is no lunch on the second day)
2. I booked a pedicure AND a manicure in my suite
All will be revealed shortly..the outcome of the "spa" treatments and the secret of the Thai ladies!
Jun 15th, 2008, 10:58 AM
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You guys are bound to be disappointed in the very tame revelations to follow, but:
Dinner on the Emeraude is served buffet style, again with a mix of Vietnamese and western dishes including seafood in various guises. I liked the steamed clams very much. I was seated next to the Thai women; I had not seen this group after lunch and, in fact, they ate dinner quickly and disappeared. After coffee and dessert, I returned to my cabin which was next to that occupied by two of the Thai women and had obviously been designated as the hangout for the group for the duration of the cruise. The door was open and there was lots of laughter. “I hope they do not keep this up too late,” I thought to myself.
There was quite a bit of down time between the finish of dinner and my scheduled spa appointment, but it was too noisy to read in my room, so I found myself a spot near the bar on the upper deck and downed a couple of vodka drinks and watched the scenery, which was pretty spectacular even in the gloomy weather. If you were to ask me if it is worth it to take this trip in the winter, I would be hesitant to give an answer. I was glad that I took the cruise. BUT, I also had what I considered to be plenty of time in Hanoi. With only a limited time (less than 3 full days) in Hanoi, I think the time might be better spent in the city during the winter season when the Halong Bay weather conditions are less than optimal.
When the time of my spa appointment came close, I returned to the room and, at the appointed hour, answered the knock at the door. Two women were standing outside and one pushed the other forward into the room. Between them, they spoke about 3 words of English but who needs to converse when you are going to be coddled with a manicure/pedicure and all the trimmings? Right?
Well, to make a long story short, I decided on the spot to amend my treatments to pedicure only when I took a look at the “equipment:” A raggedy cardboard box, some crumpled toilet paper, a couple of unlabeled bottles containing murky liquids, and a few crusty bottles of sparkly polish. And assorted instruments that looked less than pristine. No water, no soaking.
What followed was actually kind of funny. I do not think that either of these girls had even done any kind of nail treatment before.. (one of them, in fact, looked suspiciously like the girl manning the beer and snack boat I had seen earlier that afternoon; maybe that had been her sister)
All kinds of dabbing took place before the instruments came out. NO, I did not want my nails or cuticles cut! I did not want blue sparkly polish on my toenails, either! I just wanted these girls to leave but they seemed so eager I did not want to hurt their feelings! So I let one of them slap three coats of the least offensive polish on my nails where it would remain for all of about 2 days before chipping). And that was the story of my night of pampering aboard the Emeraude.
And now the Thai ladies: By 1Opm, I had exhausted the entertainment possibilities of the cruise and was ready for bed. But the noise next door was as loud as ever, so (after an internal debate and a lot of hesitation about being perceived as a grumpy American spinster) I knocked on the door that had been left ajar.
It opened to reveal…..nothing more exciting than a card game in progress!
These women had been glued to their cabin all day and most of the night so far playing cards!!! Surrounding them were not only piles of Baht, but piles of orange peels and peanut shells, and all sorts of other detritus. And they would continue their game until well past 3am, only to continued the next morning before breakfast!!! But they were very apologetic about disturbing me and did lower their voices enough to let me sleep… The cabin and the bed were comfortable and I slept very well…)
Next morning I missed the sunrise tai chi class on the deck but enjoyed the breakfast and some photo taking (we passed a few fishing villages) before settling the bill and readying my bags for the 9:30am launch trip back to shore. My guide and driver were waiting (impatiently, I am sure, for the next round of gift getting and free food) and we set off on the drive back to Hanoi. The Halong Bay area is famous for pineapples and we stopped at a roadside stand where I bought a bag of the tiniest, sweetest pineapple I had ever tasted, before joining the main highway and heading for the first enforced “rest stop.”
Dinner on the Emeraude is served buffet style, again with a mix of Vietnamese and western dishes including seafood in various guises. I liked the steamed clams very much. I was seated next to the Thai women; I had not seen this group after lunch and, in fact, they ate dinner quickly and disappeared. After coffee and dessert, I returned to my cabin which was next to that occupied by two of the Thai women and had obviously been designated as the hangout for the group for the duration of the cruise. The door was open and there was lots of laughter. “I hope they do not keep this up too late,” I thought to myself.
There was quite a bit of down time between the finish of dinner and my scheduled spa appointment, but it was too noisy to read in my room, so I found myself a spot near the bar on the upper deck and downed a couple of vodka drinks and watched the scenery, which was pretty spectacular even in the gloomy weather. If you were to ask me if it is worth it to take this trip in the winter, I would be hesitant to give an answer. I was glad that I took the cruise. BUT, I also had what I considered to be plenty of time in Hanoi. With only a limited time (less than 3 full days) in Hanoi, I think the time might be better spent in the city during the winter season when the Halong Bay weather conditions are less than optimal.
When the time of my spa appointment came close, I returned to the room and, at the appointed hour, answered the knock at the door. Two women were standing outside and one pushed the other forward into the room. Between them, they spoke about 3 words of English but who needs to converse when you are going to be coddled with a manicure/pedicure and all the trimmings? Right?
Well, to make a long story short, I decided on the spot to amend my treatments to pedicure only when I took a look at the “equipment:” A raggedy cardboard box, some crumpled toilet paper, a couple of unlabeled bottles containing murky liquids, and a few crusty bottles of sparkly polish. And assorted instruments that looked less than pristine. No water, no soaking.
