Digital Wanderer

We live as long as we fly

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Vietnam — 12, hotel in Yên Bình and the road to Hanoi

2011-06-01

What were Cuong and I talking about? (By the way, when the aunt needed to find him, she yelled "Cuongyaaa", almost like in Russian). About how the road ahead was getting way too overloaded with traffic, and that it wouldn't be a bad idea for us to catch a bus instead of pedaling through exhaust fumes and dust. Cuong promised to arrange everything, called the bus company, then called the bus itself, and agreed that they would pick us up along with our bikes right from the hotel. Now that's service! Things get sorted out in a really pleasant way in Vietnam. The bus to Hanoi took  about 5 hours, quite a lot. The decision not to ride on our own power was the right one — the road is just too packed with vehicles and honking.

Vietnam 7 - Bus to Hanoi

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We had to wait a long time for the bus. By the way, I forgot to mention that we had potatoes for dinner at the hotel! Such touching care for Western tourists. The potatoes were tasty, and the whole dinner in general was too. The bus arrived

So the cycling part of our journey was already over. That's kinda sad, overall, but that's how it turned out.

As for the hotel, it had many buildings and a huge garden on the hills, with paths, steps, gazebos, fish, and statues. Everything as it should be.

 

Room interior with a wooden dressing table holding water bottles and a tea set, and a chair with a Vietnamese non la conical hat on it. In the background, a window overlooking green trees is visible, and on the right is the edge of a made bed with a floral pillow.

In the room, of course, there's tea

Light golden curtains with a shaped pelmet and ruffles frame the tall opening of a slightly open dark door.

Golden curtains

A long open gallery with a row of light columns and a balustrade on the left, overlooking green hills. On the right are several brown doors with air conditioners above them, and the floor is covered with glossy tiles reflecting the light.

The air conditioners only spoil the view, but otherwise it's pure glitz and glamour

 A golden lion statue stands on a terrace with light columns, where a table holds a blue water dispenser and a tray with small cups. The terrace overlooks a lush green garden with trees, bushes, and outdoor tables.

Tea by the entrance too

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The entrance, which is also the exit, with a sign in English: "See you again"

 A row of red chairs along a long table with a white tablecloth in a room resembling a dining hall or cafe. In the background, a reception desk and a large window with lush greenery outside are visible.

People eating in the lobby

While we were waiting for the bus, a crowd of tourists who arrived on three buses swarmed in and started gobbling and devouring.

 A black and white photograph of a set dining table with a white tablecloth, holding plates of food, bowls, and bread. In the background, wooden chairs with tall backs are lined up.

And this is our breakfast - some bread and sliced fruit

 A bronze statue of a standing lion with a flowing mane on a pedestal in front of a building with columns, surrounded by tropical vegetation.

Leo

 A view of a wooden hotel reception desk through a light arch. Above it is a large painting depicting people in a natural landscape and a ceiling fan, and on the left hangs a blue «INTERNET WIFI» poster.

Reception

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The hotel clearly has some history and deep roots, the lobby walls have mountains of photos and drawings like this one

 A tea set is laid out on a table with a patterned tablecloth: a metal tray with many small empty cups, an open jar of dry green tea leaves, and a white porcelain teapot with a floral pattern. A glass, a small box, and other tea accessories are also visible nearby.

Tea by the entrance. I accidentally spilled half the box, but nobody gives a damn, as usual

A dark purple rubber flip-flop with a textured embossed pattern lies on a gray-green ceramic tile.

Hotels sometimes have flip-flops

Two potted plants are in the foreground: one with a massive, textured bulbous base and long thin leaves, the other with a thick, curved trunk. They stand next to a golden column decorated with round elements, against a background of greenery and the stone edging of a water feature.

An abundance of plants

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Of bizarre shapes

A bronze statue of a lying bull with a flute player on its back, set on a staircase among pink flowers and lush tropical greenery, with buildings in the background.

As well as statues that induce a state of relaxation

 A round red Chinese lantern with gold patterns and a tassel is suspended under a light ceiling. Below it, an arch is visible, offering a view of the bright sky.

Lanterns

A multi-story building in a colonial style with columns, balconies, and live plants on the roof and around it. A man in a striped t-shirt stands on the paved area in front of the entrance, and a parked car under a gray cover is visible on the left.

