Ahoy Hanoi: Hoa Quả Dầm

If you happen to go to Hanoi in the summer, I'm not going to blame you if you'd find yourself one day spitting nothing but moans of exhaustion and complaining about nothing but the utter hotness of the day. Summers in Hanoi can really get heated and at times, yes, really sticky. On the skin, that is. Thick humidity in the city plus the undeniable heat and you know what you'll feel after a few minutes of walking around the generously wide sidewalks of Hanoi.

But don't worry, don't stress yourself too much on that fact. For one, there are plenty of coffee shops around the area where you can definitely have a cool break from the sun, and a refreshing cup of whatever drink you prefer. And, if I may suggest, you might try to prefer a glass of iced egg coffee some time. It surely is a promising treat.

What's also promising is this: hoa quả dầm.

It's a sweet treat for the hot afternoon! It's a heaven of fresh tropical fruits mixed in a bowl with a scoop of strawberry-milk yogurt or two. Oh, wait, you actually have to do the mixing part, but of course it's no problem, right? Usually, in this little food corner in the Old Quarter, along Tô Tịch Street, they sell a bowl for only ₫20,000 VND, so it's something, I'd say, which you will and can actually get more from what you've just paid for. Trust me on this. The little food corner, also, is very easy to spot; the moment you turn right at Hàng Gai Street to it, you're already almost there. So, I don't think there's going to be any problem on that. At all.

Tell me what you think after you've had a bowl of it.

Ahoy Hanoi: In Taking the Public Bus to the Old Quarter

Taking the public bus that goes around Hanoi is fun! It's comfortable, it's quite cheap, it's convenient, and it's really easy.. well, after your fourth or fifth time. Haha! I take the bus from where I stay to the Old Quarter (almost) all the time.

Basically, all you have to know before are the following:

1. Know the nearest bus stop from where you are staying. Then, name it your "home bus stop". There, you'll see what bus numbers make a stop in your home bus stop. In my case, from my house, the nearest bus stop is just a hundred meters away so I walk to it every time; and the bus numbers that make stops in it are bus numbers 33 and 50.
2. Figure out which bus number in your home bus stop has a route to another bus stop in the city which you can make transit in to bus number 9. You can Google this one. Bus number 9 is the one that goes directly to and has its terminal stop at Hoan Kiem Lake. That's where you want to go if you want to go to the Old Quarter, and easily remember how you did it. In my case, I can either ride bus number 33 or bus number 50, then go down after I pass three bus stops from my home bus stop. From there, I transfer to bus number 9 and I'm nineteen bus stops away from Hoan Kiem Lake. I measure the distance by just counting the number of bus stops I need to pass by from where I got in to where I'm going because it's so much easier than remembering the name of the particular bus stop. It's hard enough to figure out where to go, what more to actually read tiếng Việt.

Now, when everything that's needed to know is known, all you have to do is this:

1. Go to your home bus stop.
2. Ride the bus that will get you to the bus stop where bus number 9 makes a stop.
3. Go down at that bus stop.
4. Ride the bus number 9.
5. Wait.. and enjoy the ride until you get to Hoan Kiem Lake.
Reminder: The route of bus number 9 will pass by another lake before reaching the Hoan Kiem Lake so remember not to go down at the first lake that you'll see during the ride because it's not the lake yet.
6. Go down at Hoan Kiem Lake.

And that's it! You're in Hoan Kiem Lake, and you're just a short walk away from the bustling Old Quarter of Hanoi. Job well done!

The bus fare is the same for almost all the buses, regardless of how far the distance that you will take. It's ₫7,000 VND, that's the minimum fare. Only a few bus numbers in the city collect a fare that is a bit higher, only those that go to the suburbs. You can always check the fare upon entering the bus anyway. It's usually displayed on the door and windows.

