Vietnam: Hanoi and Haiphong

Fig. 1.1 - Uncle Ho as he appears above the entrance to the Haiphong Opera House.

When I told my parents that Laura and I were heading to northern Vietnam for our spring vacation, I was met with the customary reaction by my mother, which usually involves involves a dramatic rolling of the eyes followed by a variation of the words "Oh great," or "Here we go again!" You see, my mom has long since passed the point in her life where she sits up at night worrying about my whereabouts and why I'm not home at the time I said I'd be; rather, she sits up at night worrying about which dodgy, overtly corrupt and disease-ridden developing nation I'll be visiting next and all the possible things that could go wrong whilst there. As I recall, our discussion of the upcoming trip sounded something like this:

Mom: "But I thought you already went to Vietnam."

Me: "Yeah, but just to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. We're heading to the north this time."

Mom: "Oh great, the north? They're all communists up there."

Me: "Maybe you didn't catch the end of the war: the Commies won. The whole country is Communist."

Dad: "Yeah, but they're more red in the north."

The above conversation made me realize that perhaps in the past two-and-a-half years of writing this blog that I have, on some level, failed to really provide readers with a clear glimpse of what travelling through many of these countries is really like. I think that it's safe to say that our Western perceptions of countries like Vietnam and China are influenced entirely by images from the Western media that evoke notions of ragged peasants toiling in the rice fields and soulless revolutionaries gunning down anyone unfortunate to get in their way in a mad display of nationalistic fervor.


Fig. 1.2 - The streets of Hanoi and Haiphong are adorned with large billboards spouting the virtues of socialism and the continued advances of the proletariat.

However, the differences between "us" and "them" are heavily out-shadowed by the similarities. "Communism" in Vietnam, for instance, is simply a euphemism for "make as much money as you possible can, by any means." A complete disregard for environmental concerns, education, health and social welfare and any semblance of democracy, are of course, necessary conditions in order for such an economic system to work. Sound familiar? But in all seriousness, a stroll down the streets of Hanoi or through the suburbs of Vancouver will reveal many of the underlying truths about human beings, regardless of nationality or race, and those are the desire to survive, to provide for one's family, to be apart of a wider community, and to find a good deal on one's retail purchases.



Fig. 1.3 and 1.4 - Schoolchildren boarding their buses in Hanoi.

So in an effort to capture what travelling through Asia is really like for us, I'm devoting the next few posts to capturing a "street-level" feel for what a trip to Vietnam is really like. Hopefully this will help to break some of those preconceptions about the country down.


Fig. 1.5 - Random tanks of oxygen of no political or cultural significance; they just looked cool. Gas canisters such as these can often be seen piled high on a small motorbike as it weaves in and out of traffic. Other items commonly transported in this manner include refrigerators, pigs, and entire families.

Green Space

Generally speaking, if an Asian city can avoid having any green space, it will do so happily. There seems to be an overall aversion to anything plant-like or natural in most cities I've been, and Hanoi is no exception. Much better to live in concrete squalor and smog-filled streets than have to bear sharing one's personal space with the fruits of Mother Nature. If there is no choice in the matter, such as Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake which is situated in the heart of the city's old quarter (whose sheer size makes the labour required to fill it a non-cost effective measure), the answer is to at least line the surrounding shoreline in as much concrete as possible to avoid the chance that one might have to ever set foot on its unholy banks. Without concrete, Ancient Hanoi must have been a dangerous and dreadful place to live. I can just imagine the excitement in the minds and hearts of the Vietnamese when the process of manufacturing concrete was first discovered and the mad rush that must have ensued to line every river and lake in the district of Hanoi with this magical substance that could forever protect them from the evils of the natural world.

The only other factor that got in the way of eliminating all things green in Vietnamese cities was colonialism. Not only did the French pass on a love for freshly-baked baguettes (which can be bought off the street for a dime), but also an appreciation for tree-lined boulevards which help to sustain the colonial flair of cities like Hanoi, Haiphong and Saigon.




Fig. 1.6-1.8 - Scenes from Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple in Hanoi - note the barbwire and concrete barrier between the pedestrian bridge and the lake itself.


Fig. 1.9 - Ngoc Son Temple is on an island situated on the northern section of the lake. It is a popular spot for retired revolutionaries to play chess.

Architecture

At first glance, much of the architecture in Hanoi and Haiphong appears decrepit and incapable of passing even the most lax of building safety codes. At a second glance, the same conclusions can be drawn.

