Hanoi - Day 1
An un-eventful 9 and half hour flight and we arrive in Hanoi. On descent we can see that it's very hazy. Not sure if it's smog, or smoke, or mist. We weren't sitting next to each other on the flight (budget flying with Viet Jet at its best) so we both got a lot of reading done, and have a lot of excited energy to burn.
We have a free transfer and the driver finds us easily and he very quickly tries to get us to go see his mates at the money exchange. We currently have no money on us, so it's an easy "no thanks" from us. We get some money out from an ATM and off we go.
The driving is loose, to say the least. Starting with our driver who is using one hand to steer and the other to translate on his phone. As we get closer to the city, it goes from loose to chaotic. But with the amount of traffic on the skinny streets, it could not be any other way. 90% of the traffic is scooters, and the odd big car throws a bit of a spanner in the works.
From what we've seen so far though, it seems to work, and no one is getting upset with anyone. You cut me off? No big deal, let's keep moving.
We check-in to the hotel and head straight back out. Just walking around is stressful to start with, mostly because while there is a side-walk, its completely covered by parked scooters and the shops with their wares, or restaurants with their tables and chairs. This means that the pedestrians are on the street with the scooters and the cars.
Its relatively cool outside; highs have been in the low 20s, so we have our jackets with us.
There's a buzz in the air and lot of people in the street tonight. Our driver said something about night markets on this weekend, and its Sunday night. There are a few big stages setup near the lake where they are doing performances. They seem to be celebrating some anniversary. We later learn its the 80 year anniversary of the Vietnam military.
We find a place that does Bun Cha, which is high on the list of local Hanoi dishes. We try not to stress too much about the risk of getting sick. Its a street vendor with plastic tables and chairs on the side of the main road, which is exactly how Anthony Bourdain would have done it, and he survived.
Bun Cha is grilled pork with rice noodles and a couple of vegetables in a broth featuring fish sauce and a bit of sweetness. Maybe a little too much sweetness, but its a great simple dish. They have it at any time of the day. The spring rolls to go with it seem to be a staple side-dish and were exceptional. The pastry is class. So, two beers, two bun cha and some spring rolls and it sets us back about $10.
We wander around a bit, soaking it all in and trying not to get run over. The traffic is thick, but never moving too fast. And we have already been told to just maintain your pace and be predictable and the scooters will dodge you easily enough.
We head up to beer junction to have a look. Very busy, it looks like fun. There are girls kitted up in the different beer brands' costumes: Viet Beer, Hanoi, Heineken. They look like car racing suits. We are losing steam at this point, so we don't partake. We head back towards the lake which is effectively the middle of town.
The smog is thickening; hardly a breath of wind and a few million scooters cruising around the tight city streets will do it. We call it a night and head past a convenience store to buy some masks, water and yukult in preparation for more dodgy/delicious street food.
Our hotel is in a great location and we find it again without too many issues. It will take some time to get some landmarks to go by though, with so many shops and restaurants that all look the same.
