Sitting here in Nah Trangh, on Canada Day, almost two weeks in Viet
Nam, I decided a guest post on YAA was overdue.
Getting in from Hoi An last night was an experience. We took a
sleeper bus for 12 hours through the rainy and busy streets of central
Vietnam, nearly missing cars, motorbikes, buses, trucks and people. I
happened to get stuck in the back corner of the bus beside four other
people, while the majority of the people had an aisle next to them
(cough cough Yoni), I was in very close quarters, with a Londoner and
Chileans who loved heavy metal. The one blessing though was that
after a bout with diarrhea, some very kind English girls gave me a
sugar/electrolite booster to help me feel back up to speed.
But lets take a trip back a few days. After Yoni and I split up after
Halong bay, when he went to Sapa, I decided to stay in Hanoi for two
more nights, with good reason. First, I had the opportunity to meet
with a distant relative who happens to be the Argentinian ambassador
to Vietnam. We sat in his air conditioned office, drinking tea and
talking about family, embassy life, and Vietnamese culture. I also
asked if he knew of a place where I could have a friday night dinner.
He didn't know initially, and already had dinner plans that night, but
offered and succeeded in getting me in touch with some people from the
Israeli embassy. I ended up at the apartment of the head of security
at the Israeli embassy in Vietnam and had such a wonderful Israeli
style shabbat dinner challah, humus and tahina included. They were so
kind and amazingly enough were about as happy to host me as I was
happy to be hosted. They also had three really cute kids, and the
father and I set an in-house badminton record of 53 hits back and
forth, crushing the previous record of 10. NB. Vietnamese people LOVE
playing badminton, and will set up impromptu nets anywhere and
everywhere in town.
I then ended up on a train very early the next morning from Hanoi to
Hue, a very quaint imperial town in Central Vietnam. Taking the 14
hour trip on a hard wooden bench wasn't the most comfortable ride, and
being the only white/western person on the train had didn't make for
the most comfortable trip either. However, I had an immersive
cultural education from an eldery Vietnamese woman who throughout the
ride, and out of love, slapped, pinched, hit and force fed me. In
addition, explaining to her and the other passengers around me that I
was a vegetarian was also a challenge.
Once I got to Hue, and after a relatively quiet night (because I've
been in bed at 10pm every night...), I got on a DMZ tour to see
authentic tunnels, American bases, stories and remnants from the war.
The DMZ was the area that divided the communist North from the
capitalist South where the Americans had control, and in the end after
a brutal campaign, Vietnam communized the South. It was also
fascinating to hear the Vietnamese perspective of what happened in the
region.
I then went to Hoi An to reunite with Yoni, we went to get suits made
at this awesome place, Thien Thanh, where I bargained my tuchas off.
I got two three piece suits, four shirts, a long coat, and Japanese
silk pajamas with my initials embroidered on the pockets for under
$360. I also helped Yoni bargain for his stuff...spending all that
time in Israel has paid off! The staff there were the best, Han, who
was the woman who did all the sales and measurements became my best
friend was the light of my time in Hoi An, we went there at least
four-five times for fittings and measurements, and I would recommend
anyone to go there. On our last visit we got custom made Canadian
flag shirts, red sleeves, while front and a maple leaf embroidered on
the front...I am currently wearing mine. I also got an Israeli flag
shirt, which didn't turn out as well with the embroidery - who would
have thought that a star of david would be more difficult to sew than
a maple leaf...oh well.
When we weren't getting clothes and shoes made, Yoni and I rented
motorbikes, and cruised around the city, and spent some time at the
beach...which was totally undeveloped and amazing. Twenty years from
now there is no chance it will ever look as empty, as hotels, resorts
and golf courses will completely engulf the area. We spent our
evenings at a beach party, watching the World Cup, playing foosball,
and listening to the same 12 songs on repeat throughout the whole
night. Our last night there, I lost track of time, probably
discussing the fiscal situation in Vietnam, as to whether they should
decrease inflation or create jobs, and all of a sudden it was sunrise,
an incredible sight, shared with a South African and large group of
inebriated Irish people.
What can I say, so far so good. We are heading to a bar in a few
hours to partake in Canada Day celebrations, and are looking forward
to that, lounging on the beach and getting ready for Saigon.
This is Kraft signing off -- Good Evening Vietnam
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