That being said, beyond the chipped paint, the ubiquitous mold and grime and the array of electrical wires and cables protruding from the sides of each building, are some fascinating remnants of French colonial design. In fact, without the squalor, it's possible that the buildings themselves would not exude the same kind of charm and character. They make fantastic sights in themselves, and without having to pay an inflated admission rate, a bargain attraction.






Fig. 1.10-1.14 Buildings in Hanoi.

The Streets

If walking through the streets of any city in Vietnam doesn't make you a believer in a higher power, nothing will. Hanoi is Vietnam's second largest city with a population of 6.5 million, and with everyone and his grandma scooting through the city's narrow, congested streets, the pedestrian places an insurmountable deal of faith into the hope that motorists are paying close enough attention to the road ahead of them. Considering the number of propane tanks, refrigerators, livestock and families piled high upon most bikes, this is hoping for a lot. However, the longer you spend in Asia the less the idea of becoming flattened by an endless stream of Honda two-wheelers becomes a real concern. In fact, Laura and I barely take notice and often find ourselves on the opposite side of the street we'd just been on without giving it a moment's thought. I'd say that crossing a busy street in Hanoi is about as close as I'll ever come to channelling the 'Force,' where I feel myself becoming attuned to the rhythms of my surroundings and allowing them to flow freely through me, ushering me to safety on the other side.

With so much traffic also comes a lot of noise. Drivers in Vietnam, as in most of Asia, are quite liberal in their use of the horn, so if you are not notified of their presence through the smell of exhaust and the rumble of their engines, not to worry.



Fig. 1.15 - A narrow street in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Fig. 1.16 - Rush hour in Haiphong

Any conceivable space along the city's streets that is not taken up by motorcyclists is otherwise occupied by people, and more specifically, people selling things. The ground floor of every building in Hanoi and Haiphong, government buildings aside, is devoted to the purveyance of shoddy goods whose warranties last as long as it takes you to leave the store. What is remarkable is that entire streets are devoted to the retail of identical items, making it a real possibility that one will stroll by twenty shops selling the exact same display of toxic, made in China, Power Ranger knock-off, or the same factory-line acrylic painting of the Lord Buddha. The same dour expressions on the shop-clerks themselves reinforces the feeling that you are caught up in an endless loop of deja-vu, making it impossible at times to differentiate one city block from the next.


Fig. 1.17 - A common sight in Hanoi: men sprawled out on top of their motorbikes - chatting, napping, reading the newspaper, and occasionally asking if you need a ride.




Fig. 1.18-1.20 - Sidewalks are considered to be fair game for entrepeneurs such as these, selling anything from vegetables, fruits and even providing a haircut for a rock-bottom deal!



Fig. 1.21-1.22 - One thing about Vietnam that doesn't disappoint is the prominence of those conical hats! People actually wear them and with pride! There was also a large number of men decked out in Viet Cong helmets and khakis, giving me the sense that somehow a few people had not been notified that the war had ended decades ago.

The Food


Fig. 1.23 - Tropical fruit on display. One of the best things about living in the tropics: watermelon all year round.

If the sidewalk is not occupied by someone trying to sell you something you don't want, then someone has set up their own ad hoc alfresco dining experience. If you want to sample true Vietnamese food, this is the place to do it. These are the places the locals will frequent, especially at night, so you know the getting's got to be good. As these places never have menus or any clear indication of what they're actually serving, it's always helpful to spot someone already in the process of eating their meal and just point. Regardless of what you think you might be getting, however, the end result could very well be unexpected (but still guaranteed to be delicious). It can also pretty much guarantee that you'll be shitting like a fountain for the next week, but at least you won't have to worry about your fibre intake.


Fig. 1.24 - Laura chowing down on some Bun Ca. The owner's four-year-old daughter tried to sell us cigarettes throughout the duration of our meal.




Fig. 1.25 - 1.26 - The place to be in Hanoi.
Fig. 1.27 - Some locals enjoying freshly brewed Bia Hoi in Haiphong.


Dogs

One thing you won't have to worry about in Northern Vietnam, unlike many cities in Southeast Asia, are those pesky flea-ridden, rabies carrying mongrels. Of course, there's a reason for that...


Fig. 1.28 - How much is that doggy in the window?

Next: We journey to Vietnam's northern frontier and learn what it means to be a 'Freedom Tourist.'