Thursday, January 3, 2013

Vietnam Journal 01.03.11

Flew out of Da Nang around 10:00 this morning aboard Vietnam Airlines flight 0308 .  The taxi to take off was long and offered glimpses of the airport's past as one of the three largest American air bases in Vietnam during the War.  I saw many revetments, concrete arches that shielded planes from mortar attacks.  Also saw what I think is the Agent Orange storage area, which makes this airport one of the most contaminated sites in Vietnam.  The US has finally agreed to spend $17 million to clean up the area but that amount is only half of the estimated cost and follows three decades of imact on the local populace and ecosystems.  Other vestiges of the war are what appear to be control towers alongside the taxiway.  They are small so were probably local traffic control at what was a very busy air base.

The flight to Ha Noi was only a bit longer than the taxi ride into the Old Quarter where we are staying.  Ha Noi is a very gray city and every bit as hectic as Ho Chi Minh City.  Our ride progressed from the wide open spaces to ever closer and closer places, finally reach the Old Quarter which is densely crowded, with narrow streets pack with traffic.  In the US, these streets would be one-way or pedestrian only but not here.  Sidewalks are packed with motorbikes and people.

At the hotel we booked an overnight trip tomorrow to Ha Long Bay which Maggie's been talking about since we arrived in Vietnam (maybe before).  We explored the area around the hotel and made our way to Hoan Kiem Lake, also called Lake of the Returned Sword which is central to the Vietnamese national identity.  We also got ripped off ten bucks by a very fast taxi meter but did find the vegetarian restaurant recommended by a friend.  When the restaurant staff heard our tale of taxi fraud, they called a taxi they said we could trust.  The fare for the ride back was very reasonable, tip included. 

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