Home » Vietnam » LZ - Hanoi - April 3rd, 2005

This is my travelbog from a trip I took from Hanoi, Vietnam to Phi Phi Island, Thailand from April 2005 to May 2005.

LZ - Hanoi - April 3rd, 2005

Lt.col.lewin
2006-01-02 03:27:49

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It's all coming back to me now....

Maybe it's the constant horn honking, maybe the lawlessness they exhibit behind the wheel or handlebars of their motorbikes, perhaps it was the feeling of being marked in the crosshairs of street vendors as their next meal ticket that has made me realize where I am today.

Hanoi - April 5th, 2005

Landing in the belly of the red dragon (as I will refer to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam) from now on, was as smooth as can be. After a rather comfortable 17 hour flight from LAX to Hong Kong, playing video chess and watching some of the latest movies, I had another 1 hour flight into the dragon's belly before the start to my latest adventure. The taxi ride from the airport was about 40 minutes and took me through a variety of life. From the decrepit wooden shacks to the occasional tasteless skyrise building, this was as diverse a location as I've ever seen. I was looking for remnants of the French architecture left over from their occupation in the early 1940's, but I guess I hadn't hit that part of the city just yet. Yes, Hanoi was once referred to as the Paris of Asia when the French colonialists implied their method of imperialism around the globe. Unfortunately, I had some thoughts while driving through some of the poorer places and had to ask myself why in the world did so many foreigners sacrifice their lives for this place. Maybe it was for the beer or the pho? Anyway, I've yet to venture from the area around my hotel in the Old Quarter, but that will change once I click send and finish the first Vietnamese beer that has touched my lips in over a year. Oh, how we've missed each other...ok, maybe it's just a one sided affair. Unfortunately, finding my love, Bia Saigon, will be close to impossible up in these parts. For the northerners are famous for their draft beer sold out of square looking keg-o-raters in street stalls. It's potency makes ...

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