What followed was actually kind of funny. I do not think that either of these girls had even done any kind of nail treatment before.. (one of them, in fact, looked suspiciously like the girl manning the beer and snack boat I had seen earlier that afternoon; maybe that had been her sister)
All kinds of dabbing took place before the instruments came out. NO, I did not want my nails or cuticles cut! I did not want blue sparkly polish on my toenails, either! I just wanted these girls to leave but they seemed so eager I did not want to hurt their feelings! So I let one of them slap three coats of the least offensive polish on my nails where it would remain for all of about 2 days before chipping). And that was the story of my night of pampering aboard the Emeraude.
And now the Thai ladies: By 1Opm, I had exhausted the entertainment possibilities of the cruise and was ready for bed. But the noise next door was as loud as ever, so (after an internal debate and a lot of hesitation about being perceived as a grumpy American spinster) I knocked on the door that had been left ajar.
It opened to reveal…..nothing more exciting than a card game in progress!
These women had been glued to their cabin all day and most of the night so far playing cards!!! Surrounding them were not only piles of Baht, but piles of orange peels and peanut shells, and all sorts of other detritus. And they would continue their game until well past 3am, only to continued the next morning before breakfast!!! But they were very apologetic about disturbing me and did lower their voices enough to let me sleep… The cabin and the bed were comfortable and I slept very well…)
Next morning I missed the sunrise tai chi class on the deck but enjoyed the breakfast and some photo taking (we passed a few fishing villages) before settling the bill and readying my bags for the 9:30am launch trip back to shore. My guide and driver were waiting (impatiently, I am sure, for the next round of gift getting and free food) and we set off on the drive back to Hanoi. The Halong Bay area is famous for pineapples and we stopped at a roadside stand where I bought a bag of the tiniest, sweetest pineapple I had ever tasted, before joining the main highway and heading for the first enforced “rest stop.”
Jul 4th, 2008, 12:38 PM
#180
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The drill with the rest stops was the same on the ride back as it had the previous day. To categorically refuse to stop would have meant the loss of Tet gifts for my guide and driver, so I agreed to the stops if the time was kept to a minimum. Interestingly enough, there are rest stops targeted to different ethnic groups. We would not receive a warm welcome if, for example, I had to urgently use the facilities and pulled into one of the Korean rest areas. I suppose that the arrangements on where to stop are made ahead of time with the tour companies. According to my guide, commissions are paid only for items costing upwards of a hundred dollars. (Those marble dragons, for example).
Since I had decided to join the game, I did some looking around at one of the “Sincerity Humanity” rest stop, and ended up purchasing a pair of celadon-colored ceramic tobacco pipes edged with black metal and accompanied by little smoking straws. These cost about $5US each and they look terrific on my mantel!
Eventually we reached Hanoi and I was dropped off at the Hilton where I received a warm welcome from the staff and shown to a room on the top floor, facing the Opera House (the more desirable view).
That afternoon, I decided to treat myself to the pedicure that I had cancelled last night on the ship. The afternoon was dreary and drizzly, so I made an appointment at the Xaxi Nail Spa on the ground floor of the Hilton; the spa functions as the hotel’s in-house facility so I anticipated a plush treatment! The second-floor surroundings place it in the luxury class as compared to others I had seen in Hanoi, and there were several sterilization machines on the premises, too. I had a relaxing pedicure, cosseted in the comfy reclining chair, and after I paid the modest tab, my eye wandered over to those fancy instrument sterilizers. It was then that I noticed that not one of these was plugged in! I opened one to discover row upon row of polish bottles! But they certainly would allay any fears a nervous prospective client might have.. as long as one does not investigate too closely!
For dinner that night, I chose a seafood restaurant that I had read about on the Hanoi section of the food website, SavourAsia:
http://www.savourasia.com/content/blogcategory/5/17/
My hotel reserved a table for me and at the appointed hour, I set off by taxi, bound for #4 Ha Hoi Street in the Hoan Kiem district, not far from the hotel.
Since I had decided to join the game, I did some looking around at one of the “Sincerity Humanity” rest stop, and ended up purchasing a pair of celadon-colored ceramic tobacco pipes edged with black metal and accompanied by little smoking straws. These cost about $5US each and they look terrific on my mantel!
Eventually we reached Hanoi and I was dropped off at the Hilton where I received a warm welcome from the staff and shown to a room on the top floor, facing the Opera House (the more desirable view).
That afternoon, I decided to treat myself to the pedicure that I had cancelled last night on the ship. The afternoon was dreary and drizzly, so I made an appointment at the Xaxi Nail Spa on the ground floor of the Hilton; the spa functions as the hotel’s in-house facility so I anticipated a plush treatment! The second-floor surroundings place it in the luxury class as compared to others I had seen in Hanoi, and there were several sterilization machines on the premises, too. I had a relaxing pedicure, cosseted in the comfy reclining chair, and after I paid the modest tab, my eye wandered over to those fancy instrument sterilizers. It was then that I noticed that not one of these was plugged in! I opened one to discover row upon row of polish bottles! But they certainly would allay any fears a nervous prospective client might have.. as long as one does not investigate too closely!
For dinner that night, I chose a seafood restaurant that I had read about on the Hanoi section of the food website, SavourAsia:
http://www.savourasia.com/content/blogcategory/5/17/
My hotel reserved a table for me and at the appointed hour, I set off by taxi, bound for #4 Ha Hoi Street in the Hoan Kiem district, not far from the hotel.
