Bunter Hanoi

From Hong Kong, we flew to Hanoi, Vietnam after four days. In terms of noise and crowds on the streets, there was no significant change compared to Hong Kong, except that thousands of scooters joined in. Hanoi is not really a city to walk around in because of them. Still, I mainly explored it on foot because I felt that was the best way to immerse myself in the hustle and bustle.

The Old Quarter has many narrow streets with cafes and bars where many tourists enjoy a few very cheap beers, especially in the evening. I myself tried various variations of Vietnamese coffee in different cafes - with banana, coconut, with or without milk/condensed milk. I also visited the Literature Temple and waited at the train tracks that run through the city for a train that never came. Highlights also included watching the sunset at West Lake and having a beer on a rooftop terrace with a breathtaking view of the lake and the city.

However, the beer caused me to be a little late for a performance at the Water Puppet Theatre. Nonetheless, even though the entire show was in Vietnamese, it was impressive to see how the performers controlled the puppets underwater using wires.

By the way, I noticed that Hanoi is much quieter on weekends as some streets are closed to vehicles. Overall, Hanoi was a bit exhausting for me, but it was also very impressive with its many facets.

From Hong Kong, we flew to Hanoi, Vietnam. Concerning the noise and crowds, I did not find any significant difference between the two cities, except that in Hanoi, hundreds of scooters were added to the mix. Even though Hanoi is not a city that you should explore on foot, I still did it because I felt it was the best way to experience it.

The Old Quarter has many narrow streets with cafes and bars where many tourists, especially at night, have one or two very cheap (but okay) Vietnamese beers. I myself visited several cafes to try the various types of Vietnamese coffee - with coconut, banana, with or without milk or condensed milk. I also visited the Literature Temple and waited at the old train tracks that run through the city for a train that never came.

A definite highlight was the sunset at West Lake and having a beer at a rooftop bar with a breathtaking view of the lake and the city. However, the beer made us a little late for the water puppet show. Nevertheless, even though the entire show was in Vietnamese, it was impressive to see how the performers controlled the puppets underwater using wires.

Being in the city made me a bit tired, but I was still impressed by the diversity and colorfulness of Hanoi.