When I landed in Vietnam, I searched the crowd at the gate for my name on all the signs. I had emailed the hostel last minute before my flight, asking them if I could hire a taxi. The drive to Hanoi from the airport was forty-five minutes and I didn't want to get scammed by a taxi.
I spotted a man holding a sign reading "Julie Kastler Little Hanoi Diamond Hostel." I waved and he smiled, greeting me to take my bag.
He led me out the doors to a much more modern city. We walked through the parking lot to his Kia and he threw my bag in the trunk. It was different riding in a newer car, having the entire back seat to myself. To not share a taxi with seven to eight strangers was quite the change, I almost felt like it was wasteful to have all this space to myself.
As we drove down the highway, I saw so many differences in Vietnam. Coming from Cambodia, it was like going into the future thirty years. Their highways were much more advanced, traffic lights and dividers lining along the road.
As we crossed into the busy city, it reminded me a little more of Phnom Penh with all the storefronts piled on top of each other selling random parts, trinkets and clothes out the door to the sidewalk. Their bullring structures were just a little more complex but still selling all the same random things on the street.
The taxi slowed to a stop in front of the hostel and I looked up to see a granite staircase leading to a modern looking hostel. The host greeted me and turned to the buffet asking if I would like fresh tea or fruit. He gave me the tour, reviewing the wifi, daily breakfast buffet downstairs in the restaurant and showed me to the computer room.
A man picked up my pack and led me up the six flights of stairs to my room. Each flight had over ten steps, a landing and another ten steps. With no air conditioning, the air grew tighter and tighter each level. Sweating and out of breath half way up, I decided I would only go downstairs for mandatory purposes. This was exhausting climbing to my room. My heart pounding and gasping for air, I climbed up to my bunk on bed six and tried to resume a normal heart rate.
The room was very modern. Beautiful purple wall paper lined three walls and the remaining wall in white smooth decor stone. Silk patterned curtains framing the window with the view out to the scattered rooftops. The five bunk beds made of a dark mahogany and a huge matching armoire stood on the far wall next to a flat screen TV. A door off the back led to a large bathroom with a green granite sink, huge mirror, clean shower and to my surprise, hot water. Air conditioned blasted through the room which helped cool me down after the hike up the stuffy hot stairwell. Looking out the window from my bunk, a view of the busy crowded city below looked overwhelming. I decided I would stay in doors for a while and avoid the busy chaotic streets of Asia for a bit.
I fell quickly asleep in the cozy clean room and woke up in the morning still feeling exhausted. Thirsty, I climbed the ladder from my bunk and down the six flight of stairs to the lobby. The host gasped, "Julie, we did not see you at breakfast!" in a concerned tone. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearly ten o'clock. "That's okay," I shrugged. "We will make you up a plate of whatever is left, come this way!"
He led me down another flight of stairs to the restaurant, yelling in Vietnamese to the kitchen. I sat down at a table as they served me fruit, bread, jam and a bowl of soup. I ate my breakfast and he walked back over, "I'm so sorry you missed the buffet! Will you need anymore food? Was that okay?" I learned that the host at The Little Hanoi Diamond Hostel takes great pride in accommodating his guests. They constantly asked me throughout my stay if I needed water, coffee, fruit, wanted to book a tour. It was royal treatment for only seven dollars a night. He helped me book my dream trip to Ha Long Bay before returning to my room. I had seen a picture of the exotic bay at a nail salon in San Diego a few months ago. I asked the girl painting my nails where that picture was taken and she explained where she was from and how famous Ha Long bay was in Vietmnam. That one little picture dictated the course of my international trip this year to Asia. I added Cambodia to the agenda since it was right next door. Finally arriving to the highlight of my trip, I grew excited as he reviewed the details of my four day excursion to Ha Long Bay.
I climbed back up the now seven flights of stairs to my room. Breathing heavily and short of breath, I made my way back to my bunk.
I went on a two day hiatus, unable to leave my bed. I had run my body into the ground the last two weeks and now in this comfortable room, I decided to give myself a much needed break. I think the Germans in the bunk next to me had the same idea as we laid around all day and all night. I discovered we had HBO so would wake up from naps, watch a movie and then doze back off.
Every so often the door would open and my roommates would enter heaving and gasping for air from the long hike up the stairs. I don't think there was one person who ever entered breathing normally. At one point, I was so thirsty but told the Germans it wasn't worth the dreaded hot staircase climb back upstairs to buy water. They nodded and agreed as they rolled back in the bunk. I think everyone dreaded that stairwell.
Day two, I decided it is was time to venture outside. Plus, I ran out of beef jerky and couldn't only operate on fruit anymore. I was just dreading going out to the busy streets and markets. Once you've seen one market, you've seen them all in Asia. I was just ready to tour Ha Long Bay, I didn't really want to see any more of the city. However, I was growing weak and needed some meat.
I picked up a map from the front desk and the host drew a line with a pen to the market. I headed out the door and nearly got ran over a million times by reckless motorcycles racing down the busy streets. I followed the map and didn't pass one restaurant along the way. Now in the hot sun and going too long without food and water, I was growing faint. I passed car parts for sale, cell phone accessories, baby clothes, cleaning equipment, but no food. I stopped at an ATM and withdrew two million Dung dollars, which was about ninety-four dollars.
I reached the main attraction, the market and decided I would pick up sunglasses since mine broke in Cambodia. My insect repellent spray leaked in my pack and the chemicals tore apart my belongings. I didn't understand what caused it until I showed Sython my melted hairbrush, sunglasses, phone case and earphones. "The chemicals in the bug spray eats away at plastic, I saw it happen to a traveler last week." He had explained.
I was wandering around the market to replace my things but became dizzy, I had to eat and I had to eat right now. I ventured back into the streets like a zombie in search of food, any food at this point. I wasn't being picky, I think I would eat Khmer food at this point. Passing store after store, I finally reached a street with one restaurant. I ordered pasta and she explained it would be twenty minutes, they were waiting on a food delivery. I was so hungry, I thought I might throw up. "What is a available for me to eat right now?" I asked pathetically. "We can prepare a pizza," she pointed on the menu. "That's perfect, I will have that." I replied.
While I waited for my food, the server asked where I was from. She lit up when I said America, probing me with all kinds of questions. "How long was your flight? Where do you live in United States? Have you ever been to Vietnam? What else will you do here?" She asked question after question, which I was glad because it was distracting me from my growling stomach. My food was finally served as she presented the tiny pizza with what looked like cut up spam on top. Not exactly my idea of a pizza, but I couldn't really be picky at this point. I ate every bite and then walked back to my bed, passing quickly back to sleep after the exhausting trek up the stairway of death.
That night my roommates and I watched three movies back to back on HBO and I was relaxed. I finally had food and was beginning to feel back to my old self, recharged and ready to explore again tomorrow. The tour bus would be arriving in the morning so looked forward to being on the go again and off to a new adventure.