26 January
Richard and I always joke that when he keeps talking in English to people who know very little English, all they 
hear is "blah blah blah" - similar to what we hear when we are spoken to in whatever language that we don't understand. So when we saw Café Blah Blah, we knew it was the spot for us.
They aren't the café with the sneaky mangoes. 
They had them front and center on the shrine. Obviously, their ancestors weren't allergic to mango.
So Café Blah Blah was delightful, and we enjoyed our Sunday brunch there. And the city around us, the entire country, is 
preparing for Tet, the big festival for the Lunar New Year. The new year will be the Year of the Goat. (As long as it isn't the Year of the Rat, I'm okay with it.)
I'm an adventurous eater, willing to try new foods if they 
sound interesting and don't contain a long list of foods I don't like. We found a spot where they make banh xeo, a rice pancake with vegs and your choice of meat. You take half the pancake, wrap it in a fresh spring roll wrapper, add vegs from a plate of salad type stuff, roll it all together tightly, and eat it dipping into a bowl of stinky but tasty fish sauce doused with chili sauce. Delicious!
So we're happily enjoying our yummy new supper. I'm adding vegs, lots of carrot and cucumber and greens and what I thought were bean sprouts. Ate that 
up. Started another wrap. Realized the bean sprouts weren't really bean sprouts, so asked our waiter what it was. "Green mango, madam," he answered happily. UH OH, we thought unhappily.
We explained to our 
waiter that I am very allergic to mango. Richard ran back to our hotel for the Epipens. The waiter asked around and came back with the names and addresses of nearby hospitals. Richard came back and I stabbed myself with the Epi (ouch!). We paid our bill and ran out to a taxi.
By now I was coughing coughing coughing, so we explained to the driver, "Go fast, emergency, very sick, fast fast fast." He got us there quickly, we asked the concierge at the front for directions, and somehow ended up at the eye hospital. The lady kept asking if we had an eye emergency, we kept saying it was 
an allergic emergency, and she finally sent us to the emergency section. We found it, found a doctor, I explained and showed the Epipen, he said they know nothing about this, and sent us to the Hanoi French Hospital.
So another taxi, a longer ride, and I go rushing in. There's a group of young tourists who are checking in, I'm still coughing up a storm, and start explaining to the other attendant at the counter about 
the mango allergy. The other attendant hands over forms along with a face mask. I tell him it's an ALLERGY and no one will catch it. He tells me I'm coughing, please wear the mask. I tell him I CAN'T BREATHE and I push the mask away.
Finally get the stupid form done to their satisfaction. Nurse takes me into a room, I explain once again. Took forever for the doctor to come in, since he was dealing with a baby emergency - but I was hooked up to equipment so if I stopped breathing altogether I'm presuming an alarm would go off. (Not sure about that one.)
Nice older French doctor, understood the situation, I told him what ERs have done in the past when I've accidentally eaten mango, he explained they have the medications in slightly different forms, and we started the process. A shot of epinephrine (or adrenaline) in the stomach (OUCH!). The nebulizer (forced air machine with meds that open the bronchial tubes). A different form of adrenaline in a vein, shot in slowly since I have teeny veins (OW! but better than the stomach).
And then we wait. And we wait. The doctor is concerned because my blood pressure is high. I told him, "you give me three different forms of adrenaline and you wonder why my blood pressure is high?" (He didn't laugh.) Plus the dr wants to ensure I don't have another reaction.
We ended up chatting with the young woman who is in the room with us, separated by only a curtain which we opened. She and her sister and a few friends were over on one of the islands, and she and the young man had a motorscooter accident. They were seen over there, on the island, but the hospital really wasn't adequate for their needs. She wasn't injured too badly, just bruises and a possible fracture or dislocated clavicle (ouch!) - but the young man was quite badly injured, although mobile. With a leg brace, lacerations, burns, and probable facial or head injuries. Fortunately the older sister is in nursing school, and insisted on certain care and getting everyone back to Hanoi. They were in the process of getting this young woman x-rayed and getting the young man taken care of, but there's the usual hassle of medical insurance away from home, young people without credit cards, the hospital wanting money up front, all of those problems that you just don't need when dealing with an emergency of any kind.