Be willing to give up your seat to the elderly or pregnant women as soon as you see them go up the bus, too. Bus passengers here do it almost instinctively and immediately, and I think it's good and just right. It is the norm here, take note. But if you don't want to do it (for whatever personal reason), I suggest you find a seat at the back of the bus so the "pressure" on you is not that much. Unless, a pack of senior citizens suddenly suddenly gets in the bus, then you basically have not that much choice. So, just go get your ass off the seat and suck it!

Getting back to your place from the Old Quarter is another story, I guess. You can try to figure it out on your own. 

Ahoy Hanoi: Getting to the City!

Xin chào!

That's how you say "Hello!" in Vietnamese, and particularly here in Hanoi. You pronounce it this way: /s̪in˧˧ ṯɕaːw˨˩/ (/sin-chaw/). Yep, good job. I think you got it right! Just remember to lower your tone a bit at the end; the emphasis is on the word "xin".

So okay, a few first things first:

There's no Hanoi International Airport.
In getting to Hanoi by plane, you land at Nội Bài International Airport. It's located at the north far-end of the city. It will take you around 30-45 minutes of travel to get to the city's center from the airport.

About your Vietnam Visa.
I suggest you avail of the country's Visa Upon-Arrival service online. It is very convenient and is processed really fast upon your arrival at the airport in Hanoi. You can check out Vietnam Visa for more information about this. There are actually lots of agencies online that offer such service, but that's the one I would recommend. They were efficient and on-time in delivering my visa approval letter. Oh, also check for visa exemptions for your country! Maybe you don't need any visa after all.

At the airport.
Upon getting your visa and having gone through the Vietnamese Immigration at the airport, you proceed to getting your luggage near the exit of the terminal. Exchange only a small amount of US dollars ($25-50 USD is enough) to Vietnamese dong (VND) at the airport; have the rest exchanged at the bank in the city because they buy dollars at a little higher rate. If there is no one to fetch you at the airport, be wary of the people that will approach you at the arrival terminal's exit. A taxi driver in Hanoi, for example, is dressed quite impeccably: in dress pants, wears white long sleeves, (sometimes) with necktie, and sports an ID card. At first look, you might mistake him as an airport personnel or a tourist aide (like in my case), approaching you to offer some help, asking you where you're headed to. If, unfortunately, you couldn't get your dollars exchanged because money changing counters in the terminal are already closed, you must settle all the necessary arrangements with your chosen taxi driver first before entering his cab. For example, that you're going to pay him in US dollars instead of Vietnamese dong, that he knows exactly the address you're headed to, etc. The taxi fare from the airport to Hanoi averagely runs from ₫400,000-420,000 VND (or $20-25 USD). Giving tip to the taxi driver after is optional, and is not discouraged. Just make sure he got you to the right address.

Here's a tip: have the complete address of where you're headed to both in its English and Vietnamese translation. Not everyone in Hanoi knows how to speak English, let alone read English. So, it's going to be really handy and helpful to the taxi driver and you to have the address written correctly in Vietnamese.

So, that's it. I hope you get to wherever you're headed to in Hanoi safely and stress-free. If not, then I guess.. welcome to Hanoi!

The Sports of Drinking

The Sports of Drinking

by Isaiah Cabanero

Round One…

You will need a buddy. And that buddy must be a good one at that. Just as in a table tennis game, you choose one who is as competitive as you are to play with. No one wants to play with a loser at first service, right?

Then, you will need the right equipment. If the sports of fencing requires you a fencing suit and a smallsword at hand, a round of beer for you perhaps is as needed. Or whatever your trip of drink is, for that matter.

Finally, you will need a motivation to play. If for Muhammad Ali, his motivation is to win at deforming his opponent’s face inside the ring, in the sports of drinking, you will need the right motivation as well. May it be because you just had lost a chance at scoring a “chick” at school after class, or you just suck at being your best in front of the crowd today, one needs an ultimate motivation to play the game.

Round Two…

Read on for the next rounds! You may click here.