When the train is on time

It was a cultural shock to go from Chile to Japan, and I immediately got a second one from Japan to Vietnam. Vietnam has something special: remarkable nature, even more excellent food, a fantastic coffee culture, and very friendly and serving people. But for sure, there is no light without dark… but let’s start from the beginning.

During my two weeks in Vietnam, I started in the North, in Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội). It is not only the capital but also a very fascinating big city. To be honest, it’s not beautiful. It’s more like Quasimodo – somehow ugly, but you love to enjoy and be part of it. And I immediately got sucked into the city. My hotel was in the old town, very crowded and with narrow streets, chaotic, but in that sense, also beautiful.

It seems that for every citizen, there are two scooters on the street. Everyone uses their horn for various reasons: to say hi, to say goodbye, to show off, even to tell everyone he has a horn. This got annoying over time, and I was so happy after leaving the city. Last but not least, the horns are used to let everyone know: if you are not off the streets soon, I will kill you. Crossing the roads in Vietnam is dangerous; if you are done with your life, that is a way to end it. If you want to cross a street and survive, follow the basic rule: walk straight, keep the same pace, and confidently walk. If it helps, close your eyes and pray 🙂

If you learned the skill of “walking & surviving,” you might think about what’s next. Besides the standard things of “temples and shrines”, you should visit the train street. It seems a mystery that no tourists are getting hurt frequently; for me, it was a miracle that I survived! I was holding my breath for a minute while the train passed. And they know precisely when the train is coming. I was starting to get a sip from my beloved Vietnamese coffee (a post ONLY for coffee in Vietnam will follow soon) when the waitress kicked me to get my legs away from the rails… A few seconds later, a train passed as close as the New York Giants won the Superbowl in 1991.

Second, you should visit some of the markets in Hanoi. They offer everything, dead or alive. And yes, especially the food market is disgusting from a Western European point of view. I am confident these markets would never pass any European health check but never mind, you don’t have to buy anything there. Just smell rotten and stand in front of the beautiful fruit and vegetable stands, not able to guess what you are seeing there. The variety of greens is incredible in Vietnam. And besides Coriander and Durian, everything is also delicious 🙂

As I am sure that even the pictures I took are smelling, just some of the better ones 🙂

A funny thing I came along with is a “low-budget barber” on the street. I was literally a chair in front of a mirror on the sidewalk nailed to the wall… And I saw more of these “shops.” I didn’t use it, though…

One thing you always need to be aware of is that the scooters in the city are leaving Smog behind; it is wild. If you always want to know what asthma feels like, visit Hanoi! The Smog is breathtaking, like a supermodel. It is hard to believe living in that city is lovely.