Same same, but different

The time has come - Nadine and I, the perfect DoubleTrouble travel team, are reunited. The continent is different, but the rest felt like it did a few months ago in South America. It's nice to be able to spend the last few weeks with my sister as a travel buddy again.

Our first mission: From North Vietnam across the entire country to the south. We spent the first few days in the capital Hanoi and I was immediately greeted with the full range of Asian vibes. The backpacks went from the airport to the hostel at 10 p.m. in the evening and it was just loud, hot, full of party-loving people and then there was this traffic. After the long journey it was a complete sensory overload that had to be dealt with with a welcome beer or two. The next day the Asian adventure could really begin and we tried Vietnamese cuisine, went on walking tours, visited markets and took a day trip to Halong Bay. After the rainy week in Germany I was (finally) able to dig out my flip-flops again and enjoy the warmth - perfect. After the first few days in Hanoi, a real highlight immediately followed: 360 km on the scooter over the Hà Giang Loop. I've already experienced and seen a lot of great things on my trip, but the tour was another experience of a completely different kind. Although the weather didn't play into our hands at first, but with the right clothes (we all looked like plastic condoms). or walking trash cans), the rain was no longer an obstacle. We completed the loop with local drivers who were always by our side for 3 days and, despite the language barrier, provided a few laughs and moments that will last forever. Our drivers, whose names we didn't understand even after asking several times, brought us and the rest of the group safely to our destination despite the sometimes very challenging roads and left everyone with a smile on their faces.

After the loop we continued to Sapa, a small mountain village. And as fate would have it, we were picked up by the locals again and shown waterfalls, viewpoints and a hike to the traditional tribes that still live there. Of course, the tours are not free, as they ultimately have to see people there and how they and their families make ends meet. But we always had the feeling that people liked to take us into their lives and show us things. Since we always started talking completely by chance, we were mostly able to experience the tours alone and individually, without being part of a large group of tourists. The days in the mountain villages and the impressions on the loop showed me once again how little you actually need to live. People get by with the bare necessities in a small space and still have a smile on their face. The children in particular, some of whom really have to get involved at an early age, have my complete respect and have shown me once again how many unnecessary luxury problems I create for myself. But that's another topic.

From police raids, dog meat in markets, lots of rice liquor (they don't call it "happy water" for nothing), absurd chaos situations on night buses, questionable food, great encounters with locals and other travelers and sisters' evenings, there was definitely a lot there. However, sometimes Nadine and I ask ourselves whether we need to become civilized again after our return. At the rest stop we just noticed that it has become completely normal to eat from dirty plates or use toilets that don't flush or have proper doors. Where will this lead?

Well, be that as it may, Vietnam really picked me up and convinced me in the first week. The only thing I don't like: Nadine constantly wins in our traditional family game "Kniffel". So either needle paddle is cheating or my wedding is imminent. I'll report in the next entry, now we're heading towards Phong Nah National Park in the center of the country.