Last train to Sapa

As I've written before, independent travel in Vietnam is not hard.  However!  There are a few experiences that can get a little tricky.  Similar to the bus depot in Hanoi, there are few to no English speakers in the Hanoi train station.  We wanted to head to Sapa & the simplest & quickest way to get there is by overnight train.  We asked our hostal if we could compensate them to purchase our train tickets.  They did.  We also asked if we could compensate a staff member to walk us to our train & sleeping car as we'd heard the station can be really confusing.  When we waited for our taxi, the helpful translator never arrived.  We had a train to catch, so we pressed on.

The station is mayhem.  There are families & luggage everywhere.  We couldn't find an English speaker & we couldn't read the signs.  We breathed.  Amazing destinations are often hard to reach.  Worst thing that happened was we didn't get to Sapa.  But we were pretty close already.

An aggressive older man began gesturing his willingness to lead us to the train.  This is what I was trying to avoid.  I'm very conscientious of my own safety and surroundings.  I do research & plan so that I can avoid being in a situation where I might take up an aggressive stranger on his offer to lead me to my train.  Kevin & I talked, tried to get a sense of this man, & ultimately decided to agree to his guidance.

He confidently marched us to our train.  We definitely would not have made it on our own!  You need a guide and/or a translator to get on the Sapa-bound trains.  Once he walked us into our sleeping car he sat down and gestured for compensation.  We were obviously planning to tip him so Kevin gave him what seemed to be a generous and appropriate tip.  He gestured angrily, obviously communicating that he needed more.  We considered what to do and ultimately Kevin elected to give him more.  This continued.  This man was aggressive, and we were both nervous, but he didn't seem dangerous.  Plus, the train had to leave and he didn't have a ticket.  This is why I try to avoid these situations as much as possible-- ultimately, he would have to leave and I wouldn't be further extorted.  On the other hand, here I am a tourist, wealthy in his eyes, in his home.  It's a delicate balance & I hope to be respectful.

Eventually the conductor did come and he did go.  Our bunkmate turned out to be a young Australian traveling on her own.  Apparently, Vietnamese passengers swapped tickets to put all the foreigners together. They think we smell funny and are hairy.  True enough.  We eat differently and use different soaps, deoderants, and lotions.

Our train was filled with a group of Eastern European men traveling together and equally raucous Vietnamese men heading to Sapa for a bachelors weekend.  No matter, I can sleep through most things.

We had been warned about theft.  We slept dressed, hugging our luggage.  I don't see how we could have been robbed, but there were enough warnings that it felt wise to heed.

The train soon pulled away from the station and began its slow steady ascent into the Tonkinese Alps.  Around 6 am the train began slowing into the fog-filled Hoang Lien mountain range.  The train came to a stop at Lo Cai and sleepy passengers began disembarking.

Lo Cai feels like the wild west & it kind of is.  It's a main transit point for travelers from Hanoi venturing across the border to either China or Laos.  Before we returned to Hanoi we had a few hours to kill.  We played with a little girl and her dirty balloon before we all became distracted by the elderly women across the street getting into a screaming, hair-pulling match.  Their sons pulled them a part.

We found a van headed to Sapa and purchased our ride.  Into the mountains, home to many Indigenous people, such as Hmong.  Home to water buffaloes, terraced farms, and medicinal hot pots.  Home to us for the weekend.

Halong Bay

There is lore about Halong Bay.  Story goes a dragon thrashed through the rock carving out sea & the dramatic limestone karsts marking the landscape today.  As we prepared for our Vietnamese voyage, Kevin & I watched "Indochine."  When the story unfolded through the cliffs of the bay I thought, "We're going there?"  It was like the postcard of Lake Atitlan on my fridge.  It didn't seem possible.

In Hanoi, it's easy to book a cruise on a junk through Halong Bay.  These operators will usually take care of the transport to and from Hanoi.  The cruises vary in quality.  Also, they usually travel parts of the bay nearest the port town of Halong.  It can be a crowded trip.  We elected to travel independently and to journey on to Cat Ba island, which is within the bay.  The trip would take a little bit longer but it was more our speed-- quieter, remote, beautiful.