General view

 Blooming peace lilies with large white spathes and elongated spadix inflorescences, surrounded by thick green leaves. A portion of the building's beige wall is visible in the background.

All in all, a nice hotel that's close to nature

 Close-up of pink tiles with detailed geometric patterns of black, white, and light pink elements, including a 3D cube illusion and diagonal stripes. In the lower part of the frame, feet in blue sandals are visible on a dark ribbed surface.

The tiles bring Escher to mind

 An elephant statue with white tusks and a raised trunk stands by a blue pool in a tropical garden. In the background, a two-story building with balconies and the inscription «1999» can be seen, surrounded by palm trees.

The little elephant looks practically alive

 An outdoor pool with turquoise water and metal handrails for entry, surrounded by tropical vegetation. On the left is a stone wall with a small slide, on the right is a paved area with a person sitting by the edge.

There's also a pool, though it's a bit dirty  - leaves floating around

A sepia photo of a large light-colored two-story mansion with a wide balcony and balustrade, surrounded by lush tropical trees and palms. In the foreground is a paved area and a low stone wall covered in greenery.

The hotel has many buildings, a whole complex

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And plenty of plants

 A black-and-white geometric tile pattern consisting of rhombuses and triangles filled with diagonal and vertical stripes and a fine lattice design. In the center, complex intertwining stripes create a symmetrical, dynamic ornament.

Tiles again

A dilapidated yellowish cylindrical concrete structure with an external spiral staircase or ramp, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, partially obscured by a mesh fence.

Some confusing structure

A metal pipe structure, probably a clothes drying rack, stands in front of a wall of uneven light stones with dark mortar. The wall is topped with a concrete balustrade parapet, and dense tropical vegetation is visible behind it.

For hanging out the laundry?

A close-up of a fresh, lush branch of a coniferous plant with bright chartreuse young shoots, tightly curled into a fan-shaped pattern and covered with water drops.

 

 A spiral staircase with metal railings and a central column clad in blue-and-white tiles is set amidst green tropical trees and plants. The stairs are decorated with a small checkerboard pattern, and another straight staircase leading up is visible in the right background.

Even the staircase is tiled

Old ceramic tile with a pink and green geometric and floral pattern. Dark seams are visible at the joints, and small traces of dirt can be seen on the tile surface. 

More tiles

A paved surface of wet, smooth stones in gray and yellow hues, with a strip of green moss and young sprouts along the top edge and a fallen brown leaf on the stones.

And non-tiles, for a change

A large tropical plant with thick stems and broad variegated green leaves sits in a blue and white porcelain pot on the wet ground. In the background, a beige building with a balcony, another pot with flowering plants, and lush greenery are visible.

And a tiled pot too

A close-up of a variegated leaf with bright pink and red veins, as well as green and white spots. Several clear water drops are visible on its surface, the largest of which is near the center.

And the little leaf is even cooler than the tiles

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Boring non-tiles

A close-up of a yellow hibiscus flower covered in drops of rain or dew, against a background of blurred green foliage. 

Nature

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Bananas

A porcelain figurine of a Chinese warrior with a red face and a long black beard, wearing a green robe over armor, displayed in a glass case.

Decorative statues in the party meeting hall, a samurai

A doll in a bright pink traditional dress and a silver headdress decorated with red pom-poms and feathers. It is also wearing a massive silver necklace and colorful embroidery, visible through slightly scratched glass.

And a girl too

A large cycad with a thick dark trunk and green leaves, some of which are dry, stands among tropical vegetation. Around it on the reddish ground lie fragments of bricks and porous brown objects. 

A palm tree

A wet path leads through thick tropical greenery to a light-yellow building with a red roof, an arched entrance, and an inscription above it. In the background, misty forested hills can be seen.

Another building

 A tall cactus in a decorative pot stands on a stone border, surrounded by lush tropical plants: a bush with burgundy leaves on the left and bright red flowers on the right, against a backdrop of dense greenery and a hill.

Another cactus

A long stone staircase leads up to a traditional pavilion with a red roof and red lanterns, surrounded by dense bamboo thickets.

Steps and gazebos

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Alas, globalization has reached here too

 A rocky mountain with green vegetation and several waterfalls under a bright sky. The image is blurry, has graininess, with a bright light flare in the lower central part and a blue streak on the left.

