Chapter 5

Chapter 5
The trip

They are doing things good these Vietnamese that we have to leave the country to renew the visa. We are obliged to take a trip elsewhere. And there are so many things to see in this corner and countries to discover. So we started by Hong Kong, through a tour in the northern mountain region of Sapa, before taking off. Why Hong Kong? Because the company proposed to Gilad to open an account, then all fees paid to him. Finally along the way, they changed their mind so they paid him the trip for nothing, but hey it's like that here.

Since November 27, Yarden's birthday fell in the middle, I decided to celebrate it with the Israelies before in the village. It was much nicer than alone with mom and dad in a restaurant in Hanoi. The program was a lot of balloons, a cake with animals on it, candies for everyone and music. I also asked the two grandmothers to connect on skype to attend on live. As for gifts, we will see later in civilization, because here ...
Although we have told her before, Yarden was quite surprised on entering the dining room when everyone sang her happy birthday.
Finally it was pretty cool, what could we do more; but the only thing that bothered me a bit is to have danced with her alone. But it has not seemed to bother her more than that.

Okay, let's go for this first round. Yarden is very excited when she hears about airplane and train. Besides she doesn't claims her father anymore when she sees an airplane in the sky. Savta Miry is now synonymous with aircraft.

On the road, something that we had not seen yet, a cow on a motorbike.



Hanoi 1

Arriving in Hanoi, I realized how much we are lost in our village. It is squarely the West here. It does not bother me more than that, but a little come back to civilization feels good from time to time. Who would have believe it.

First the red bridge on the lake that we didn't have time to see the last time, super nice, and finally an icecream in the evening, and a real steak (we don't have it here). I think in this trip, Yarden ate for the next three months, beginning with the first half steak that night in Hanoi.

The next day the Temple of Literature. Turtles everywhere, they love it here, and Yarden too.
For now she walks fine, but then we would have liked to have the stroller Gilad and me. I don't know if she had really sore feet, despite the foot massages in Sapa and Hanoi, or if it was whims. In all cases we have done well muscles during this trip. And we did walk a lot. Anyway Hanoi sidewalks are busy, Sapa is a trail, and in Hong Kong there are escalators and stairs everywhere (there she accepts to walk!). Then the stroller would have hindered us more than anything else.

Sapa

We ordered the tour to Sapa all included from an Israeli Russian tour operator based in Hanoi for a few years. Besides, the next visa will be through him, it's much cheaper.

It includes the overnight train to Lao Cai on the border with China, then the bus to Sapa. The walks with a guide in the villages of ethnic minorities and three days after the return with the night train. Everybody makes the same journey and anyway the other regions are still closed to tourists.

It's true that we caught a lot of fog (visibility, one meter) and mist (good excuse to walk for Yarden with her new rubber boots, she did not miss a puddle). But we knew it before.

As for the beautiful scenery, we'll do it again in late August next year, especially as to escape from the 45 degrees in the farm for a few days.
We still made the ballads in the villages of the valley (shortened by the descent by car and the ascent by motorbike).

It's been three years since the region is open to tourism and everything is already done. Maybe a little too much. You pay for it at the entrance to villages. The villagers let people come home without even paying attention and most houses have been turned into souvenir shops. The girls are very beautiful and don't resemble at all to the Vietnamese (very beautiful too) that we know. They are even smaller and speak English better than Vietnamese.

It's "buy from me" all day long with their baskets on their backs, and finally we end up buying. Anyway we have to bring back many gifts, so if that can help them.

We met in Sapa a very nice Israeli couple traveling. Yarden went very well with them and I thank them for their patience with her.

Hanoi 2

We are back to Hanoi, this time to visit the citadel. Here we see how the Vietnamese are proud of a collection of U.S. Army artillery from the war they have recovered and the reconstructed aircraft that stings the nose in the middle is pretty impressive. The museum is very moving.

Finally a small tour at Ba Dinh Square where the sacred Uncle Ho rests in peace (that's how they call him here because the children call everyone uncle out of respect instead of father or Ms.) .

As it was November 27, we decided to return to the same steak restaurant where Yarden has done friend with the waitress, and it's nicely that they all came to sing Happy Birthday to her in Vietnamese.

Hong Kong

If Hanoi is the West over our corn, Paris and Tel Aviv is the third world next to Hong Kong. What it shines everywhere. No fingerprints on the windows and I defy anyone to find a paper on the floor.

We can even have a big penalty. It's written everywhere. The only paper candy we've seen has even bothered Yarden who rushed to pick it up and put it in the trash. She loves to crawl on the floor, her pants were not even dirty. Here nobody will bring a stool so we don't sit on the steps!

We still have the right to smoke in the street, but not at bus stops or market and there are ashtrays and bins every 10 meters.

Nothing surpasses and in the airport there is even a lady who arranges the luggage straight.

It is not allowed to climb on anything (poor Yarden) and when she climbes on fences or walking on the concrete bordering the lawn, people look at us with big eyes and every time I was afraid that a cop makes us a comment.

Besides, they are everywhere and it seems even that it is one of the safest cities in the world. Cons by the buses run very fast, but to go through the street most of the time we must pass underneath. So many stairs in Hong Kong. And escalators to the delight of Yarden that wants alone.

And what's in the subways? Gleaming shopping malls. There are everywhere. Each station, each building entry is a mall. Fortunately shopping is not our thing, we prefer markets. And there are plenty too.

The buildings look like mushrooms on the mountain. They grow everywhere, higher than each other, no less than 50 floors. It changes! The only annoying thing is the smell of sewer in the streets.