We headed to the bus depot in Hanoi.  Independent travel in Vietnam is not that hard.  The French imposed the Roman alphabet on Vietnam during their colonial tenure, so English speakers can read signs.  In cities, you'll meet English speakers.  At the bus depot in Hanoi, you probably won't.  Get there early, be patient, & friendly.  Pointing at maps, signs, & smiling go far.

Watching the surrounding rice patties and shifting landscape, I wished we had time to visit Ninh Binh.  It's said to be land-locked Halong Bay.  Can you imagine these cliffs emerging from land?

We were dropped at a bus depot in Halong City.  They drove us a short, traffic-clogged, industrial path to the port where we boarded a big, diesel-guzzling ferry to Cat Ba Island.  The dock at Cat Ba was tiny.  Small homes were built on high stilts above canals and rice patties.  We boarded a smaller van to weave through the mountains to Cat Ba town.

The drive was a bit treacherous at times, but jaw-droppingly beautiful.  Of course, about three mile outside of town the van broke down.  The Vietnamese passengers jumped off, grabbed their things, & began walking.  Again, I try to pay attention to my surroundings and use judgment.  In this instance, it seemed like they were the best guides.  We walked alongside a local bureaucrat for awhile, sweating under our luggage over the rough terrain.  A motorbike raced down the mountain but slowed for their friend, the bureaucrat.  He hopped on the back of the bike and waved to us.

We passed him later as we labored into town.  He said, "You're still walking?  I've already had my dinner!"

We found an inexpensive, off-season room for $15 a night with a truly hot shower.  A suicide shower, but it was hot in cool Cat Ba-- a plus.  We booked our passage into Lan Ha Bay for the morning and began our search for dinner.  As we wandered down the main drag we found a hotel offering a spa with massages!  We booked $12 couples massages.

We drank tea in a dimly lit waiting room.  Eventually, we were summoned into the massage room by scantily clad Vietnamese massage therapists.  They mimed for us to disrobe but didn't leave the room.  Eventually they began taking our sweaters and jackets & hanging them.  OK!  We disrobed.

We had side-by-side couples massage tables.  They massage therapists giggled and talked to one another.  They were AMAZING body workers.  They began on our faces and heads and steadily worked to the back and arms.  They finished by massaging the back vigorously while we were seated.  From a seat, we felt more energized to leave but absolutely refreshed (especially after all that break-neck travel!).  We returned to them throughout our stay in Cat Ba.

Just an aside-- a few days later it dawned on me (I can be horribly naive) that there were almost exclusively Chinese business men in this hotel and a nightclub underneath.  Our massage was rated G but I don't think many others were.  You definitely have to keep your bearings because some massage practitioners do feel it's important to... facilitate various modes of relaxation.  That's not my bag.  If it's not yours, make sure you go into well-lit, legitimate facilities.  I got massages as frequently as possible in Vietnam.  They were some of the best of my life.  Vietnamese look at massage and diet as healthcare, facilitating good circulation and overall wellness.  Vietnamese bodywork should be a huge draw and part of your experience.

The following morning we boarded our junk.

We headed to Lan Ha Bay.

Kevin dove in.

It was about 60 degrees.  This german shepherd was thrilled & licked Kevin incessantly when he climbed back on dock.

We kayaked.

Kevin even paddled!  He's funny like that.

I learned how to use chopsticks out of necessity.  Don't worry about practicing if you don't already know how to use them.  If you're hungry you'll figure it out.  Impressively.  I ate every last bit of rice.

We played in caves.

And went to Monkey Island.

Don't feed the monkeys!  I hate that tourists think it's cute or funny to feed monkeys potato chips and beer.  A German tourist tried to pull back her potato chip bag from the monkeys and was (rightfully) bit.  Don't feed them!  Give them a wide berth.  This is THEIR island.

