Day 3: Singapore to Vietnam (Hanoi)

 

Day 3:  Took off to Hanoi, Vietnam from Singapore at 9:30am.  Grabbed some coffee at the airport.  It took me awhile to understand the sign in the coffee shop.

Clever? Julia Broudy's favorite spot.

Oh. A quick gas and constipation update.  If you happen to be in the Singapore Airport, please try and avoid stall #3 in the mens' bathroom near Gate F50.  

I'm watching Good Morning Vietnam on the way to Vietnam.  I'm actually watching it this time.  I lied last post.  Robin Williams is brilliant.  He deserved the Academy Award for his performance.  Instead it went to Paul Newman for the Color of Money.  WTF? 

#RobinRobbed

It's funny, a lot of Non-Americans learn about the US and our culture through media and TV shows.  I only really know Vietnam through Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter and Good Morning Vietnam.  I was too young to really know what happened during the war.  I didn't take many history classes.  And I've never gotten a manicure or a pedicure.  Is that weird?  I cut my own nails, usually when they have been overgrown and a family member says something like, "Your toe nail looks like it can open a can of tuna."

Tuna Can Toes

 I'm hoping this guy knows more about Vietnam than I do.  

Say Hi to Ang

Ang is our tour guide for the next four days.  He's in his early 30's and has been hand picked.  Top Dog.  Speaks great English.  Wait.  I missed it.  He just said something about the war.  Fuck. The elephant on the bus, is we are Americans and we killed a lot of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians.   Ang's Dad was in the war.  He passed away a couple years ago from Covid.  He shared that his Dad died with no hard feelings against Americans.  His position was that the death toll was government driven, and American citizens are good people.  Vietnam relies on tourism.  And it sounds like Dad encouraged Ang to become a tour guide.  We will learn more later.  Heavy shit.  I need a couple slices of pizza.

Anxiety Eating

Here's the thing.  Wars suck my ass.  They are ego driven; kill innocent people; and don't result in anything positive.  I know it's way more complicated and sometimes unavoidable.  But are they?  Avoid wars at all costs.  Tell me about a great war.  Ok, current rant over.  Jeff, move on.  You're supposed to be Mr. Funnyblogman.  Ha, ha MoPho.  Ok.  Sorry.  Uh.... Vietnam has a lot of scooters.  

Sir.  Can I pet your scooter?

Some of us are staying at the Hotel De L'Opera Hanoi.  But one couple found another place to stay.

Honeymoon Suite

Brad decided to toast his 1st F' in Vietnam.   Way to go Brad (and Amy).  Knocked it out of the rice patty.

He looks exhausted.  Good for Amy:)

Did Ang just say over 2 million died in the war?  Fuck.  I need to get past the past.  But it's hard not to think about all the innocent people.  When's dinner?  Do you also anxiety eat?  I'm trying not to.  And honestly don't beat yourself up if you do.  We all eat for various stupid reasons sometimes.  Actually, I'm just vacation eating, not anxiety eating.  But kinda the same thing.  I'm looking very plump in this picture.  

"Chips O'Hoy Kelly Like"

That is Turtle Lake in the background.  Ang told us the story about why its's called Turtle Lake.  But I wasn't listening again.  I think something to do with a King and a turtle and the turtle gives the King a sword and then I tuned out.  I just don't buy animals giving humans swords to help defend their country.  But, have you every played "Turtle."   It's when you both go under the covers and blast a master bomb.  First one to pop their head out loses.  Credit to cousins Sari and Mindy for teaching Wendy and me how to play.  Wendy would lose 100% tonight.  And I'm scared if we played that I'd shart, the hotel would kick us out of our room, and we'd have to move to the Pearl Hotel.  

Turtle Example: Better luck next time...

We are in the midst of a night walking tour of the city at night.  It's very cool and not what I expected.  Good start to Vietnam though.  Ang walks fast.  And his "Dodge the Scooter" game is epic.  Nothing like it at home.

Hey Ang.  Wait up dude.

The Vietnam New Years is in the next week or so.  The city starts to prep for it in advance.  It lasts 10 days.  It's a big deal.  They celebrate making it through another year and they don't work either.  A little excessive, but no judgement.  They deserve it after losing 2 million.  

Happy New Year Vietnam!

I have dodge the scooter anxiety.  Who's hungry?  Ang is taking us to his favorite cuisine.

Never had a Bun Cha.  My Bun be a hurtin after the Gate F50 episode, but Ang swears by the Bun Cha.  Let's do this.  

A buncha Bun Cha eaters

What's a buncha you ask?  It's a sweeter side tasting broth.  Pork is the meat (or veggie).  Add lettuce, peppers, garlic. and rice noodles.  Very tasty.  I think most of us loved it at our end of the table.  Not sure about the other end of the table or my other end in about an hour.

"Eat Me"

After dinner we continued our walking tour.  Our first stop was to pray that our Bun Chas wouldn't come back to Hun Chas.

Blessed art thou...

Next stop was a train track that runs right through the city.  I always knew Sheryl had a one track mind.  Dad joke.  

Mo-Pho Riders.  Ridin, Ridin...

Next stop was the Presidential Palace.  They call it the Yellow House.

I think that's what Ang said.  Looks yellow?

Vietnam is a communist country.  Ang took us through the Presidential grounds where they have a flag taking down ceremony every night.  It's very sterotypical communist like, I guess.  Ang was very hesitant to talk bad about the commies.  I get it.  Apparently, it's not a perfect government.  Who the fuck are we to talk about the short comings of communism.  Especially, this year.  

Ang's a big fan of Ho-Chi Minh.  He served as the prime minister of Vietnam from 1945 to 1955 and as president from 1945 until his death, in 1969.  

(sing along) You put your right foot in...You take your right foot out.... You put your right foot in and you shake it all about...   

We do the Ho-Chi Minh, and we turned ourselves about...

And that was our 1st night out (in Vietnam)