Hanoi - Hanoi

Vietnam, a new chapter of our journey had begun. After an exciting drive across the border of Vietnam, past banana trees, palm trees, and rice fields, we reached Hanoi. When the train rolled into a single-track station in Hanoi at 5 o'clock in the morning, it was just getting light. After a short break in the station building and a Redbull, we continued on to the chaos of Hanoi. Energized by the Redbull and unsettled by the bustling, hectic traffic and the liveliness of the city, we maneuvered to our hotel. Our hotel was located near the center, but far from mass tourism. It was nestled in a quarter on the riverside between karaoke bars, street kitchens, and local shops. The apparent disorder that seemed to prevail on and off the street was initially overwhelming for Tom and me, but after a few days, it became normal for us. The initial fear of crossing the street, for example, quickly disappeared and we soon marched confidently and at a steady speed across every street, no matter how many lanes it had. Because even though the traffic initially seems terribly chaotic, the caution and mindfulness of all road users are very high and everyone looks out for each other. The only problem was the cars, which usually claimed the right of way. Special attention was paid to traffic lights here... However, the lights or the color of the lights were irrelevant. Even though there are about 25,000 traffic fatalities in Vietnam every year, the traffic works very well and you only feel insecure very rarely (once you have acclimated for a few days).

The typical Vietnamese pho soup was the main part of our diet for the first two weeks in Vietnam, but especially in Hanoi. Pho soup is a broth with rice noodles, vegetables, fish and/or meat. It tastes good, but not very flavorful. Even though we liked it, after two weeks we got tired of it.

As it had already developed in China and was certainly supported by the pho soups, under mysterious circumstances various substances ended up being stored in the digestive tract due to some technical defects, rather than being accurately expelled after oral intake and denutrification, which also led to some tensions at the border. Because of these facts, I had to temporarily stop exploring the lively alleys of Hanoi and search for a hospital. I ended up in a hospital that more resembled a five-star hotel, just like the treatments were conducted according to the "all-inclusive package" usually found in hotels. After three consultations with the doctor, a short general examination, an X-ray, an ultrasound, and two enemas, I was finally able to defecate again.