From Cat Ba, we began the long trek back to Hanoi.  Van to the port, boat to Halong city, bus to Hanoi.  It took minimum five hours and was worth every second.

Hanoi

Oh so sleepy.  We had traveled for 24 hours from Philadelphia to Chicago to Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh City.  We slept at a well-ranked hostal & woke early to catch a taxi back to the airport.  We boarded a local flight to Hanoi.  We landed in grey, industrial, drizzle.  Think Moscow with motorbikes.

We drove past rice paddies, water buffaloes, and agricultural strips on highway medians.  This was truly new.  As we approached city center, things became interesting.

Hanoi was to be base camp as we wandered east to Halong Bay, northwest to Sapa, and then back to Hanoi for a flight to Da Nang.  We only had a little time to explore Hanoi.  It was becoming apparent to me that Hanoi's delights yield in their own time.

There's a mystique about Hanoi.  The weather is similar to Seattle or London-- at least in the winter.  The atmosphere is more like an east Asian Paris.  I wanted to rent a room and write a novel.  Hanoi draws out stories.

We immediately booked tickets to see a water puppet performance that night.  We began wandering through the streets of Old Town Hanoi towards Hoan Kiem Lake.

Along the way we sampled taro popsicles and watched families cook their dinners on open braziers on the sidewalk.  Food in Vietnam isn't just delicious, it's interesting.  The food is intricate.  It takes study and preparation.  Also, food is still regional.  The diet in the north is more akin to Chinese food.  It's a bit heavier than food in the south and emphasizes different flavors.  We were able to happily eat vegetarian wherever we found ourselves because all Vietnamese eat vegetarian once a month in reverence for their Buddhist beliefs.  The vegetarian mock-meat was so convincing I often questioned whether or not it was real.  There's an incredible resourcefulness in this part of the world-- anything edible will be prepared.

The following morning we boarded a bus for Halong Bay, a subject for another post.  Upon return to Hanoi from Halong Bay, we visited a few more sights.

From this visit to Hanoi, we boarded an overnight train to Sapa.  Another post for another time.  We made a final visit to Hanoi when we disembarked the return train from Sapa and headed to the airport to fly south to Da Nang.

We encountered visitors who didn't like north Vietnam, especially not after time spent in the sunny and friendly south.  There certainly is a different disposition in northern Vietnamese, different cuisine, and a cooler, wetter climate.  My favorite part of Vietnam was Hoi An, near Da Nang, along the south central coastline.  I do love north Vietnam.  I would also suggest that travelers go here first and make your way steadily south.  All international flights head into the southern most point of Ho Chi Minh City.  Because Vietnam is tall and skinny, many travelers make their way north.  We flew north and progressively moved south into warmer climates & food that suited us better.  Plus, we landed in Hanoi with no expectations nor preconceived notions.  We were ready to delight in this fast, dark, mysterious city.

Vietnam travel in broad brush strokes

We spent a hot afternoon sunning and swimming in San Marcos, Guatemala with some Irish backpackers.  As always, I picked their brain about travel.  They swapped stories & debated, but ultimately settled on Vietnam as their favorite destination.  We kept hearing that from other budget travelers.  Once home from Guatemala I ordered Lonely Planet books on Thailand, Cambodia, & Vietnam.  Over the summer I laid on the sand in Cape May & read the books like novels.  It's ridiculous, but when I start thinking about a trip I read the destination's Lonely Planet cover to cover.  Thailand sounds amazing and the landscape truly intriguing.  Cambodia is absolutely on the to-visit list mainly due to Ankgor Wat and other historic cites.  Vietnam was such an interesting blend-- of the region, it's cuisine is said to hold the most allure.  Some of the beaches are said to rival Thailand.  There are areas of historic and cultural significance.

Obviously, we could have tried to visit all three countries.  I would love to travel throughout Asia!  With 18 days to play with, I never want to waste time with border crossings.  I figured we'd devote the entirety of the trip to Vietnam.

