Oct
Stardate: Nov. 1, 2008. Coordinates: Hanoi
Days of non-stop rain have transformed the small lake in the center of the historic quarter into a bubbling, slow moving but voracious boulevard-eating cauldron. Even native Hanoians are shaking their heads now at the ongoing deluge – this is supposed to be the advent of the dry season. It feels more like that Biblical story about 40 days and 40 nights…
It's not Jesus. It's just Vietnam's rainy season, after epic floods that, in this case, overflowed the banks of Hoan Kiem lake, in central Hanoi.
As expedition members begin arriving in Hanoi, let’s hope their travels by taxi into the city are not blocked by the water; in the crepuscular light of evening, motorbikers in the city center yesterday were driving unaware into floodwaters they couldn’t detect on the roads, stalling their engines and wading through knee-deep bogs to higher ground. And people arriving last night from Noi Bai Airport, 40 minutes away, said their taxi drivers were “going in circles” trying to find a non-flooded path into the central district. Not a propitious sign.
The Roadmonkey expedition may have to create and deploy an alternative plan to get to Sapa, if the rains begin to affect northbound rail service. We are booked to board the train on Sunday evening. We’ll see what Ma Nature has in store for us.
This is a Roadmonkey adventure, all right.
Paul
Oct
Greetings, Roadmonkeys.
I and Brent Wexler, the expedition co-leader, have arrived in Hanoi. Great to be back in this city, so peaceful, friendly and visually alive, especially by SE Asian capital-city standards. Perhaps keeping things extra tranquil here today is the fact that it’s raining to blow the house down. Glad I have my rain shell and waterproof boots.
Word on the street, though, is that the weather in the northwest, including Sapa, is better. We shall see.
Happy Hanoi-ween to y’all! My one-week beard is going to have to suffice as my costume tonight. Btw, it has been duly noted that the Vietnamese are not big on facial hair.
More soon,
Paul
PS, for anyone who needs it, my Vietnamese mobile phone: (outside Vietnam) +84-166-705-7454; (within Vietnam) 0166-705-7454.
Oct
Roadmonkey: row your own boat
Hi, eveyone.
I’m about to fly from LAX to Hanoi, through Seoul, to begin Roadmonkey’s inaugural adventure philanthropy expedition, a two-week cycling and playground-building exploration of northwest Vietnam.
Tune in here each day for brief but detailed updates to our travels, and for daily updated pix and, if we have the bandwidth from the field, short video clips.
You can access our planned itinerary, which begins Nov. 1, at http://roadmonkey.net/our_daily-itinerary.asp.
Please feel free to submit comments/questions to me and the 10 other Roadmonkeys on this expedition!
More soon,
Paul
