In Love with Hanoi

Well - all good things must come to and end, and as such, my time at Hanoi is about over (although I have been granted a two-hour stay of execution due to a flight delay. Unfortunately I only discovered this after arriving at the airport, so am cooling my heels at Hanoi International!)

I have absolutely loved Hanoi, from the minute I landed. It really doesn't seem like a city in a developing country - it is soooooo developed compared with Manila and I don't know if the poverty is just really well hidden, but it seems to be so much better off as well. Jacqui (my cousin who lives there) described it after she had arrived as resembling an aging screen star whose beauty is still there, but has faded. Before coming, I related this to Nat (who came last year) and she told me that after Manila I would think it was Angelina Jolie - and I must agree with Nat!! It is so much smaller than Manila and the streets are cleaner and more orderly. The sight of all those people whipping around on their scooters and motorbikes ("Woo hoo - Moto Madame?") looking so darn elegant - the women in stilleto heels and pencil skirts with opera gloves and hats to protect them from the sun! And their hair never gets out of place - they hop off looking immaculate and wheel their bikes into a shop or wherever to store it and off they go - just amazing!! Having said that - trying to cross the road with all the motos coming at you is a hair-raising experience. Crossing the road in Manila is hazardous, but at least cars are more predictable - less likely to swerve in front of you at the last second.

White people are also less 'special' - we are not stared at, we are not hassled nearly as much. Having said that - I think Vietnamese are less friendly than Filipinos. This is not really an indictement of Vietnamese at all - they are very friendly and nice. But it is pretty hard to compete with the Filipinos who are the most incredibly friendly and jolly people you will ever come across (and I have come across a few - they are closely rivalled by the Egyptians and the Ugandans, but I think they still win out!) Spencer is the exception - people come rushing up to kiss and hug him, absolutely everyone stares into his stroller to coo at him - waiters and waitresses play with him at restaurants (giving Jacqui and Greg a welcome chance to eat!) - and he is a shameless flirt as well. Heads straight for the prettiest girl and flashes his smile (which is too cheeky and adorable for words!) and he is set! I have had so much fun playing with him for the past week - he is a great baby.

It has also been wonderful catching up with Candice - one of my dearest friends from Brisbane, who I haven't seen in two years (since the last time I made it to Brisvegas). She is as gorgeous as ever and loving life in Hanoi. She is volunteering at a street children's center (well - there are four of them) called the Blue Dragon and is on an eighteen month contract there (for those in the know - she is a VIDA volunteer). We spent some quality time together over my week there (lots of shopping) and I just loved being around her again.

In terms of sightseeing - Hanoi is not the champion city for tourists (although there are plenty of them - as Candice says, it is a great place to base yourself while exploring northern Vietnam). The shopping and eating are the main draws. However, I did get some sights into my time - this morning I went to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum to check out the preserved Uncle Ho (looks very small and waxy!), his house on stilts and his massive and incredibly ugly museum (full of obscure and hilarious symbolism!!) I went to the Hanoi Hilton to check out where the French held the Vietnamese revolutionaries, heroes, patriots and nationalists, and then where the brave Vietnamese chose not to take their rightful and lawful revenge upon the American war criminals, instead treating them lovingly and kindly in the prison for the duration of 'Nam (they got to proy (apparently not pray though), play sports, have parcels from home and even study and read - free from propoganda and brainwashing!) More about that later. They had the flight suit that John McCain (Vietnam POW, now US Senator and ran for President in 2000) was wearing when he was shot down - before being imprisoned for seven years. I just can't imagine that...

Jacqui and I went one day to the Temple of Literature - an exquisite compound of temples and buildings that housed Vietnam's first University - 1000 years ago! Makes Western civilisation seem very retarded by comparison, hey? That was lovely and tranquil until about 500 school children came in!!!

I know I did other things but can't think what right now and this is getting pretty long. I will continue another time...

Off to Angkor Wat now - I am at the airport.

Food, Glorious Food...

In case you can't tell from that heading, I am not in Manila right now!! Am living it up in Hanoi, with my cousin Jacqui, her partner Greg and their 15 month old son Spencer. Got here Wednesday night and have been eating up a storm ever since (such. good. food!) and giving the credit card a good workout! Have done plenty of wandering in the Old Quarter and yesterday either bought or ordered a ton of stunning clothes (cannot wait to pick them up - and Jacqui can't wait to see either. Maybe this will encourage her to get into the tailoring!) I have also been buying quite a bit of the lacquered goods - they are just so divine. But I still have more shopping to do...

Today Jacqui and I went to the Temple of Literature and wandered around the grounds - peaceful and tranquil until a group of schoolchildren - all adorable in their matching uniforms of blue shorts, while shirt and red scarfe - trouped in! About 500 of them, all talking at the top of their lungs and calling out "Hello" to all the foreigners there. The Temple is great though - it has been there for 1000 years and the focus on education 1000 years ago, while our forbears were running around illiterate and uneducated really puts the cultural snobbery of 'Western' societies into perspective.

Going around Hanoi with a blonde-haired, blue eyed baby is something else! The Vietnamese rival the Filipinos for their love of babies - in fact I think they take it further (although I have never wandered around Manila with a white baby, so can't compare). Every single person we pass cooes into the pusher and comes up to play with him - they stop and kiss him etc. Going into a restaurant the staff take him off and play with him the whole time. And Spencer laps it up - he is a shameless flirt, especially for the pretty women - waving hello (we think he is a royal in training) and schilling for kisses! He is very handy to have around - makes you an instant hit with the locals! Sadly, he has a bit of a cold right now so is a little down...

Oh - it's his nap time and I am in his room. Will finish later...