More tiles

A net scoop on a long handle lies on a parapet faced with yellow tiles against the background of a dense bamboo grove.

There's a net for the fish

A white statue of a mermaid with a pitcher on her head rises from the dark water against a backdrop of dense tropical vegetation.

Practically antiquity

In a tropical garden with a pond in the foreground, reflecting palm trees and tall bamboo stalks. In the background, stone steps, a balustrade, and winding paths among dense foliage are visible.

Fish live here

A large round lantern made of red fabric with fringe hangs under a canopy, with a Vietnamese inscription visible on its rim. In the background, under the roof, Coca-Cola promotional flags are hung.

Another lantern

A large bunch of pale pink flowers with prickly green foliage hangs from a rusty metal grate. A light green pipe runs below the grate, and a corrugated metal roof is visible in the background. 

Overall, an idyll

A narrow trail, strewn with dry leaves, leads up a slope to a wooden staircase in a tropical forest. A banana tree with large green leaves grows on the left, and bamboo thickets are visible in the background.

With leaves like this - probably bananas

Tall green bamboo stalks frame a view of a green valley, where houses with red roofs and dense vegetation on the hillsides fading into the fog can be seen.

Panorama

 A stone staircase goes up the hillside amidst dense green thickets and tropical trees. The steps are strewn with dry fallen leaves, and on the left stretches a moss-covered earthen slope.

Steps again

A dark, damp log, covered with moss and various mushrooms (orange cup-shaped, light-green bracket, and yellowish ones), is in the foreground. A small brown grasshopper sits on it, and green trees in the fog are visible against the blurred background.

Little mushrooms

 A thick greenish-brown bamboo stalk lies on the damp ground, surrounded by green grass and fallen leaves. In its side, a large uneven hole with decayed reddish-brown edges is visible, inside which a small light-colored creature is hiding.

Watering can

 

 A monkey with a reddish face sits in the dark inside a cage behind green bars, huddled on a bamboo floor.

The first and only monkey I encountered in Vietnam

 A polished marble surface of horizontal slabs of golden-beige color with a dense network of brown and light veins.

Tiles again

Two smiling men stand in front of a building with a window; next to them sits a woman with a bandaged arm, looking at her phone.

Cuong and I

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The bus tourists who swarmed in

 Several dirty mountain bikes and bulky duffel bags are haphazardly piled in a cramped, dusty cargo hold of a van or trailer, where metal beams and pipes are also visible.

They shoved the bikes into the luggage compartment without a peep, although apparently that's not always the case

A smiling man in a yellow t-shirt and traditional conical hat (non la) is inside a bus. He holds the hat with both hands, and Vietnamese inscriptions are visible outside the window.

It's a sleeper bus!

The only interesting detail in this whole post - the bus has about 40 seats, in three rows and two tiers. You walk around inside in slippers they give you at the entrance, and there's air conditioning. The seats are a bit short for Europeans, though, even though Intar said he was fine, and he's tall. They were also showing the local equivalent of "Star Academy" on the TV - the morals are quite liberal, turns out that naked bodies don't bother the Party.

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The TV is right in front of me

 A boy in a yellow t-shirt pours water from a red bucket onto a wet tiled floor in a washroom with several sinks.

We stopped at a restroom, work is in full swing there

 A rectangular vat, lined with light tiles, is filled with water in which a bright red cloth is soaking. The surface of the water ripples slightly, creating wavy reflections.

I don't know what this is or what it's for

We also stopped at a tourist trap called "Ruby Emperor" - an international chain of stores specifically for dropping off people traveling by bus. It was the first time I've encountered such a concept. I fell for it - the girls in the store were embroidering pictures, right on the spot, I had to buy a couple. And the young salesgirls, although they were in the national dress called "áo dài", were brazen and tried to extort money for photos, so there won't be any pictures.

A dog in the left corner looks at a pile of black rubber flip-flops scattered on the rocky dirt ground next to two red plastic baskets.

Upon arrival, for some reason, the slippers were tossed out of the bus

 A busy city street with a dirty, unpaved patch of land and puddles in the foreground, lots of motorcycles, cars, and pedestrians, against a backdrop of several multi-story buildings and an orange tent on the right.

Hanoi welcomes us with its by now familiar, insane traffic

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