So we tried to cheer her up, she agreed it was crazy I had to fill in a 4 page form when I obviously was having trouble breathing, we talked about how they could resolve their situation. And just general chat, as tourists and travellers do when they end up sharing an ER room.
FINALLY she was cleared to go. And FINALLY the doctor was okay with my still-elevated blood pressure.
I have five days of steroids, five days of some meds to help protect my stomach from the steroids, and I'm resting up today. Despite all the adrenaline, I always end up exhausted after these episodes. So today is an easy day, with reading and computering and a little walking. Banh mi takeaway lunch, afternoon tea. You know, the kinds of things you'd do at home if you needed a recuperation day.
That's about it. I'm grateful that our emergency is something we've dealt with before, so we knew what needed to be done. We had the Epis close by (even if not in my tiny purse). We knew what we needed the ER to do, and they were able to substitute the meds for what I was used to. (And I remembered the French version of Albuterol - they use Ventolin instead. Just in case anyone reading this is ever in a similar situation.)
And I'm fine. A little wheezy, but fine.
Just one of those on-the-road adventures. One I could do without, but always interesting to see the inside of hospitals in other countries.
25 January 2015
We arrived in Hanoi on Thursday, exhausted after the train. But we managed a little walk, just to get out and see our new neighborhood.
We're in the old part of Hanoi, the Hoan Kiem district - just a few blocks from Hoan Kiem Lake, which is about two miles (3 km?) in circumference. More of a large pond, or baby lake, but very picturesque. We haven't found a 
river that feeds into the lake, but since it's in the old part of the city we suspect it's a natural lake, maybe with an underground source of water. (And there are 
very large koi in this lake, who jump at sunset!)
We couldn't figure out the fancy floral stuff at one shop, but it was pretty so I took 
photos. We found a lovely café on the lake and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. After the 15 hour train trip, it was nice to just sit in one spot for a while, not moving!
Hanoi is the capital of modern Vietnam, though with only 6.5 million people it isn't as large as Saigon (which has some 7.5 million people). Hanoi lies at the heart of the Red River delta, and according to the local brochures is "a city of lakes, leafy boulevards, and local parks. Nestled along 
wooded boulevards among the city's two dozen lakes you will find architectural souvenirs left by all who conquered this great valley, from the Chinese who first came in the last millenium, to the French, booted out last century. Although a city of historical importance, and the social and cultural center of 
Vietnam, it is a surprisingly 
modest and charming place, far slower and less developed than Saigon in 
the south. Hanoi has retained its appealing sense of old world, despite the onset of a brisk tourism trade."
Our neighborhood is certainly all that! Trees, flowers, fountains, buildings in the French colonial style next to modern (and boring) structures, little bakeries with banh croissant or banh pain socola (chocolate), and umpteen ca phe (coffee) shops - which literally sell only coffee and tea drinks, nothing else. And the usual 
Vietnamese vendors with carts or bicycles or yokes balanced on shoulders, selling everything from fried doughnut like things to gorgeous fruit and vegs to sunglasses and 
trousers and hats. About 90% of the time the vendors have the conical hats that are also worn in rice paddies. So there's the old world Vietnam feel to the city, 
and the old world French colonial feel to the city.
We've walked around Hoan Kiem lake a few times; the lake is surrounded by trees and flowers, still blooming in the 
cool climate hovering between 50-70 F (10-20 C). And the walkways 
around the lake are a very popular spot for locals as well as tourists - even during the chillier evenings, the lake is crowded.
There are two islands in Hoan Kiem, the larger housing the Ngoc Son temple (Or Temple of Jade Mountain). Built in the 18th century, the 
temple is accessible via little curved red bridge, and seems to be busy all the time! We didn't visit the inner temple, but I wandered through the outer gates, which were covered with beautiful bas relief murals. Okay, the tiger isn't so great - but the rest of the murals are wonderful, so colorful and full of life and movement. I love the way water and clouds are portrayed!
