As I’ve said, Hanoi is a town of oddities at every turn. One minute you’re on a street where people are repairing things, the next is one consisting of merchants selling items that are within a theme. Such as kitchen wares street or children’s clothes alley. Kinda fun and confusing. But the constant honking of scooters and impassable sidewalks can start to fray one’s nerves. Also, as Americans, there is this ever-present sense of being mildly ripped off. We began to refer to it as the “American discount.” For example, I purchased two waters marked 2 for 18,000 (yes, 18k) but the cashier charged me 20k. Marginal, but irritating. I called her out and she quickly adjusted, but it was happening all the time. I learned that street vendors are notorious for offering the wrong change. I was well aware that would happen, and was prepared. But I also kept in mind that 20,000 dong is the equivalent to about 80 cents, so I often let it slide. I became fully aware that these folks work hard at the hustle. They have to in order to earn a living. For the most part, my attitude became “I can spare the 80 cents.” However, as a tourist, you will get hassled a lot, and it is annoying. Whether it’s the ladies with crappy donuts in a basket, or the cyclo (bike rickshaw) guy who for some reason was just dying to hump a million pounds of American back to a hotel.
So after wandering around in the chaos, it was finally time to find the beer! There’s craft beer everywhere, and Hanoi is no exception. With our Grab rideshare app downloaded we made our way around Hanoi to breweries and craft beer bars we had on our list. We have found that being beer geeks gives us an insight to a city, most don’t see. While most are looking for attractions, were looking for breweries, which frequently are in parts of a city you normally wouldn’t see. We found about five this trip. With surprisingly good beer. One place had a park with exercise equipment across the street, people were just working out in the middle of the city. Of course Dayne couldn’t help himself but to join.
In our beer travels we also get to talk to people, like the Welsh waiter who told us a tale of overstaying his Visa and waiting to get arrested. You meet interesting folks and it’s always fun. On our last night we went to Beer Corner, a series of hectic corridors, filled with bars, restaurants and night clubs. We sat out in the aisle chatting with a guy from Denmark and people watching. It was like watching a movie. In beer corner, the vietnamese hustle game is strong and in full regalia. It is impressive to sit back, drink a beer and take it all in.
Later we sat in a brewpub that overlooked two street vendors selling t-shirts. It was closing time. But these vendors don’t have an actual shop, their racks were literally set up on the sidewalk and needed to be dismantled every night and put back up the next morning. We watched them pack up a ton of t-shirts and trinkets for about an hour, knowing they would be back in the morning to reassemble everything. I was tired just watching them. Like I said, these people work hard. So our last night was spent drinking beer out among people whose lives are so very different from ours. But you can already tell from all the tourists, that in ten years, the small stools, street vendors and common people making a living will likely be sterilized by big business. The authentic place people visit to see will be replaced with a disney-like manufactured version of itself. Sad, but highly likely. You can already see it happening. I wont miss those stupid tiny stools though. Well, maybe a little. Farewell Hanoi, Dayne is leaving his heart with you in hopes of one day returning. It spoke to his soul like no place we’ve been. Thank you for that. Next stop, Nihn Binh.
Drink and Go Places 