My first X-ray, in Hanoi
We spent 2 nights in Hanoi and went on one day drip. Unfortunately I am running out of steam posting all these blogs from the trip, so this is going to be mostly photos!
Sunday, August 11
Hanoi airport was pretty quiet on the domestic side at least. We took a grab car to the hotel and checked in and showered it and then went out to meet Patton’s friend tung for dinner at a place called Chả Cá Thăng Long. Then went to dessert and then met another friend at GC bar and head one or two drinks. Then we walked around a bit by the lake on the way back to the hotel.
Dinner with Tung and Patton at Chả Cá Thăng Long, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Dinner with Tung and Patton at Chả Cá Thăng Long, Hanoi, Vietnam.
After dinner, we stopped at an outdoor dessert place serving frozen yogurt extruded into little logs with sweet syrup. It was pretty good, though I forgot what it was called!
After dinner, we stopped at an outdoor dessert place serving frozen yogurt extruded into little logs with sweet syrup. It was pretty good, though I forgot what it was called!
Walking around Hanoi on the way back to our hotel.
Walking around Hanoi on the way back to our hotel.
Walking around Hanoi on the way back to our hotel.
Monday, August 12
Monday gets its own entry: We went on a tour of Tam Coc near Ninh Binh.
The 'city view' from our room at Hanoi Hilton Garden Inn, Vietnam.
After the tour, Patton got dinner with a bunch of his friends. I decided to stay back, as I was still full from lunch and feeling quite tired! I did spent some time talking to locals online and made a few virtual acquaintances.
Tuesday, August 13
Tuesday we needed to check out of the hotel in the morning, but didn’t leave for the airport till night time. We therefore needed to leave most of our stuff at the hotel and not shower till we got home, after a 12 hour layover we’d have in Japan the next day.
Patton spent the morning and early afternoon visiting with his former colleagues in Vietnam’s government from when he had an internship here five years ago in occupational health. I spent the time walking around Hanoi to get some more miles in, but not running since I wasn’t going to be able to shower after. I got totally soaked anyway, first from rain and then probably sweat later.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Granted this sign does say no photography, but I saw surprised when I got yelled at by a guard for walking down this alley. Clearly no trains were running with the barriers there, and also I saw businesses all along the side. I guess he knew I was trying to take pictures and not visit the businesses, but still, it was silly.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
I found a whole bunch of these fake hundred dollar bills all around. Alan later told me these are used for offerings in some cultures. Hmm.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Out for a long walk in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Patton suddenly told me to meet him at the health ministry building, I think it was called the Institute of Occupational Health and the Environment. He had asked his colleagues if I could get an X-ray there while they were all quite tipsy at lunch. They told me to come right over!
The backstory here is I believe I injured my foot somewhat during a race back in 2015 or 2016. Since that point, I have periodic pain in my left heel, usually only after long runs of 15 miles or so. I thought it might be a small bone fracture or something that I kept injuring by running, but I wasn’t sure. I haven’t been able to see a doctor about this yet due to insurance and work changes in the years since then. For example, I currently am on a $7500 deductible Kaiser plan for which I pay about $400 per month. Seeing a doctor about this and getting X-rays would mean I pay thousands out of pocket. It hasn’t seemed like a big priority therefore. But if I had an opportunity to use someone else’s idle X-ray machine for 10 minutes, I would take them up on it. And I did! Thank you Patton, and thank you to your colleagues!
Thanks to the kind folks at the Institute of Occupational Health and the Environment, I got to examine my foot bones and see if I had the injury I suspected. Apparently it's not a bone issue, though!
The result was that I apparently have no bone damage. This was good news of course, but I’m also still not sure what causes the pain. I feel much better about it though.
Thanks to the kind folks at the Institute of Occupational Health and the Environment, I got to examine my foot bones and see if I had the injury I suspected. Apparently it's not a bone issue, though!
Thanks to the kind folks at the Institute of Occupational Health and the Environment, I got to examine my foot bones and see if I had the injury I suspected. Apparently it's not a bone issue, though!
Thanks to the kind folks at the Institute of Occupational Health and the Environment, I got to examine my foot bones and see if I had the injury I suspected. Apparently it's not a bone issue, though!
After that, Patton and I went to the Hao Lo prison, which was known in the war as the Hanoi Hilton. It was a pretty fascinating exhibit and worth checking out. It really helped you put yourself in the place of the prisoners, who were both Vietnamese and American over the years it was in operation.
Touring Hao Lo prison aka Hanoi Hilton, in Vietnam.
Touring Hao Lo prison aka Hanoi Hilton, in Vietnam.
Touring Hao Lo prison aka Hanoi Hilton, in Vietnam.
Apparently some prisoners broke out through the sewer system after cutting these iron bars at Hao Lo prison aka Hanoi Hilton, in Vietnam.
Touring Hao Lo prison aka Hanoi Hilton, in Vietnam.
Touring Hao Lo prison aka Hanoi Hilton, in Vietnam.
And apparently the Americans at Hao Lo prison aka Hanoi Hilton had the time and inclination to make art.
After that, Patton went to the gym with his friend Tung, and I was going to walk, around but then it started pouring crazy rain. I waited on the steps of a hotel for about an hour and a half. Then Patton and I were going to try to take a Grab ride to our hotel before going to the airport, but after 5 minutes we still had not successfully booked a car. Tung decided to drive us on his motorbike, which was very kind. It was pretty fun actually, as we went through some flooded areas, explaining all the traffic. We did have to duck from the cops a few times, but Tung wasn’t that concerned since they were busy managing traffic. Once at the hotel and after saying goodbye and thank you, we used our last two drink tickets to get a beer and a mango juice, and then took a ride to the airport.
Patton's friend Tung was super kind and motorbiked us back to the hotel in the rain because a Grab ride was going to take too long or be impossible.
Using our free drink coupons at the hotel long after we checked out, just before heading to the airport!
The airport was much busier than when we landed last on the domestic side. We checked in without issue and were told our bags would be transferred for us all the way to US, so we didn’t need to pick them up and recheck them in Tokyo. We planned to pay to store them at the airport, so that was extra nice. We went to lounge then and ate a lot before boarding flight.
Getting ready to leave Vietnam at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.
Getting ready to leave Vietnam at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.
I forgot what lounge this was, at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam.
I forgot what lounge this was, at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam.
And that was Vietnam! It was a great trip, just as good or better than I remembered last time I was in Vietnam in 2014. I hope to go back!
Entries in this series
- Touring Phú Quốc, Vietnam, by motorbike! (July 31-August 3)
- Saigon shopping and nightlife (August 3-4)
- Touring the Mekong Delta, Vĩnh Tràng Temple, Saigon Skydeck (August 5)
- The Củ Chi tunnels and a messy Saigon run (August 6-7)
- My first tattoo, in Saigon, and a gay party (August 8-11)
- Biking, boating in Tam Coc, climbing Mua Cave (August 12)
- My first X-ray, in Hanoi (August 11-13)