There's also a little shrine out in front, on a rocky hill (no idea if 
this is natural or man-made) - but people were walking up and making little offerings in the 
shrine. Nothing is labelled, we have no idea if this is the jade mountain for which the temple is named (and it didn't look greenish, just grey rock) - just one of those scenic but mysterious places one encounters on the road.
We walked by the place that was set with all the flowers outside, and there were people inside 
eating at the tables. Shiny metallic confetti all over the ground. Smiling happy young people in the 
traditional ao dai - 
though I'm not sure if that's what the men's outfit is called.
We asked if this was a wedding - the response was yes but not really. We aren't sure if it was a reheasal dinner, or a practice wedding, or maybe a mock wedding. But the older people inside were having a great time at the fancy meal, and tourists like us were taking photos of the very attractive people all dressed in their finery.
Toward the other end of the lake from Nguc Son Temple, on a very tiny island with no connecting bridge, there's another little temple, almost just a 
tower. According to online sources, this is the Turtle Temple, or Thap Rua in Vietnamese. According to legend, Emperor Le Loi was boating on the lake, when the Golden Turtle God Kim Qui surfaced and 
asked for his golden sword. A golden dragon god had given Le Loi the sword previously, so the emperor returned the sword and renamed the lake Hoan Kiem, Lake of the Returned Sword. It's unclear whether Le Loi built the Turtle Tower or not, but it definitely is linked to 
this legend.
We've been enjoying walking around the city, including to the night market one evening. We ended up sharing a table at dinner with a friendly young French couple, and walked around the night market after our 
meal. It's always interesting to meet other travellers on the road, people who have taken time off from work or maybe, like us, have retired to living on the road.
Anyway, the night market went on and on for blocks and blocks, streets closed in one direction and stands set up in the center of the road, selling food and clothing and household goods and souvenirs and, well, just about anything smaller than a kitchen sink. A little bit of everything.
We'll keep walking around Hanoi and eventually head further out, to exciting sites like the Temple of Literature. (No idea what it is, but we love the name.) And plan some visits to places like the famous Ha Long Bay, and who knows where else.
Oh, I forgot to mention - just north of Hué is the DMZ, the de-militarized zone from the Vietnam War. Given how we felt/still feel about involvement in some of these wars, we skipped it. And I guess our train went through the DMZ. Just wanted to mention it since many people are interested in these historic sites. But we gave it a miss.
23 January 2013
We took the train from Danang to Hué (pronounced more like 
whey, NOT hue and not whoo-ay). It was quite a trip, even though it was only just under three hours.
The day was a bit rainy, so the windows weren't 
very clean, and the view was a bit muddled from both the fog and the dirty windows. But the scenery was incredible, so I have a few photos.
My personal favorite view was the temple complex we passed, with a towering pagoda soaring twelve or so levels into the sky. If you look carefully, behind the large temple you can see one of the 
giant white Buddha statues being constructed - he's surrounded by scaffolding, and appears to have a cement base being covered by whatever the white 
material is - maybe marble, maybe just paint. I couldn't tell at this distance, but it was interesting to see the process.
The train went through 
some very hilly countryside, with wonderful views of the ocean; the flat area between the hills and the beach was nonexistent here, the hills coming right down to either sandy beaches or rocky shorelines. Very dramatic views, and Dad's hat sat on the table and enjoyed every moment watching the 
varied coastline go by.
There were small towns
and 
villages, and 
occasional stops along the way. But most fascinating, one area was full of sticks in the water, maybe with fish 
traps or nets, and occasional stilt houses in the sea. According to the information from the Danang Museum, people use the stilt houses as temporary shelters while fishing, both to house the fishermen as well as their catch. I really liked the colorful patchwork stilt house, just sort of a special one amongst the usual grey.