I wish we'd have three times that amount of time.  Vietnam is one of my favorite places on earth.  In terms of food, my favorite destinations are now Vietnam, Italy, & France.  In terms of beaches, my favorite places are now Vietnam and Panama.  In terms of a strong cultural sense of self, my favorite places are now Vietnam, Guatemala, Argentina, Cuba... well, that list is a little longer.

The biggest obstacle to traveling in Southeast Asia is flight cost.  I've assembled some general travel tips on my website, but I also have thoughts on travel from Philly to Southeast Asia specifically.  When I travel to Europe or Latin America, I usually fly out of Newark.  Otherwise, I have to pay for a commuter flight to NYC, which is usually an unnecessary cost.  However, the east coast usually routes Asia-bound flights through NYC, Chicago, and LA.  Philly has plenty of direct flights to those domestic cities.  I wound up booking the cheapest flight directly out of Philly, having a layover in Chicago, a second brief layover in Tokyo, before arriving in Ho Chi Minh City.

The least amount of time it will usually take to get to Vietnam from the east coast of the US is about 24 hours.  I repeat: usually the best places to visit are not easy to reach.  You have to weigh what travel is feasible.  Kevin & I ate really well leading up to the flight.  Lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and water.  We made sure to wake up early enough to go out and get a long run so we'd be sore.  I can sit still much more easily when my muscles are sore from working out.  During our layovers we did yoga.  It was fine.

Once you've invested in the flight you've covered your biggest expense.  The costs of traveling within Vietnam are certainly rising, but as of February 2013 we could travel very comfortably for $50 a day & certainly pay far less if we were willing to forgo some luxuries.

US citizens are required to have a travel visa from the Vietnamese government.  Overland travelers can purchase visas at border crossings.  No American is admitted to Vietnam without a visa if they're flying in.  Due to this, I'd read online, repeatedly, that you had to travel with a tour group to cover logistics.  Not so.  Google Vietnam visa.  There are plenty of operators who will secure your visa on arrival for a fee.  This practice, like so many others I've encountered while traveling, seemed a little dicey.  Use sense, weigh your options, come to your own conclusions.  I chose the most highly ranked provider & applied for the visa.  I followed their instructions, arriving with color copies of my application and passport sized photos.  We had to wait at customs for some time upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh city, but we received our visa with no problem.

I wrote earlier about a few places on earth that have some energy, magic, or mojo that is truly soul-stirring.  For me, at least, Vietnam has that charge.  Go with gratitude.

San Marcos La Laguna

Years ago, my friend Monica suggested I become penpals with her mother, Clementina, to improve my Spanish.  Clementina sent me a postcard from Lake Atitlan, explaining its sacred significance to local Indigenous Mayan Kakchiquel.  I put the postcard on the refrigerator wistfully.  It was so unbelievably beautiful.  I didn't think I would ever see it in person.  It struck me how many awesome sights the earth holds.  How few of them have reached my awareness.  How few of them any of us experience.

One morning in Antigua, Kevin & I boarded a collectivo to Panajachel.  We were headed to the sacred waters of Atitlan.

Disembarking, I pinched myself.  I was seeing Atitlan!  I was there.

Panajachel is the first lake point from Antigua & Guatemala City.  As such, it's pretty developed, touristy, & sometimes seedy.  I knew we weren't going to stay there.  Tons of towns dot the lake's shores.  I'd read about a few of them.  I'd thought we would head to San Pedro, which is described as quieter than the larger Pana.  While in Tikal fellow travelers suggested we head to San Marcos.  I referred to my dog-eared Lonely Planet.  There was a short one paragraph description of little San Marcos.  This is why getting reccomendations on the road is essential.  In Pana we boarded a water taxi to San Marcos.

People kept asking us if we were riding chicken buses while in Guatemala.  We never did ride a chicken bus, but we did ride a few chicken boats.  The sweet grandmother next to me had a woven basket on her lap housing three quiet, clucking chickens.  She had a soft cloth napkin loosely over their heads.  

