Tuesday, 10/22/2024
Woke early and went upstairs for breakfast after getting ready. I found Jerry and Atti already there, so joined them for a bit till they returned to their room.
Afterward, I went out to find a store that I could buy another pair of pants so I could get the stuff I was wearing into the laundry today. I found a store a few blocks away and got another pair of convertible pants (pants with zip off lower legs) for $8.
Back at the hotel I changed and then took the dirty laundry down to the hotel laundry service. They should have it back by 8:00pm tonight.
I went back out to explore more and headed over to the lake on the edge of the old quarter.
The lake is a good-sized body of water with an old temple on an island and remains of an older temple on another island. The shore is surrounded by a park area with open space and trees along pathways. Lots of people sitting around or taking photos in front of the various sites.
I walked the full perimeter of the lake and took many photos, then I headed back toward the hotel.
I stopped at a small market shop to buy another Coke, and I had a hell of a time getting the zippered pocket I kept my wallet in to open. I finally got the zipper to open up (though thinking it will never zip up again), paid for my drink and went back to the hotel.
I found Jerry and Atti on the front patio having coffee (in this heat?). Joined them and a bit later Pierre and Tammy (the couple from Canada) found us and joined us. They had heard about the trip from Joe on another Facebook group and decided to join the group. Joe had said we needed at least 6 people to make the trip happen, so when only 4 of us had signed up, he started looking for others that might want to join in.
We all talked about our various motorcycle rides in other places and general travel stories.
We then all went off to do our own things. I was going to go back to room, and suddenly realized my room keycard was missing! I looked about the table we were at to make sure it had not fallen out of my pocket, no such luck! Not in any of my pockets, zippered or otherwise.
These new pants have very shallow pockets and the key must have worked its way up and out while I was walking or more likely while I was fighting with that zipper in the shop?
I was able to get another key, but will have to pay a fee for the lost one if I cannot find it. (Sigh).
I returned to the shop where I bought the Coke, but was a different person working and when I tried to explain he just rudely waved me out of his store shaking his head. What an ass, will not be going back there for any supplies.
I figured it was long gone, so was not going to look anymore and hotel had cancelled that card so it would not work (For some reason, they put the room numbers on all room keys here?!?)
Went back out to find something to eat, but many places were not open this early or just had street seating and I was hot and wanted to find something inside that would be cooler (I hope). I finally just went into another pizza place that had indoor seating and appeared to have A/C.
Service was a bit weak and slow, but the pizza was good. They never did bring me a Coke like I asked, not sure if they did not understand or did not have it, but just gave me water.
Went back to the hotel to rest up a bit before I go back out with Jerry and Atti to walk over to the train street.
I spent the time reading before getting ready to go back out. Went down to the lobby to meet the others, then I plotted a walking route on Google Maps to see the best way to get there and get an idea of how long the walk will be. Took us 20 minutes to get there.
The train street is one of those narrow spaces where a railroad runs between two sets of buildings, typically with little to no space between the train and the walls. Several exist around the world, but this was the Hanoi version.
Several times a day the train comes through and both sides of the “street” have to move their tables back a bit and people have to stand back some to let it pass. Not exactly sure why they have become so popular, but just a cool experience I guess to be sitting there having a drink or meal while a large train rolls by 2 feet away and moving at a brisk pace.
We arrived and went up the steps to the tracks (after having to push through some vendors that were trying to claim we had to pay them to use the public steps up to the railroad grading). We walked down the tracks till we were in the alley between the buildings and then just randomly chose a shop to sit at and buy some drinks and food.
You do have to be a paying customer to be in someone’s shop, so if you want to see the train without cost, you will need to find the rare spots where there is nothing, or watch it from the more open areas.
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| Train Street Hanoi (Thanks to Jerry for taking my photo) |
We had drinks and Atti had a sandwich. Just before the train was to arrive, a few people were going up and down with a loud speaker to warn everyone. The shops would pull back tables behind a yellow line, the construction workers at building next door moved their stuff back off the track side, and they started to make the viewers also get behind the line.
Jerry and I sat at the ground level and Atti went up to the 2nd floor balcony. (He got a much better view I think).
Then the train rolled in, and 30 seconds later rolled out. Once done, things were pushed back out and people mostly started to leave.
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| Here it comes. |
We then walked back to the hotel.
I then went over to a store I found next door to get a Coke and a bottle of water (Bottle of Coke and 1.5liter bottle of water, all for $1.20)
Back in the room I took a shower as it was much warmer today, and high humidity, so was drenched in sweat by now.