We spent three days in Hué, the former capital of 
the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Very interesting place, full of temples, shrines, all 
kinds of offerings 
in front of 
businesses (we especially liked the pile of Milky Way candy bars for the ancestors who had a sweet tooth). It was a very full three days, so I'll give an overview of what we saw and all the excitement of the city.
Our train got in about 3 PM, so we had time to walk around and get somewhat oriented in Hué. The city is divided by the Perfume River - really, that's the name! 
It's a very wide river, and there are several bridges 
connecting the two parts of the city. Our hotel was in the old part of the city, but not the ancient part of Hué - this 
will make more sense later.
On our first full day, we 
decided to take a walk along the 
Perfume River, even though it became fairly rainy along our walk. But we were bundled up and prepared, so we walked onward. Past lovely little 
shops that are normally open, but this is winter and thus low season, so most of the shops were closed. They had colorful silk lanterns with tassels fluttering in the wind, bright spots against the dark and wet wooden buildings. There were also huge trees with the surprise and improvised shrines I so enjoy, other spots of color. And random carved stones on the walkway. We stopped to warm up with some 
coffee, and enjoyed the "covered parking" for the motor scooters.
The first bridge looked vaguely familiar, but we walked 
across the second bridge and onward to the Imperial Palace, also known as the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City was the palace of the Nguyen Dynasty emperors and their court, and commoners were not allowed to enter, hence the name. 
The Imperial Palace was built in the early 1800s, and became a 
huge complex with 
additional buildings added over the years.
There are two design motifs that repeat over and over again in the Imperial Palace: dragons and clouds. The dragon, as I explained in the blog about Danang, symbolizes nobility, power, and good fortune - thus representing the Emperor and his entire dynasty and court. The clouds symbolize his peaceful and benevolent relationship with his people, the commoners over whom 
he ruled. So, for example the marble stair ends, too low to be railings, are dragons filled in with cloud shapes instead of scales. The pillars in the throne room are red (a royal color) covered 
in designs of dragons and clouds in gold (real gold, thus symbolizing 
the riches of the royalty). These motifs carry 
throughout the Imperial Palace, over and over again, reminding everyone that the Emperor was (or should be) seen as a peaceful and benevolent ruler.
Just beyond the Throne Room there was a huge courtyard with a beautiful dragon statue - some sort of metal (a little rusty) covered in gold, or gold paint. This might have been a replica, with the original in a museum somewhere in Hué - we couldn't find any signs or information about this wonderful dragon with cloud designs on his chest and tail. But he definitely had "royalty" attitude written all over him!
So we wandered through various rooms and wings, including the private quarters of the Emperor and family, where his wives and concubines and the eunuch guards lived. Much of this area was damaged in the various wars that have injured this country, but this area was rebuilt and was beautiful. All red with gold trim, again reminding us that the royals had not only the power but the riches.
We enjoyed our walk, and being steeped in the ancient history of Hué and this area of Vietnam. And were ready to move on to 
modern Hué.
One day I walked a bit around our 
neighborhood, and found several interesting things. There were a few little boys playing with this broken and 
abandoned lion dancer head, and they helped me photograph it. If you look closely at the photo on the left, you can see the little guy who climbed inside to pull some lever and make 
the lion's eyes open and shut. His friend flapped the mouth for me, too. 
The two of them became my buddies, and would holler 
"Hello, hello!" every time they saw me.
There were some women in the vicinity of the lion's head who were making incense sticks, and had them spread out on dry 
mornings, drying in the sunlight. NO idea how they made them, but it was a colorful and interesting display.
And then I discovered the area behind a shrine along the road. Piled under a huge old tree, one of the historic trees that would be marked "notable" in New Zealand, there were all kinds of offerings: various 
incense holders, little plaques with painted figures, and little carvings, all offered in prayer to, well, I don't know. The spirit of the tree? The ancestors who might reside there? No idea, but apparently this was an important place in the neighborhood. As I was taking photos, the woman who sells incense and flowers came out and rearranged the little statues and sculptures, helping me with my photos. I guess she 
didn't think the random pile was good enough. So, well, what could I do 
but say "gam ung" with a little bow - which always seems to bring a big 
smile to people's 
faces, when I do my 
not-so-good Vietnamese.
