Hanoi Backpacking Blues
People (mainly, ME) can sometimes be too trusting or gullible for their own good. Thrust them into a land where they do not speak the language (and I don't mean China for those kantang people), and its a free for all rush to see who can swindle the most money out of you. No no don't get me wrong, not everyone's out to make a fast buck out of you, but sometimes we all have to keep our eyes open.
The dong is an extremely unwieldly currency. US$1 = 15,850 Dongs. I could not change it back in Singapore as there were currency controls (the dong not being able to leave the country in amounts larger than US$3000), so I had it changed to the greenback. So after arrival at the airport, we talked to Information and found out that cabs cost a flat fee of US$10 from he Airport to town, and when we did not get that rate (the taxis wanted to charge by meter), we decided to go with the Vietnam Airlines Airport Bus, which costs US$2 a person, and would take us to town. What we didn't know was, the bus driver was probably paid some commission to take us to some unknown cramped guesthouse, who very shrewdly showed us the "Camelia Hotel" website on the computer in the lobby, and said with open arms "Welcome to Camelia Hotel!". OF COURSE we were underwhelmed, to put it mildly, because the place did not look at all like what was featured in the website, being cramped stuffy and decrepit
and according to "The Rough Guide to Vietnam, 4th Ed",
"Camelia hotel: Popular, friendly and well run budget hotel on one of the Old Quarter's liveliest streets. Rooms are all en suite and represent good value for IDD, satellite TV, and some rooms have balconies and wooden floorboards"
but cut us some slack, we were tired after a very cramped flight on a serviceless budget airway, so of course we were just thinking of putting down our baggage and getting some makan (it was 7pm Vietnam time, 8pm SG time). So we thought US$15 a night for a room wasnt a steal after all, but luckily for us we did not accede to the guy's request to leave our passports at the front desk so he could register us as we had our dinner. He looked so hurt when he insinuated that we did not trust him for a while I thought was I just being a terrible person and being overcautious. On hindsight, it was the best move I had made that night. He didn't get into my good books either by recommending another restaurant (and blatently asked me to show his card to the restaurant, another commission tactic im sure) when I asked for directions to a restaurant that I wanted to go.
So after a great meal of "bit tet" (beef steak):Tender beef sliced thinly fried with garlic and whatsnot, with cut cucumbers, 2 eggs, tomatoes, fried potatoes and FRENCH LOAF (they serve that with everything, part of the French Cultural Heritage) we soaked in the Mid Autumn festivities in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The streets were packed! It was like Chinatown during the Lunar New Year, except with people wearing funny masks and tooting horns. Mooncakes were far from ubiquitous, and lanterns were on sale, but no one seemed to be buying them.
Then we tried to head back to the hotel, or should I say guesthouse, and got hopelessly lost, so we asked for directions to Luong Ngoc Quyen, where we thought the hotel was, so when we finally stumbled onto the place, we saw... a 3 Star Hotel with the signboard "Camelia Hotel" and realised they have been waiting for us to check in since dinner!
Of course I was furious. We took a cab back to the fake Camelia Hotel since the guy gave us his namecard, stupid mistake, packed our stuff and wanted to leave before we were slapped with the day's room rate, and we couldnt run as he had our details, and his rationale was that because we occupied the room he couldnt let anyone else in, so he needs to be compensated too.
So we paid. Didn't want to make a scene. It was late, it was US$5, and we wanted our hot baths and non flimsy beds. I know its a small amount, but the nagging feeling of being cheated and taken for a ride didn't sit very well with me.
Wait till u hear day 2
The dong is an extremely unwieldly currency. US$1 = 15,850 Dongs. I could not change it back in Singapore as there were currency controls (the dong not being able to leave the country in amounts larger than US$3000), so I had it changed to the greenback. So after arrival at the airport, we talked to Information and found out that cabs cost a flat fee of US$10 from he Airport to town, and when we did not get that rate (the taxis wanted to charge by meter), we decided to go with the Vietnam Airlines Airport Bus, which costs US$2 a person, and would take us to town. What we didn't know was, the bus driver was probably paid some commission to take us to some unknown cramped guesthouse, who very shrewdly showed us the "Camelia Hotel" website on the computer in the lobby, and said with open arms "Welcome to Camelia Hotel!". OF COURSE we were underwhelmed, to put it mildly, because the place did not look at all like what was featured in the website, being cramped stuffy and decrepit
and according to "The Rough Guide to Vietnam, 4th Ed",
"Camelia hotel: Popular, friendly and well run budget hotel on one of the Old Quarter's liveliest streets. Rooms are all en suite and represent good value for IDD, satellite TV, and some rooms have balconies and wooden floorboards"
but cut us some slack, we were tired after a very cramped flight on a serviceless budget airway, so of course we were just thinking of putting down our baggage and getting some makan (it was 7pm Vietnam time, 8pm SG time). So we thought US$15 a night for a room wasnt a steal after all, but luckily for us we did not accede to the guy's request to leave our passports at the front desk so he could register us as we had our dinner. He looked so hurt when he insinuated that we did not trust him for a while I thought was I just being a terrible person and being overcautious. On hindsight, it was the best move I had made that night. He didn't get into my good books either by recommending another restaurant (and blatently asked me to show his card to the restaurant, another commission tactic im sure) when I asked for directions to a restaurant that I wanted to go.
So after a great meal of "bit tet" (beef steak):Tender beef sliced thinly fried with garlic and whatsnot, with cut cucumbers, 2 eggs, tomatoes, fried potatoes and FRENCH LOAF (they serve that with everything, part of the French Cultural Heritage) we soaked in the Mid Autumn festivities in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The streets were packed! It was like Chinatown during the Lunar New Year, except with people wearing funny masks and tooting horns. Mooncakes were far from ubiquitous, and lanterns were on sale, but no one seemed to be buying them.
Then we tried to head back to the hotel, or should I say guesthouse, and got hopelessly lost, so we asked for directions to Luong Ngoc Quyen, where we thought the hotel was, so when we finally stumbled onto the place, we saw... a 3 Star Hotel with the signboard "Camelia Hotel" and realised they have been waiting for us to check in since dinner!
Of course I was furious. We took a cab back to the fake Camelia Hotel since the guy gave us his namecard, stupid mistake, packed our stuff and wanted to leave before we were slapped with the day's room rate, and we couldnt run as he had our details, and his rationale was that because we occupied the room he couldnt let anyone else in, so he needs to be compensated too.
So we paid. Didn't want to make a scene. It was late, it was US$5, and we wanted our hot baths and non flimsy beds. I know its a small amount, but the nagging feeling of being cheated and taken for a ride didn't sit very well with me.
Wait till u hear day 2