Good morning, Vietnam! - Hanoi

8/10 - 10/10

The arrival in Vietnam went well. We survived the flight, the luggage also arrived complete (which was unclear for a while, as it couldn't be checked through from Vienna to Hanoi) and we successfully checked into our accommodation.

During our first exploration tour through Hanoi's 'Old Town', we immediately experienced a full cultural shock. The traffic rules that are ingrained in us were completely ignored by the traffic situation. One thing became clear right away, this city is ruled by scooters. Although there is a sidewalk everywhere, it is primarily used as parking space for scooters. As a pedestrian, you are at the bottom of the traffic hierarchy and you have to somehow make your way through the streets. Crossing a street is pure psychological stress. Over time, you get some routine, but even after 3 days in Hanoi, it still takes relatively long.

Hanoi is known for its street food. However, street food here doesn't mean that something is served from a clean truck, as is customary at home, but that the food is prepared directly next to the road. Due to the wide variety of options, we initially weren't sure which street food vendors to trust. An internet page helped us with that. As a result, we mostly ate in places we would never have thought of entering. The preparation contradicts any hygiene standards we know and I was not sure if we should eat the food under medical supervision. But it's not so bad, it tasted good and our digestion is also fine (for now).

The most lasting impression was definitely when our street food advisor led us through a side alley into a narrow backyard. We ended up in the middle of a Vietnamese lunch break and we were the only tourists who had ventured here. A lady invited us into her 'restaurant' and shortly afterwards a 'mixed plate' for definitely more than 2 people was placed on the table. We still don't know everything that was served to us. Perhaps it's better that way.

Apart from that, Hanoi is a relatively clean city with little (if any) odor. There are also almost no high-rise buildings. Those interested in history, especially the Vietnam Wars, will find plenty of museums to visit.

From the 'Bad Translation' category:

One evening, we could eavesdrop on the neighbor from our balcony as she tried to call a cat to her: 'Mimiu, mimiu'. This repeated for what felt like 10 minutes, until a annoyed Vietnamese male voice sounded and put an end to it. For us, the dialogue felt something like this:
- 'Mitz, mitz, mitz, mitz, mitz!'
- 'Woman, calm down! I have already eaten!'

Hasta pronto,

E&L

>> Next stop: Halong Bay <<