Anyway, for the afternoon we took a dragon boat cruise on 
the Perfume River. Most people stop along the way to visit the old temple and pagoda along the way, or several major tombs. But we just wanted to have a leisurely river 
cruise, so that's what we did - cruised on the river in a single dragon boat, not the double dragon group boat.
So we cruised down the river, with a nice lady captain and her 
husband the pilot. Or something like that. She helped us on and off the boat, explained a few things to us, asked if we wanted to stop, and tried to sell a few souvenirs. We thanked her, said we just wanted to cruise the river and see the scenery, and we were happy with that.
We also saw quite a few water buffalo grazing by the river, and on our way back we saw a cute little boy leading the water buffalo home.
The people on the boat had a cat who, partway through our cruise, decided he needed some company. I went 
into the cabin to check out who was meowing so plaintively, and the lady moved the cat (who was on a leash) so I 
could hang out with the cat, talk to him, pet him, all that stuff.
We enjoyed our cruise, relaxing on the river and just seeing a little bit of Vietnam.
On our way back, we stopped for a coffee, and as we 
entered the café a little kitten came running up. Well, of course I had to pick him up, cuddle him, play with him, and all that. He wrestled with me, pretending to bite my fingers - you know, normal little kitty stuff. And promptly fell asleep in my hand, as I sipped my tea. This led to a little conversation with the owners, and their little girl who wanted to pet the kitty.
So I'm travelling around the world, making friends one kitten 
at a time.
And that brings us to our last day, when we walked all over Hué. Found 
some temple, stopped at a few places to buy food for our train trip that evening, and visited one more Eiffel bridge.
The Truong Tien Bridge, 
the bridge closest to our hotel, turned out to be the bridge designed by Eiffel and company. Or Eiffel. Or the Eiffel company.
The French colonial powers wanted a bridge to cross the Perfume River, so of course they contacted M. Eiffel. This was in 1897 or so, ten years after the completion of 
his famous tower. So Eiffel, 
or his company, designed this bridge which still stands today. As in Saigon, not many people here realize this is an Eiffel bridge. But it's lit up in changing colors for a few hours 
each night, and is well known throughout the city.
I really liked the view from under the bridge - the struts or trusses or whatever the support beams are called look like giant stars!
And, as in Saigon, the bridge seems to be a popular spot for photos. Not sure if this couple was getting married or just posing, but I liked the woman's ao dai, the traditional Vietnamese dress.
Then we had the looooooong train ride from Hué to Hanoi. This was a fifteen hour trip, leaving about 9:30 at night and arriving about 1 PM the following day. Our seats of course were facing backwards, so I promptly moved to another seat, giving both of us more room. But the train was freezing cold all night long, and the scarves and sarong I had just weren't enough to keep me cozy warm. (Some people brought blankets with them and they managed to sleep through the night - the rest of us slept in fits and starts.)
Not a great night, but we arrived on time and managed to get to our nice hotel, where we climbed into bed and napped.
We're in Hanoi now, and are enjoying big city life. I'll blog about that in a day or two, but I wanted to get caught up.
The final photo - the ladies at our hotel's restaurant in Hué adopted us like family, so we have a farewell photo. The Serene Palace Hotel and Serene Restaurant were wonderful, and if you ever get to Hué, this is the place to stay! Everyone took great care of us, and once again, we made friends and had to say goodbye.
But that's the life of a rolling luggager, moving on.
My apologies for the strange spacing - some areas are insisting on being all narrative, while the photos are insisting on clustering in other areas. I'm tired of fighting with the computer tonight. So, please read, look, enjoy, skip around. Click on the photos to enlarge them. Have fun.
And Hanoi tomorrow!
