the first few weeks of my term break
vietnam trip
we started off at HCM, travelled up to Danang by a domestic flight, and then to Hanoi and Sapa by a sleeper train. that was my first domestic flight, and my first sleeper train ride. the first two days didn’t feel right. it was as if we were two basketballs, repelling each time our views met. at some point in time, i even felt maybe the trip wasn’t a good idea after all. things got better as we traveled up. i realized it was probably the bustling city that was irritating the crap outta us. non-stop honks from the traffic, grabbing from the locals desperate for you to buy something from them and the ultimate stares we got from everyone, almost everywhere we went in the city. it wasn’t a place to let your hair down at all. Danang, Hoian was so much better. lazing by the beach, quiet dining, quiet streets, brightly lit lanterns at night lined the streets. it felt so much more like a getaway.
our next stop Sapa, was no doubt the best. the weather was so much cooler, and the people were much more welcoming. the trip to Sapa opened our eyes to the impact of globalization; tourism. kids as young as 7 were made to carry infants, their baby brothers or sisters of course. with the baby on their backs wrapped tightly with a cloth, they roam the mountainous streets from the break of dawn to dusk. even when it’s so cold at night, they sleep on the cold hard nonetheless dirty floor; at the wet market. we made some new friends, friends who lived like that. she gave me a hug. i gave them a hug. it was the only hug i received from a stranger, and definitely one that is most treasured. despite their unkempt appearance, i told myself that i shouldn’t resist the hug. now i wish, i could go back there, see them once again, and give them the heartiest hug ever.
hanoi wasn’t that much of a great closure to the trip. the stuff was expensive, the people were less friendly,the streets were filled at every hour of the day with motorists. we probably should’ve stayed another day in Sapa or probably travelled around Laocai.
