There is a Price on my Head!

I will post photos as soon as I get back to my darn cord... in the mean time, picture a cyclo (sick*low)... Vietnamese Pedicab... a bicycle with a large wheelchair welded up front... the least expensive and SLOWEST way to get around Hanoi... a bit unnerving to be in the front as they careen you toward oncoming traffic!

Unfortunately, the word is out and BS and I have a price on each of our heads. Our guidebook said $1 per hour, but the drivers wanted $5. After much negotiating, we agreed upon a price cutting the difference, and we each climbed into our own chariot. I thought we started out in the wrong direction, but who am I to tell the “professional” cyclo driver where to go? Besides, Hanoi is full of one-way streets, so who can keep track.

After about an hour of going in circles, they tried to drop us in front of a street of closed shops. “Not right place,” we calmly advised... There was no running meter, and they were using a lot of leg power, so they wouldn’t lead us astray, right? Right! Unless we finally lucked out and found that unscrupulous group of drivers who were actually taking us to the place where they go to kill and rob you...

They said they now knew where we wanted to go, and we were off again... more circles. When BS had finally had enough, we jumped ship, and began screaming about being cheated. The drivers got off their bikes, parked them on the sidewalk and came to “talk.” Time to bolt! We ran for our lives... our pride and our $5 was worth more anyway...

Trouble is, now every cyclo driver seems to leer... I think the word is out...

The happy ending is that we found a taxicab (he did circle just a bit to run up the meter...) who was able to get us to our dream destination, Ipa Nima (A.K.A. Handbag Heaven). Let me just say, thank goodness they take Visa!