Pt 17 – Street Art, Drunken Body Piercings & City Lights

Friday, March 11th, 2016 continued…

After our visit to the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, we explored Hanoi and enjoyed the chaotic streets that we had become so accustomed to, as well as some incredible street art.

We found ourselves back at “Hanoi Rocks Hostel” to drink some Carlsberg’s. We were offered free tattoos and piercings, but declined. We proceeded to watch those daring enough to do so from the bar as it got more and more busy.

The line got longer and longer, and we would get drunker and drunker. I walked into the place with sound judgement, but the more I drank, the more I felt like getting my free lip piercing. I had always liked the idea of getting a lip ring. The only thing that I was wise enough to worry over was the possibility of getting nerve damage, and looking like I suffered from a stroke.

I waited in line just to pick the brain of the girl doing the piercings who had one red eye contact lens in, and a finger tattoo that looked similar to my ‘wedding ring’. Good sign, maybe? As I waited, I talked a young boy through the fear of getting his first piercing through his ear. Once I was next in line, I shared my concern and she responded by showing me her three lip ring holes. This didn’t exactly help since she likely didn’t give them to herself. I returned to the bar.

As the evening progressed, I was reaching a whole new level of drunk so I went for it! As I waited, I watched a guy get his septum pierced and a girl get her ear cartilage done. Then it was my turn. I followed through and fortunately didn’t look like a stroke victim afterwards! It hardly hurt as much as I had expected.

I followed the night up with more beer, and couldn’t stop tonguing at it. Two things that I shouldn’t have been doing at the time. Moments like this are examples of why I no longer drink!

We started our walk back to the hostel, enjoying the city lights. I brushed my teeth and started noticing some swelling, so I ran out to the pharmacy to grab some mouthwash and ibuprofen. Then I went to bed, hoping for the best.

Jump Back to Part 16: Pho, Revolutionaries & The ‘Hanoi Hilton’

Jump Ahead to Part 18: Fat Lip, Fried Food & Halong Bay

OR

Start from the Beginning at Part 1: Busing Across the Border to Ho Chi Minh City