21. Return to Hanoi

Dear friends and family -  Happy May Day!

An anywhere street scene
-click to enlarge-

I’m back in Vietnam. Hanoi is one crazy city . . . but I love its vibrantcy, its alive in your face spirit; its insistency. I described it before as an agitated ant hill--millions of motor scooters moving in every direction in un/orderly chaos, day and night--always within inches of running over or crashing into someone or something--and somehow not.

Arriving from Bangkok Friday afternoon I exited baggage claim and was greeted with my name on a card. I had met a young Danish couple moments before and my driver graciously allowed them to share the taxi, an hour drive to the old colonial district. It was their first time in Asia--like aliens from an orderly world--being dropped onto the ant hill. I was pleased to have been here before, one week familiar with the streets, scooters and people. There is no central skyscraper downtown to Hanoi—it is a forever sprawl of two to ten story fifteen foot wide buidings, all glued together, separated by a maze of streets and alleys. There are parks and avenues and lakes here and there that add to the charm of this six and a half million person city.

Hoan Diem Lake near my hotel

When my taxi arrived at the Art Hotel—an endearing moment happened. Lan, the sweet, cute and thoroughly professional thirty year old head desk gal, was waiting on the sidewalk for my arrival. I had never seen the gals out of uniform, but there she was, wearing a refreshing white with blue polka dot dress--beaming with a radiant smile. Looking into my eyes, going on about how happy she was to see me again, she held my hand in her two the 

The Art Hotel
you can't always tell a book . . .

whole while--the call for a hug being culturally inappropriate--with no other meaning imagined except to have been wonderfully greeted.  Don’t we all deserve such greetings? (the Art Hotel link is hot)

The rest of the front desk team--Eva, Suot, Chris and Yen--later expressed their happiness to see me. I found out that they had each studied my website--loved all the pictures and each have dreams of one day visiting the places where I have been. This is why I write blogs and have a website--you never know how our words, stories and pictures will inspire another.  It is also why I'm so inspired to finish and publish Shambala - The Path to Paradise. It is a story of four old folks, followed by younger detectives, who leave their secure world and journey out into the world, to Asia, where they each find the love, joy and happiness they have forever longed for. In a way I am living my own story, with an invitation to all who read my words to come along . . . 

Flower girl down the street

Come on . . . I can take two, no problem

air bags

It's a four-day Vietnam holiday weekend. All the stores remain open and people are out and about as always. The motor scooter world here is simply amazing. You wouldn’t believe what they haul around on their scooters. I’ve seen bundles eight feet high and four feet wide, with a driver hidden in there somewhere. Yesterday I counted sixteen cases of beer on one bike--they are masters at strapping things down. This weekend I saw many families of four on one scooter, and a family of five: the father was driving, a two year old stood in front of him, behind him a five year old was standing on the seat, not holding on to anything, an older sister sat behind her and the mother was at the rear. We’re talking about two and a half feet of seat. That’s not the half of it--the dad was weaving through a zillion scooters without a care in the world. (image that family on the scooter pictured here)

There are many old houses like this in Hanoi

A Hanoi side street

If I have learned anything being in Asia, it’s that I’m no longer in Kansas. Granted that some cities, like Singapore, are highly westernized--others like Chiang Mai and Hanoi are doing all they can to blend modern conveniences with old village traditions. As I roam the side streets of Hanoi I cringe at Coke cans stuffed with adolescent chickens or a back alley I walked down dedicated to butchering dogs, but what good does my cringing do? It is what is, whether I like it or not. This is not America. If I really wanted to experience life from a suburb and mall point of view I would be there, or stay on the tour bus when I travel. But that’s not who I am. I’m a curious man--I want to look around that corner, walk down that alley, see what’s going on and rub elbows with the people. My cringing won’t stop millions of Asians from going “yum-yum” over ten day old raw chicklings or teriyaki terrier steaks--so all I can do is go “hmmm” and walk on, and not take that picture. Everywhere I go there are things that excite me and things that don’t, but in the big picture I am thoroughly enjoying the very rich tapestry of human life on planet earth, and sharing my stories and pictures with you.

Bicycle street vendor - having fun with the blur tool

World Peace in the park

So, it's May Day in Hanoi, hardly a cloud in the sky, and though there are no maidens dancing around poles, I'm happy to be here. The holiday weekend traffic wasn’t as bad as usually--I almost got run over three times each day instead of five. I walked the streets and strolled by the lake, edited my novel, talked to the staff and guests--I even spent an hour yesterday with Singapore Christians who tried to save me--I think that would take a day, a Genesis day, but they gave it their best shot. Tomorrow night I will sleep on the over-night train going north, on my way to the mountain village of Sapa, where I'll stay for three days. I’m sure it will be another great photo op, as well as a relief from all the heat. 

I’m constantly adding to my new website. I encourage you to take a few minutes and check it out. If you’d like me to add your picture to the site, please send one, or if you have a business website send your link and picture and I will post it, or an event. Here is the web address:  http://www.ki-earth.com

With love as always,

David Dakan Allison

Hugging you from Hanoi

ps. Last week I included a drawing of myself. At the Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street Market I sat for this color portrait ($10). I didn’t ask the neighboring artist to also draw me, but apparently he couldn’t help himself (last weeks drawing - $5). This rendering is curious--he made me look about twenty years younger--just like I was feeling the day my "lama in the belly" episode ended.