Allison A Janssen

Tag: Vietnam

  • Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

    Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

    From Hanoi, we set out via private car to the port of the Gulf of Tonkin for our excursion to Ha Long Bay. The port is a mess of tourists, all being herded by vietmanese cattle drivers. You there, no no, come come, you wait. ATMs are hard to come by, and you need cash, so make sure to pull out your DONG here. Play on words, but seriously, pull out your DONG (Vietmanese Currency). Although some may accept USD.

    After about an hour of moving from here to there, we got on our boat. Though I was simply a tourist, I felt like a pirate. Of course, all the boats are made to look like pirate ships and therefore make you feel all ARRRGG, but even though you know its a trick, the boats do the job. As a tourist, in the mist of the bay, I set out for an evening at sea. Darting through islands, looking at the stars and sipping cocktails. Eventually I make my way to your room, and settled in for a pirates nap. As I woke up in the early morning, after a soft night of sleep at “sea”, I was taken aback by the beauty of the bay.

    Ha Long Bay is a designated World Heritage Site and feels like a magical land you seek only on epic, pirate’s tale kind of adventure. It is one of earth’s most spectacular beauties. Halong translates as ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’, and as legend claims, the islands of Ha long Bay were created as a great dragon from the deepest part of the mountains, sped towards the coast, creating valleys and crevasses in its midst. And as the mighty dragon dove into the sea, he filled the valleys with water, leaving only the peaks for human eyes to see.

    As we carved our way to the end of the bay, I was seriously on the look out for that dragon. Ha Long is that mystical and beautiful.

  • Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

    Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

    The salvages of war can still be seen. The lack of governance and extreme poverty shine, like the new pair of Channel heels a Western woman stomps around in. Pollution so thick, grabbing one molecule of it seems feasible. Labor, especially for women, so back breaking… I could feel the pain as I sat my happy ass on the bus. The concept of development and developing countries, for the first time, is clear. And in all of this, I still came out amazed by the sheer brilliance and drive of the average Vietmanese man and woman. This connection I witnessed between my world and theirs, and the understanding I gained, will forever be with me.

  • Hanoi, Vietnam

    Hanoi, Vietnam

    EasyJet in Europe, easy, AirAsia in Asia, maybe easier. Flying around Asia from Bangkok is so simple. So when planning my next trip, Vietnam seemed a simple choice. The plan was to fly from BKK to Hanoi, spend an evening in Hanoi and then take a 2 day, 1 night trip to Ha Long Bay, then take a train to Ho Chi Minh. Planning was pretty minimal. All I really needed to do was to make sure my flight was booked to Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh, and reserve hostels. Easy. For traveling to Ha Long Bay, let me tell you folks, you do not need to book this way in advance. I was on a pretty tight schedule because of school, and I didn’t even book it in advance. All I did, was upon arrival to our hostel in Hanoi, ask our hotel manager “Peter” to arrange the 1 night trip for us. We paid for our hostel, then the trip and out for sight seeing we went. Hanoi, I think, is the most polluted city I have ever been to thus far. Every person is wearing a face mask, trying not to suck in the air. The number of mopeds is really truly crazy, way more intense than Bangkok. But, one thing really cool about Hanoi is street food. The Pho, of course is delicious, but what is even better is seeing people squat to eat it. Like squatting for prolonged periods of time is easier than standing. Funny. Now, even more funny is trying to do it yourself. Try it. Sit sumo squatted with your heels touching the floor while eating. It’s close to impossible for an Anglo. But, the Vietnamese are no stranger to it, it’s their norm. Hanoi, I think, is not what you expect from Vietnam. Somehow, I had imagined Vietnam to be cleaner than Thailand, more pristine. But, it wasn’t. Cleanliness wise, it was a step down, but in terms of edginess, it was lighter and softer than Bangkok. Imagine coughing fumes while swirling in light, that is how it felt. Go to Hanoi, you will love it.