Vietnam....Liar Liar Pants On Fire

I choose to start my blogg about vietnam with a phrase that I feel completly captures this country to a T a big T. It seems that no one here ever tells you the truth about anything which has been a unwelcome surprise comming from Laos where its so easy to trust everyone. You always have to be on constant guard here and the sad thing is you can never trust what anyone says.
Ok enough of that and onto my other impression of vietnam which if you take out the lying have been wonderful. My first impression of vietnam was flying into the country looking out the window. I remember thinking of all of the vietnam war movies that I have seen and thinking how many american soldiers had wanted more than anything to get out of what was described by more than one soldier as a "hell hole" and here I was comming back. It was a odd experience to say the least and I suddenly felt really out of place.
My next experience could of been a little intemidating if I was not a foot taller than all of the vietamese. I shared a taxi into Hanoi with these 2 great Kiwis who I ended up traviling with for a while. When we finally got dropped of at the hotel I found in the guide book (after a stop at a hotel that the driver took us to even though I told him about 10 times that we wanted to go straight to this other hotel) we were surounded by about 5-6 may 8 people all waving brochers that look nothing like the hotels that they took you too. I have found that in Vietnam they promise you the world and then deliver you New Jersey (sorry patty). Corin the kiwi had about 4 around him at one point....I wish that I had gotten a pitcure of that it was really funny.
After spending a couple of days in Hanoi where I spent alot of time at the bia hoi junction drinking beers while watching the traffic going by. It was a great place to sit and watch all of the crazy motorcyle drives comming and going with everything from dead pigs on there motorcyles to overflowing with baskets, fruit, rice and a varriety of other things straped to the back and front. The best thing about the beer is that it has no perservatives which means less of a headach the next morning.
My next destination after Hanoi was Halong bay where I spent 3 days on a boat just cruzing around the bay...with one night on Cat Ba island. Halong bay is really beautiful and when I get a chance I will upload some pitcures.
Currently I am in Sa Pa which is a mountain town in the northwest of Vietnam. I love it here because 1 it remindes me a little of garmisch with all its lush greenary and mountains and 2 because I am finaly out of the sauna like conditions that I have been in for the last month and a half. I actually put on some pants today and put a sweater in my bag. I just might have to stay here for a couple of more days.