Hanoi = Sensory overload

[by Jonas] So on Sunday our bus went to Hanoi. So we had to get up early again, as the bus was supposed to leave at 7 am. The check-out at the hotel was super easy and we were already at the bus station at 6:35 am, which was right across from our hotel. A bit lost, we looked around in the chaos of buses and spotted a sleeper bus with the sign "Hanoi," so we went to that one. Apparently, that was the right one because without anyone talking to us, our luggage was loaded and we could get on and choose our seats. We decided on two seats next to each other on the side. Since on our last trip with such a sleeper bus we got seats all the way in the back where I could stretch my legs, these were our first "real" seats in a sleeper bus. And it worked surprisingly well. I couldn't lie down completely, of course, but it was so comfortable that I could endure the 12-hour bus ride. It was also our first bus ride during the day. This resulted in the bus drivers picking up packages and people who were waiting on the roadside, especially at the beginning and end of the trip. Since they didn't have seats, they just lay down in the aisle...

What we could only suspect on the trip from Vientiane to Luang Prabang was confirmed on this trip: During the day, you can wonderfully observe the landscape from the bus, and similar to the boat trip to Muang Khua, we passed one beautiful mountain formation after another. Otherwise, the bus ride was mostly quiet. We only took a few bathroom breaks and got stuck in a traffic jam due to a construction site.

When we arrived in Hanoi, we realized what we had already expected: The bus stopped at one of the many bus stations outside the city. Luckily, we had already been in contact with the hotel and asked, among other things, how to get from there to the Old Quarter. The hotel recommended taking the local bus. At first, we were unsure, but then we decided to do it because a ride there only costs 7,000 Dong (25 cents) per person, no matter how long it is. At the bus stop, we met a helpful local who also had to go to the Old Quarter, just like us. He explained to us how ticket purchase works in Vietnam, that you only buy them from a bus employee who only comes to you after you have taken your seat on the bus. After a nice conversation with the local, we got off at a station in the Old Quarter that was only a side street away from our hotel. It was raining lightly and we were wearing flip flops, which was absolutely not a good idea. But luckily, it wasn't far and we were politely welcomed at the hotel. Our room is very spacious and we finally have a "real" bathroom again, with a regular toilet and even a shower cabin. Just that alone makes it feel like luxury to us! After a quick dinner at a local fast food chain (6.44€), we went to bed. Even though we didn't really do much that day, we were completely exhausted from the bus ride and needed some sleep.

The next morning, we were ready to plunge into the big city. Without a detailed plan, we set off. We noticed: It's different here than in other big cities we've been to so far. Hanoi is chaotic and stinky, loud and dirty. Much of it has to do with the traffic, which here more than anywhere else in the world shapes the cityscape. We thought we were used to a lot through Thailand and Laos, but this is a whole different category. There are no traffic rules, no traffic lights, let alone proper road signs. Everyone drives as they please...