San Marcos is impossibly beautiful.  We did take water taxis to a few other towns dotting Atitlan.  None of them compared to the shifting light & depth of color found at San Marcos.  I don't know what composite has created the magic of San Marcos, but this place is indeed magic.

We were met at the dock by aggressive kids who wanted to tote our luggage for a fee.  I'm big on getting my bearings in a new place.  Firmly, respectfully, we declined all offers while making our way through the small footpaths to Aaculaax, the hotel our friends had suggested.

We love San Marcos.  We love Aaculaax.  So much, that of all the places I've visited I'm planning my first yoga retreat to this location.  I want to bring people I love to this majestic place.

Most days in San Marcos we woke early for a big beautiful & locally grown breakfast.

We walked to a good spot where we could lay, read, swim, & be sun-baked lizards.

At night we went to one of the wonderful restaurants.  Sometimes we caught some live music or a volleyball game.  We watched views like this:

On my birthday we hired a guide to take us on a hike to Jaibalito.

We stopped for lunch.  There was a pool you could use if you bought lunch.  I really love Guatemala.

My birthday is February 12.  Two days later, we decided to take a Valentine's Day hike up La Nariz de Indio.  We first took a water taxi to San Juan, where we could visit a women's weaving cooperative.

We still needed to get to Santa Clara, much further up steep mountains, to reach La Nariz. We asked about a chicken bus & were told that it may come but who knew when?  It would take awhile to get up the mountain due to stops.  We hired a tuk tuk.  It broke down en route.

Our resourceful driver worked it out.  Santa Clara is a small town on top of one of the mountains surrounding Atitlan.  There were beautiful farms and a small school.  This is very much a town where people live and work.  We found the trail head and began weaving up the summit.

OK, see that rickety fort at the summit?  When we arrived an entire class of school children also scampered up.  They had one or two mild & quiet teachers.  The kids all had machetes, the girls carried HUGE pots of beans on their heads, & apparently they were all part billy goat.  These trails are steep.  The summit is not large & obviously there are no guardrails.  The kids thought we were the best entertainment yet.  Apparently, Kevin reminded them of a Guatemalan cartoon character named "Mr. Pancho."  Plus, it was Valentine's Day.  They kept goading Mr. Pancho to kiss me.  They formed a line to take turns sitting on the one bench next to us.  It was really sweet, but because the falls were so steep I was truly scared that one of those kids would cause me to lose my balance & plummet off the cliff.  I asked Kevin to begin descending with me before the kids had finished lunch, so we wouldn't have to play tag with them while desperately staying connected to the trail.

Of course, as soon as we began moving they wrapped it up.  Next thing you know, a steady stream of mountain goat-children began racing past us. At least it was over quickly.  Those kids were impressive!

We passed this guy as we approached the trail head.  Huh.  It was late afternoon and there wasn't a bus in sight.  We had to somehow descend this mountain & get back to San Marcos before nightfall.  There weren't any taxis nor tuk tuks.  We began walking down the switch-back highway.  Rounding a curve a big open-bed truck filled with people stopped & offered us a ride for about $.10 each.  With few options we paid our fare & were aided by other passengers onto the standing room only truck bed.  Kevin wedged his feet on the bumper-- it was that packed.  As the truck gained speed around the curves I kept a steady mantra of "these people do this daily.  They're all still alive."  When I could breathe, watch the quickly passing views, & smile, it was actually fun!  We disembarked in a town near San Marcos.  Thankfully, this town was big enough where securing a taxi ride back to San Marcos was simple to find and negotiate.

Some say that certain places, times, or people have a special energy.  My travels make me a believer.  There's something in San Marcos that is special.  There's a quiet vibration and sweetness that make me want to honor & cherish it.  I met so many interesting people involved in great projects like barefoot acupuncture, building rocket stoves, creating composting systems to avoid lake pollution, building with trash since there's no government trash removal, making yoga accessible, or creating art through repurposed materials.

Dive in.