Vietnam - Chinese New Year

............Hey so we're in Mostar, Bosnia at the moment and HO PHOW DAMN! It's crazy! today we were walking down the road, same road that during the war marked the front line, and we saw this spooky 7 story building, outside walls covered in bullet spray, inside walls sprayed in graffiti, every window shattered out, road in front speckled with little bomb craters, and said HEY Lets check it out! So we tip toed around the place for about an hour... along the walls there were countless bullet shells, glass shards, documents dating back to the 80s... we looked out the windows at once enemy lines, at buildings totally crumbling from craters, craters made by the bullet shells under our feet... whole place had a haunting vibe... and last night we partied in a club that was in a legitimate cave (a few bats were flying around inside, seriously) and I could go on and on about everything here and now but I won't, so here's what went down in Vietnam on Chinese New Year.............

Tet a.k.a. Chinese New Year a.k.a the day each individual grows a year older i.e. everyone celebrates their 'birthday' together... Hanoi is b-a-n-a-n-a-s! Peep the streets all day long with our Aussie friends from Ha Long Bay, walking around seeing every local in traditions like burning fake money in small fires (for ancestors). Others have potted orange trees strapped to their mopeds. The flower arrangements are innumerable and unforgettable. Then the streets vacate for at-home tradition, so we return to the hostel and get drunk. 10pm. Return the revving-up streets and make our way to an Irish Pub. It's crazy inside and every westerner wears a bright sombrero from our hostel. While getting fresh air outside, our Irish friend tries teaching us a jig.



Failing miserably at the Irish Jig

At 1130 we make our way to lakeside town square. 1 Aussie friend is very drunk. He sees a burning mound of money, thinks its a hazard and stomps it out! We're speechless then offer abashed apologies. Countless locals have mystic lanterns—round, hollow cubes of papyrus-like paper with Chinese caricatures painted fine; twined beneath is a candle, and when they ignite it, the heat floats the contraption right toward heaven, and these are everywhere, like watching newborn stars journey toward their kind. Then the fireworks began. Our friend was a bit too drunk and I had to take care of him, which put an abrupt end to my night, but Bradon will take if from here.







Bradon's Remainder of the night...

Once I get to the lake I have officially lost EVERYONE I left the bar with in the commotion! I watched on as the fireworks exploded in the sky, all the while catching awkward stares and giggles from Vietnamese people. Rightfully so though, I am a head taller than everyone in the crowd, Im white and I am wearing a purple, yellow and green sombrero! Im waiting for the grand finale, but there is none...oh ya Im in Vietnam! After the minimal finally I begin my search for anyone I recognize. I see another sombrero in the distance and track it down! It is a Canadian guy I met at the hostel, sweet! We start wandering the streets looking for some others to join our crew. Then I spot a group of about 6 people from our Halong Bay boat trip...we are in business!



We all cling together as if we are lost in the desert. There are Vietnamese people everywhere and we dont want to get separated again. One of the Aussie girls announces she has a cool bar for us to go to and we follow her lead there. On the way we see Toby and Tom, some of the craziest guys Ive met on this trip, and they naturally join us. Our first stop is a dark dingy bar down a random back ally. People are smoking hooka everywhere and it strangely reminds me of what I imagine an opium den would look like. It is news years night in Vietnam and we are looking to get crazy, not chill out so we have a drink or two and quickly leave that bar. We shoot into the streets once again circa 1 am and the streets are pretty much desolate! Im am taken back because at home everyone would be hitting their stride, running wild in the streets. But I guess the fireworks are the end all be all for the Vietnamese on their new years, oh well.


An enthusiastic girl from the hostel

Not ready to lay down our swords yet we head to a nearby club to try an uphold our values of bringing in the new year right! The club turns out to be perfect, not too busy, not too big, great music, free entry and cheap drinks...game on! Our crew instantly takes over the dance floor and we begin to dance like there is no tomorrow! Toby and Tom, being the crazy kids they are, start pulling Vietnamese people up from the adjacent couches and making them dance with us. Some of them love it and have the biggest smiles on their faces as they celebrate with us; others are too shy and scurry back to their seats. 3am rolls around and the club begins to shut down, so a few of us make our exit while others stay behind. I strike up conversation with an English guy named Danny whom I met on the bus back from Vietnam. He tells me how he hit it off with this girl at the club we were just at. Turns out as he was dancing with her, a guy came up to him and told him to stay away from that girl because she was there with the Vietnamese Mob!!! Being a wise young chap, he complied and stayed away from her the rest of the night.

Well apparently that wasn't sufficient... as we walk back to the hostel, Danny's a bit scared and keeps his eyes peeled for potential danger. He notices a tinted silver Mercedes following us. I'm not sure what to do. Odds are really good (or really bad if you know what I mean) that it's the Mob—all locals drive motorbikes or, if they're lucky, an old shitty cars; tinted Mercedes belong to either Mobsters or politicians, or both.

Do we run? Do we act like we don't see them and don't want any problems? I choose the latter and tell him to act not look back and just keep walking. There is no need to panic, so I dont tell the others in the group that we are being followed by the Vietnamese Mafia. Panic would possibly indicate that our friend Danny did do something wrong, when in fact he didn't. I know we are about 5 minutes away from the hostel and Im praying to the good lord that we will all make it there safe and sound!

We turn down the alley where our hostel is to my relief. I can see our safe haven and it is the best feeling ever! Our pace quickens a bit and we duck into the hostel doors as Danny and I let out huge sighs of relief! But its not over yet, it turns out that Danny's room in the other part of the hostel which is across the alley, but the doors are locked! So we hang out in the lobby for a bit chatting about whatever comes to mind. I peer my head out the door to see if the doors are unlocked by chance and guess what I see? The silver Mercedes parked in the ally about 300 feet away, with two scary looking Vietnamese dudes leaning against it! I notify Danny that we aren't out of the woods yet. He begins to get really worried as one can imagine! I try to calm his nerves the best I can in my dreary state. Im so tired at this point and would love nothing more than to go to sleep, but I cant leave this poor guy by himself! 30 minutes pass and I give the ally another check, but the mobsters are still out there leaned up against their car, smoking cigarettes.

Another 30 to 45 minutes pass and dawn begins to present itself. I give the alley yet another check, but this time our prayers are answered; the coast is clear, the doors to the other side of the hostel are open! I try and muster as much joy as I can at this point and deliver the good news to Danny! His face lights up like a Christmas tree as he has dodged a huge bullet and he knows it! He thanks me for my help and sprints across the alley to safety. It is now 6am and my mind can barley grasp what just happened, but at least no one got hurt or killed. I thank my lucky stars and drag myself to bed...what a night!!!