While I had been to Ho Chi Minh City before, this is my first trip to Hanoi. We arrived at the airport (close to an hour from the center of the city) at 9:30pm Wednesday night. Most things shut down around 10, plus it's hard to see things in the dark. One of the things that really struck me on our way into the city was the INSANE number of Karaoke places! I don't think I saw a single Karaoke place in HCMC (although I'm sure they were there). From the airport, we must have passed over two dozen neon Karaoke signs!
Hanoi is the capital city which automatically gives it a different feel. There is an increase in police and military presence. There is also clearly a number of people with significant money, based on the number and brands of the cars. In addition to the cost of a car, the tax is often very high, so most people can not afford to have their own.
Hanoi also has more of a colonial feel to it and you can still see more of the french influence in the buildings and culture. The weather is also MUCH different. While HCMC was very warm and (at least during my stay) dry, Hanoi is cool and rainy. I learned that rain tends to keep people inside, even if they have appointments. Part of that is due to the number of motorbikes used for transport.
My hotel, the Melia Hotel, is much bigger than the Rex Hotel in HCMC (22 floors instead of 4). While arriving in a new city late at night makes sight seeing a challenge, it usually means the turn down service has already been done in the room. Funny how something as small as the comforter being folded over and the drapes drawn can make the room feel so cozy!
After a little bit of a rough start Thursday morning (the shower and I are NOT friends right now), the day got better at breakfast. While I was not eating on a garden rooftop, the buffet did include french toast and passion fruit juice :) The rest of the day was devoted to student and agent briefings around town. First stop was at a different hotel, where my local host is staying, The Nikko. I only saw the lobby and a meeting room, but it seems like another nice hotel, with more of a Japanese feel. After a presentation for a group of agents, we took a break for lunch then headed to an office across town. At the first afternoon meeting, we talked with some agents and met with a prospective grad student. Based on the information he shared with us, I don't think JMU is a realistic option for him but I still enjoyed talking with him.
The final stop of the day was at an office in a high rise building occupying much of the former 'Hanoi Hilton' site. There is still a corner section of the prison preserved as a museum. It was a little strange imagining what the area looked like during the war, as most of it is very modern feeling now. On a more positive note, the student I met has great academic credentials and she LOVES JMU. She also asked if she would see me if she ended up on campus. I said that I worked there, so it was certainly a possibility. Turns out, she just wanted to make sure there would be someone around to advise her. I explained that the academic departments had that covered!
When we left that office, my host needed to return to his hotel for a meeting and my hotel was just around the corner, so I took advantage of a break in the rain to walk back. That means I have successfully crossed streets in TWO cities now! Dinner was at a great restaurant, the Green Tangerine. I actually ordered the Vietnamese Menu which was delicious! (Even the two fish items were good!) Then we walked down the block to have a drink at Le Pub. The special of the night was a Baby Woo Woo. Some of you may remember that Cally's in downtown Harrisonburg used to serve a Woo Woo. While the name is very goofy, it is delicious, so I was excited to see if it was the same drink...it was :) And that covers my first day and half in Hanoi!
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