Wandering in Hanoi alone...

January 27th, 2010

I think one of my favorite things about traveling is planning out where I want to go and seeing how much I can do / see in a set amount of time. I never know exactly how it will unfold but I enjoy being the director of the act, setting up the time and location and seeing how much can play out in front of or with me. Of course most of what becomes my experiences has little to nothing to do with my planning, it depends on the happening of everything and everyone around me. It’s knowing this which motivates me to explore more on my own and try to find the less travelled (by tourists) route. I seek out some challenges in my travels to ensure that those memorable experiences find me.

Right now, however, I feel less compelled to make this extra effort. I’m in Hanoi and totally bored. I feel lonely and can’t connect with anyone here. It’s a huge city with a lot of tourists. It’s easy to feel swallowed by the city. I want to get out for a couple days and explore the surrounding country side. There are tour offices in every other shop throughout the entire “old quarter” and they are all offering 3 tours: Halong Bay, Sapa, and Perfume Pagoda.

These are supposed to be beautiful places that I would love to see, here is my analysis of each destination:

I did some internet research on Halong Bay. It’s a marvel of nature, like something out of “Avatar.” A bay filled with huge towering pinnacles called karsts, w/ hidden beaches and caves. Certainly the setting for the evil lair of every other villain in the james bond movies. Pictures remind me of something else… The way they photograph the beautiful “sail” boat you will cruise in. It’s pictured w/ a pinnacle directly behind it and little space in the background. I have yet to see an areal photo of the bay without boats present. I would term this “the Galapagos challenge,” photographing spectacular nature without capturing the tourists.

For me, the Galapagos was more than well worth the packaged tour and overwhelming numbers of tourists. The Galapagos are and archipelago where tourism is permitted in about ½ the area and the rest is preserved for research. I wonder what natural process created Halong Bay. Surely the natural force that carved these karsts is not limited to the single bay? I look at my map of Vietnam. About 50km north of Halong Bay is a green line marked “Bai Tu Long Marine National Park.” There is a park there, but Halong Bay’s incredible nature is not a park? Odd. But then I think, not really. Halong Bay is probably Vietnam’s single largest tourist draw. Hundreds of boats take thousands of tourists through its waters every year, and each year the numbers grow. I highly doubt any of those boats wait to return to shore to release their septic tanks or bilges. Do the docks in Haiphong even have the proper sewage facilities for the cruise ships? HB is intentionally not a NP I assume. Further research shows me that Bai Tu Long NP is every bit as beautiful as HB if not more. It’s even mentioned in my LP briefly. It’s hard to get to, undeveloped, and you have to hire your own boat.

OK, HB is out. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time on this trip to make it to Bai Tu Long, or the money to go alone. But I’m certain that when I am in this part of the world again I will make the adventure to experience Bai Tu Long part of my itinerary.

Next, Sapa. After a 10 hr train ride north you reach Sapa in the mountains. It’s described as a beautiful hill station with the most incredible view. They advertise trekking, a local market, and visiting with the local tribal people. I’m curious about going. I enjoy the mountains and my experiences with mountain cultures in the past. But the scenario shouts “otovalo,” a huge market in Ecuador where you are harassed by the people to buy the tons of crafts produced for tourists. Vietnam has an extensive northern region in the Tokinese Alps, surely Sapa isn’t the only town with a view or friendly locals. With every single tour office suggesting you visit Sapa, “very beautiful,” I wonder, “Is it really?” With my experiences in the Himalaya and Andes, and soon to be Northern Laos, I decide to pass-up the Sapa experience, I don’t want to be disappointed.

Finally, there is the Perfume Pagoda. A scenic area with steep mountains/hills rising from the rice paddies. You ride a small row boat amid the rice paddies to the base of a mountain and hike up to find the pagoda. It’s also very touristy, but I shock myself by considering the day trip.
I don’t want to leave Vietnam yet, but I feel like I have to do something with other people. Walking around Hanoi, exploring the city on my own has not felt very rewarding. I had two goals for this trip, one: to travel all the way to Bangkok without using any flights, two: to not take any packaged tours. Could I really be considering a tour bus to Perfume Pagoda and maybe even a 2 day tour to Tam Coc?