Dinner will be at 6:30pm at a Vietnamese place just down the road with the tour company owner Hai, and the guides Tan and Long.
I sat in the room and caught the journal up and will relax and read for a bit now. I also tried to research where I could buy new shoe inserts as mine are completely worn and shoe sole is also badly worn.
I am also wearing shoes without socks right now as they are in the laundry. Note: bring two pair next time! My feet already have blisters. (Have already walked 12km (8 miles) today).
I did find some places online that listed shoe inserts, but only 1 was even nearby. I walked over to that place, but it did not exist, nothing there at that address that dealt with shoes, so stale data on Google.
I then walked over to the main clothing street (you find many streets will have vendors all selling very similar stuff: shoes, clothes, artworks, kitchen gear, toys, candy and so on). On the way I did find a shoe store selling shoes, but the owner was busy haggling price with some guy trying to buy something for nothing.
The second shop that would have inserts also no longer existed, strike two Google Maps, lots of dead data.
I finally found the shoe street, but not a good selection. Many had only basketball style flat sole shoes which I do not like. The few that had a more track style shoes had limited selection and rarely in my size.
I finally found a shop with good selection, but while the shoe I wanted he did not have, he did have another in my size, a black high top hiking style shoe, which was fine. But wow, $60 for a pair of shoes.
Now, the Columbia brand shoes would cost more back home, but not even sure these are legit, a huge number of fake products for sale here (pretty sure the pants I bought and am wearing are NOT really North Face, not with the quality shown so far). Shoes still had the Chinese price tags on them too, so have my doubts, but I really need shoes, not much choice and running out of time to wander around.
I went ahead and bought them, using up most of my local currency, only have about $30 worth left, so will try to find an exchange after dinner tonight to get more if I can. (I brought USD with me to avoid using ATMs if I can, just not sure I trust them, though many people do use them without issue, just one of my oddities).
Went back to hotel, changed into the new shoes (still have the blisters, but better, and once I get socks back from laundry will help) and tossed the old shoes in the trash.
Read a bit more in the Kindle till it was time to go over to dinner. Met the group downstairs and walked over to the place. It was a short walk, and Hai was there already with our table setup. Took about 15 minutes for all the members of the group to arrive.
There was Joe, Jerry and myself of course. Then Jerry’s friend Atti, Pierre and Tammy (who had heard about trip from Joe, though they did not know each other prior) and Mark who had just randomly inquired about trips with the operator and was told about this one. Mark had already been in Vietnam for a week doing another off-road motorbike trip up north.
Tan will be our trip leader and one of the riding guides. Another guide, Long, will also be the mechanic and a driver will have the support vehicle bringing our luggage and other supplies along.
We talked for a bit among the group and then Hai ordered food for everyone.
We also received back our passports with the Laos visa inside.
Spent about an hour eating and talking, then we all headed back to our hotels to get things ready for our pickup tomorrow between 7:00 and 7:30am, depending on which hotel we were at. (Only Joe and Mark were at different hotels). My pickup is at 7:30am.
On the way back to the hotel, I stopped and exchanged another $200. Only this time I got just 4.9 million Dong. Either rates have changed, or this place charges higher commission than the place in the airport. (Basically, works out to $4 less this time).
I then stopped for a few more drinks to last me the rest of the night. (Coke and a lemon ice tea).
Got back to room and found the belt buckle on new pants was hanging by a thread. So, in 12 hours the zipper on pocket broke and now the belt. Thinking $8 was not such a good deal.
I put my passport back into its holder, sorted out the currency. I always keep a smaller sum where I can easily reach it, so I do not have to pull out the full wallet all the time. I then sorted the bags a bit as I prepared for the bike portion of the trip.
I then went down to see if my laundry was done (it was, they just did not put it in my room as I had left the do not disturb sign up).
I packed up the now clean clothes and pulled out the riding gear I would put on first thing in the morning. Packed up the shoes and things I would not be wearing or using as well.
I will leave out the clothes I wore today as they are still damp with sweat, will pack them up in the morning when they are dry.
Thinking I will read a bit before bed. Will be up at 6:00am so I can get ready and grab breakfast before the van arrives to pick us up. Will also need to check out of the hotel and pay my laundry and lost card fee at that time.
Once they pick us up, they will drive us over to the bikes and we will be ready to ride. Tomorrow is going to be one of our more off-road focused days, so should be a good challenge once we get out of the city environs.
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