I recently traveled to Vietnam. My staying there was short, but quite an adventure. It lasted only 6 days, of which I spent most of my time in the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi. I managed to have a short visit to famous Ha Long Bay and to some beautiful suburbs areas… Other than this, it was all about Hanoi.
I did not go in Vietnam very well organized. Everything happened too suddenly for me. With tourist visa there were no difficulties on the border. To find appropriate TAXI from airport to my hotel at 2 a.m., there were some. Before the trip it is always smart to book a TAXI in advance using internet, especially from airports. Not just to save some money and make it easier for you, also because of language barrier and safety. I did not do this. I remembered this at the very first moment after landing to Hanoi, when I saw a driver holding a paper with foreigner name on it.
I caught first TAXI, which came along. The car was old and not in a very good condition, not to mention strong alcohol driver’s breath. No issues with this at all. The driver was kind and funny and it looked like he knew where he is going and where my hotel is. The ride was fun and enjoyable. I felt tiredness. I was already imagining myself soon sleeping in my hotel room, until… on the highway, car started to vibrate and loosing power, just few kilometers after the pick up. The steering wheel was not working as it should, left and right. We stopped on the side. Red lights on the console. Trucks and cars were passing by us with full speed. We both laughed and try to kept the positive attitude. The driver started the engine again. We drove for few hundred meters and needed to stop again. And again and again… The same mistake was still there. We went out. I reminded the driver to be careful, as he was still in a too free and relaxing mood, walking around the car as he is alone on the narrow street and not on a highway with huge trucks passing by with the speed more than 100 km/h. He opened the engine lid. I was pointing to engine with a mobile flash light. He used his home keys as a screwdriver to unscrew the bolts and fix loose wires. He looked skilled, I must say. In hope this was it, we set back in the car and try again. Red lights still. Nothing changed, except this time car did not even make a sound. There was only one way left, me going out of the car and push it. While pushing the car on the highway, the driver was sitting in front of the steering wheel, turning car keys and trying to start an engine again. After 50 meters, we did it. I jumped back in the car and we drove further. Not for long. It was again my turn to push the car. Push, push… Maybe 1 kilometer so, until we gave up and waited for help. It was 4 a.m. already. Finally, one of his TAXI friends appeared with a nice, new car. Me leaving and changing the car wasn’t that easy as I expected. The driver of an old car immediately ask me to pay for a 6 kilometer ride, of which 1 kilometer I was the ‘engine’. TAXI meter was still running, of course. The other driver didn’t want to drive me to my final destination unless I pay to his friend, already making a double price bill for his service as well. I was in a lost position, far from the hotel with no WiFi or mobile data, slowly having everything over my head. I paid to both and thanked them for an interesting ride.
By knocking at 4 a.m., I woke up 2 receptionists sleeping on the floor behind the doors of a hotel. Without checking my passport, they gave me the card and the room number. The doors of the room in 5th floor were open. I didn’t pay much attention on this. All I wanted was to go to bed and sleep. I was pretty careless, but somehow I couldn’t get over a strange smell in the room, similar to urine. I checked around the room a little bit, before turning the lights off and laying down. ”I can hold it for 2 days, before I change the hotel”, I told my self and went to sleep. Then it has all started. Bumping, jumping, hitting the wall… There was a living creature in the walls and ceiling of my room, not just one, must have been at least 10 of them. Most likely rats or mice. There were chasing themselves around, up and down, above my head, side, everywhere, making load noises. I got scared they can break through the thin walls. They really sounded big and many. I checked, if there are any holes in my room. None. What is more, with every particularly loud scream from the walls there came a strong smell of urine. In that moment I knew, why this strange smell and open doors. I don’t like to complain, but the first thing in the morning, after 30 minutes of sleep, was to change my room. It was really too much. New room, 3 floors under, was great!
I like Hanoi a lot. I am delighted with the city vibe and energy, especially in old part of the town. I like the city rush and chaos on narrow streets there. Chaos, which works just fine, without any troubles. The streets in old part of the town were all the same for me, so I was constantly lost. Side walks are reserved for parked motor bikes as well as small seats and desks, which are in front of every bar and restaurant. This way pedestrians are forced to walk along driving cars on the road. Music, laughter on every corner, kind people, locals, foreigners, old and young… just enjoying the city life. Of 9 million inhabitants, every second one owns a motor bike. The roads are full of them. I never experienced something like that before. All of them go on fossil fuel, so the air in Shanghai, where I live in the moment, is real balm compared to Hanoi’s. Vietnamese food is extremely good, very simple, but tastes great.
Of course I also had to experience nightlife there. Kaaboom… It is really good, for all tastes and ages. I’ve experienced a lot of things there for the first time. One of them certainly happened when I was leaving the party. Same story, with a TAXI to the hotel. The driver looked kind, even offering me cigarets. We agreed on a fixed price and drove away. The hotel was only a few blocks away, less than 2 kilometers. It is true, I was always lost there, but not that lost as not to know when I’m moving away from the hotel. I said to the driver: “Stop, please.” He did not want to. I thought, maybe he does not understand me. With a little more prudent voice, I said: “Stop!”. Nothing. “Stop, stop, stop…” Again, nothing. I was already at least 5 kilometers away from my hotel. The driver changed kind face to a mean one with an obsessive eyes. At that time, I felt this might not be a joke. Maybe I am overreacting, I do not know. The driver was constantly talking: “Here stop,” but continued to drive. I had no mobile signal to call someone. I was thinking what to do. I can start chocking him. Police wouldn’t like me to do that, I assumed. Instead, at one point, I decided I will jump out of the car. Like in movies, I waited for the curve, when the car was with lower speed, I opened the back door, fortunately unlocked, pushed myself from the car and roll on to the road. Concrete landing was hard. Fortunately, the road was empty at that hour. At that moment he also stopped. Finally. Maybe he got worried about me, who knows. In anger, I rushed to the car and threw the promised money to him through the open window and left. I felt some pain, but I was moving, so luckily nothing was broken. He followed me with the car. I started to run. I lost him. There was no living soul on the street at that time, only a motorcyclist who stood by the pavement. In the distance, I saw him again. I started talking random words to a motorcyclist, thinking maybe this might dissuade the TAXI driver. He nevertheless approached us. He asked me, like the first time we met: “You want TAXI?”. I said: “no, thanks, my friend here will drive me home, I have enough TAXIs for a while.” Only then he left. I got away with only a few scratches and a bruise on my behind.
I really hope I can be back in Hanoi one day. I like it there. I will definitely remember TAXIs there, forever. These are the things, you only smile on, of course, as long as they end happily. I hope see you soon, Hanoi!