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And now, what can I do ? Walking trough Hanoi ? No, as in Beijin in 2004 it’s better to rent a bycicle: in this picture you can see me when I “bypassed” the surveillance of Tien An Men Square
http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/hpim2311.jpg This travel agency/hairdresser rented to me a bycicle http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz598.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz597.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz599.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz600.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz601.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz602.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz603.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz604.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz605.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz606.jpg After 4 hours I stopped to pedal and went back to the Hotel. I’m lucky the Vietnam girl of yesterday is at the reception: she was interested in my trip to Halong Bay. It’s free beer time at the hostel and in the reception comes the american girl with 2 her friend. I begin to speak with the vietnamese girl about differences between italina and vietnam university. The environment is very nice, but you know the adversities of life always wait in ambush..........YES ! AGAIN ! The French girl comes in the reception, takes a seat on the couch and again begins to speak with everybody, showing her pictures...continously...for one hour. As yesterday the vietnam girl has to go to work. I repress my omicide impulse: too many witness. Maybe in the night I could smother her with the pillow, in the room. I wake up and while I’m going up stairs I meet a girl that speaks with me in italian. Her name is Giorgia and she’s studing for a master degree at the university of Bangkok: she’s from Padova. Due the reason that her touristic visa for Thailand is expired, she went for some day in Hanoi, to can renew the visa. She’s very likeable. Back in my dormitori I begin to prepare my luggages for the fly to Italy: this was the situation at the beginning http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz607.jpg really better after half hour http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz608.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz609.jpg I’ll ship this two and carry with me just the camera, pc and little stuff. It comes in the room the american girl and she asks to me and Giorgia if we would like to meet after dinner with some friend to go in a club. Maybe. She asks the same to the frenc girl, but she’s busy ..thanks God. I went to eat and I chose crabs http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz610.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz615.jpg http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz611.jpg Back to the hotel, I meet Giorgia, the american girl and her friends. You should know that cities like Hanoi are a big arrival point for tourists, as Siem Raep in Cambodia to can go to visit Angor Wat , or Sapa in the north of Vietnam. This cities, inevitably, had to adapt to the tourist demand. Western tourists like disco club, pub, disco music, drinks. Nothing wrong with this, but I was grown listening punk music and going in the independent rock club and so I really don’t like disco music, but with friends is different. USA tourists=USA style club, with a little touch of Vietnam...the bartenders. Jennifer Lopez, some rap for wiggers (Eminem) and instead the pitcher of beer they serve a big drink the Pink Bunket, a big cup with dozen of straws. The club is divided in two parts: one with the bar and the other with very low table where you can sprawl yourself, drink and smoke some joint. As me Giorgia had in mind to go go to drink a beer around a table, but we began to look at the people in the club, dumping on everybody. http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz613.jpg Giorgia is the girl with the white t-shirt…the old one wears a grey t-shirt http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/39/46/resiz614.jpg Looking at this video you can appreciate how stron are the vietnamite table in the club (note the size of the dancer) Around 1 a.m. for me and Giorgia is enough and so we come back to the hotel: tomorrow I’ve the fly back to Italy and she fly to Bangkok. We are speaking in the room, when suddendly my blood ran cold... http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/01/3...h/18692610.jpg worst than Dart Feneran an english voice, with a clear french accent say “ Ohh you can’t leave italian tourists alone that immediatly they begin to speak in italian ! “ What a f... !!! What kind of language should we use ? Japanese ? I tried to be polite and I answer “You know, sometimes happens that two italian tourists speak in italian”. Ok if now she take out her camera I’ll strangle. Giorgia was explainig her situation at the university of Bangkok, when the french girl asks how old she is. Giorgia asks “ How old do you think I could be ?” 22 for the french girl, 25 for me. I’m right. Inevitably comes my turn: “ Maurizio, how hold are you ?” ok 25 years ago was an easy answer, today is a little bit embarrassing, but in this situation truth is the best way. “I was born in the 1962” is my answer. Giorgia is surprised she thought me “younger”. From the bed the french girl asks to us” How hold do you think I could be ?” 28 answer Giorgia. I think for some seconds: is my chance of revenge and I reflect on the french girl and on her manners: “ 35 !” She’s shoked ! “ How do you can say this ?-says the french girl- everybody normally thinks around 28/29” Do you know ‘ She’s 34. Now she asks to me why I had say 34. “Your hands miss- is my answer- after the 30 the hands of womans begin to get some wrinkle ( now I can push a little bit the knife in the wound), as you can notice there aren’t wrinkles on the hands of Giorgia” She says that this is a non sense, but doesn’t matter: Momi vs french tourist 1-0. I understand that Giorgia would like to give me a five, but the triumph is enough and we turn off the light leaving the french girl to think to her hands. Wednesday 13th of June I woke up very early to go to the airport. I had the chance to greet Giorgia before the boarding. I’m coming back to Italy, but forget Vietnam will be impossible: always in my heart. Sorry, but my job in this period of the year don’t allow me a lot of free time and so it took a very long time to translate my Vietnam report. Sorry for my grammar, but I hope you understood almost everything. Momi |
Momi thanks so much for the blog,very entertaining.
I will miss following your travels.Noel
May you have many more interesting travels.:funmeteryes:bier:D |
Hi Momi, I have really enjoyed reading and looking at the wonderful photos in your ride report. We are thinking of riding in vietnam next year, its fascinating to read different peoples viewpoints and ways of travel.
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Yes, but as this about Vietnam they require a little effort to read them..my english is till :censored::censored::censored: 2008 Centra Asia from Italy Suzuki DR 350 a ride to Italy-Russia-Kazhakistan-Kirgyzstan-Uzbekistan - ADVrider 2009 central Asia again from italy Suzuki DR 350: Italy-Turkey-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazahkstan-Russia-Ucraina ecc.. - ADVrider 2010 India with a Royal enfield India 2010 on a Royal Enfield - ADVrider 2011 Africa with 2 rented motorbike Africa 2011: South Africa,Namibia, Zambia, a scanty italian biker - ADVrider |
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Hey Momi, great news, we will be going to Vietnam in 2 weeks to meet our youngest son, who has been in australia for a year, and we plan to ride from hcmc to hanoi and then do a northern loop, then home. Youngest son continues to Laos and Thailand and onwards. thank you again for your ride report , it inspires and gives a lot of information.
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Hi Momi:
I started reading your story at 11:00pm, and now it's 3:30am! I really enjoyed it, I've always wanted to ride through Vietnam and your report has made it even more imperative. Thank you for taking so much time with this, the photos were excellent and your grammar is very good, no worries there. The wrinkly hands story was the best. :clap: Peter in Vancouver |
Despite you're sometimes hilarious English, one of the best ride reports I have read in years. Bookmarked the whole story for later reference. I hope to make a similar tour soon. Really appreciated the clear maps, which make following the story super easy.
Thank you so much, Momi. You're the greatest! |
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