What I also enjoyed is that the whole city is accessible to disabled and blind. Every traffic light, every street, every station, and it is perfect. We even saw a small drawing of a little old lady with a cane at the entrance to the toilet.

Let's start with the Avenue of Stars with the lights and sound show. But at the end who was the star? Even here, people have not stopped to take pictures of Yarden. And this time not with cell phones. They all go around with their big Canon or Nikon newer ones than the others. I felt a little silly with my old camera that has already 6 months.

As for my little star, she understood the game and learned to make forced smiles (more grimaces than smiles) for cameras. And even the V with her fingers. They all do it.

Despite the seriousness of people (in Vietnam we are used to people smiling, especially at home) she still does the clown at every opportunity and continues to sing in Vietnamese and dance the gan's dance in the middle of the street. But dear Yarden, not all people with slanted eyes understand Vietnamese. So people do not react as in Vietnam, but it has not seemed to bother her. By cons she started a little English this time.

After one hour of slides, it was about time, we ended the evening with a stroll at the night market where Yarden was fascinated by the animated toys and the fluorescent lights that move. We ended up offering her one of those little machines before leaving.

After all, she has not had her birthday present yet. Before leaving I asked her what she wanted, she had answered me a cat. I promised on our return to the kibbutz. In addition she doesn't ask for anything.

Anyway she received tons of gifts from everyone every day. At the restaurant frogs, dolls, crayons, at the market bracelets, toys, balloons, even in Sapa a small villager offered her a bracelet, and even an English tourist in Hanoi ran behind us to give her a balloon elephant-shaped. He could give it to a little Vietnamese, but no. In fact we did not need to puzzle over the spoil her, it came alone.

The next day giant Buddha was waiting for us at the top of the mountain on the island next door.

To get there, a half-hour super modern cable car damn high. Only for that it's worth it. It's beautiful. Fortunately we didn't have fog like in Sapa. And then once again more stairs.

The rest is like in the pictures except that Yarden has not failed to kneel and bow before Buddha at the monastery to the despair of her dad. It was just for pretend!

On the other side of the island the small fishing village of Tai O is also very nice and the fish are really in all its forms.

The houses are made of metal, as in a slum, but painted silver which gives them a great modern style.

To finish the day, a small steak in the restaurant district of downtown. We have not seen a lot of local people but foreign businessmen. We didn't know but we were hungry.

Ocean Park program the next day. It takes all day. It's an amusement park-zoo-aquarium.

They are proud of their giant pandas and when we see this big teddy bear all we want to do is to go snuggle in his arms. They look sweet. But it was a bit sad to see them all alone behind the glass.

We've seen seals that came to see people shaking coins behind the glass. Also dolphins and turtles, giant rays huge sharks and others.

Again a little cable car tour; in this mountainous landscape, we must move in some way.

As for rides, we did them all. The first set, Yarden and me together, then she has gained confidence and did not want me to come anymore, even in what they call the frog. It's the ride that climbs gently and descends at once.

They also measured her before the raise, she was the minimum size. And I had fear not knowing how she would react. I tried to ask her about 15 times if she really wanted to go, all alone. But she wanted so I let her. And it got up, and up, and up, and when it got down what a face!... what mother I am. I think her heart stayed up there. Then seeing that finally nothing happened, and seeing others laugh, she started laughing too. Especially when they shaked them well. Fortunately Gilad was tired and remained at the entrance. It would not have let her go.
We returned immediately after passing through the MacDonalds Yarden and me.

Something that everyone do is also climbing at the Victoria Peak with the Tram. We see the whole city and it's worth it.

I also promised Yarden, and I like to keep my promises, to make a boat ride. Something for tourists but it's a nice half-hour sampan tour. When we think that it's where it all began. By cons we have not dined at Jumbo's.

We preferred to return to Kwoloon, where is our hotel, by ferry this time, the other times we crossed underground.

Yarden is now a pro. It was her who bought the tickets in the machine, who punched them, not to mention the escalators.

What she loves is clinging to the handles on the train and slide along the bar. Everything is good to make the fool.

She's also a very good tourist. She takes a lot a photos (I kept some not too bad), reads maps, and the hotels elevators, electronic dors and lights have no secrets anymore.

As for Gilad, he was wonderful, and he appeared to be a really good dealer in the market.

En route, they were all with their cameras and their stands to have their picture taken before the recent decorations for Christmas. And they don't do it halfway. What does it shine!

To end the trip, a last little temple, with fish and turtles too, and there they are predicting the future. All along, at least a hundred small offices. And it looks serious.

Not far from there, they built a garden where nothing sticks out again. We also must not stick out, and they are there to watch, in every corner, like everywhere else. They fix Yarden with big eyes. Finally she thankfully is mostly on her dad's shoulders.

Then a final tour at the night market for the last little gift purchases. For us, we found nothing, not even a sweatshirt for the winter at home. We finally found some clothes in Hanoi finally.

Hanoi 3

Here a walk to the lake, and to the one pillar pagoda.

And above all, a last well-deserved foot massage.
That's it, until the next time. We don't know yet where.
Yarden returned to school, glad to find her boyfriend Hai. It seems he missed her and he no longer wanted to go to school alone while we were away.
She's beginning to understand and speak Vietnamese. I will soon need to get an interpreter ... As the first morning, when Hai came to fetch her, she left with him telling his mom in Vietnamese that I remain at home. I thought that this first intake would be hard, but I have not even had to accompany her. She now goes out, kiss me goodbye with a big smile and closes the door.