Wow. Hanoi. Wow.

The Let's Get Lost Game,

Notes from my journal because how does one construct a narrative of this??

When we arrived in Busan, my reaction was, huh. This is what it’s like here. Huh. Hanoi is wow. Wow. Wow. And I thought Busan was crazy? This is insane. Motorcycles, scooters, sheer chaos in all directions. Picking your way down the sidewalk is like making a trek, adventure travel. When it’s not a cafe, coffee stand, makeshift shop, scooter parking or an extension of a family’s living room, the sidewalk is for scooters avoiding car traffic. In no way is it for walking. That’s for the side of the road; cars and scooters whizzing past, honking their horns, just to be sure you know they’re there. It’s a chaotic dance, there’s no road rage. It’s a beautiful and terrifying free-for-all.

First morning, first coffee, on the street: egg coffee, a Vietnamese specialty. It’s like drinking tiramisu. Second caffeine a short while later, in a garden : matcha latte. Surprise, it’s a milkshake. 2 desserts before breakfast. It’s 7 am.

Looking up a restaurant for bun cha, a specialty of Hanoi. My phone is in French and automatically translates it to chignon cha, which sounds way more elegant. I find a place serving only that. We walk in down a long interior alleyway. The lady holds up 2 fingers and I nod. 2 bowls of bun cha appear. It’s charcoal grilled pork in an aromatic broth. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Lunch for 2, $6.

Bun cha, round 2. No way was I leaving Hanoi without having it again !
The alleyway kitchen

The air is thick and hazy. Pollution levels are in the purple zone, which is to say hazardous. We’re wearing masks continuously. Hot and humid. Our apartment smells of mildew. To open the windows or not? Choose your poison.

Hanoi is dense, fast, very loud. To be enjoyed with moderation. I’m simultaneously thrilled to be here and so ready to leave.

Burning fake money for prosperity

The food is exquisite. Subtle, fresh, great textures. Soft, filled rice pancakes, crispy eel on glass noodles, sticky rice with coconut ice cream. Every sidewalk is chock a block with mom and pop restaurants, cooking on the street. They work such long hours. There’s no second shift coming in. You just sit on your stoop and make food for passersby.

We left Hanoi after 4 days. It was cognitively and physically exhausting. At no point could you be on autopilot. We only saw a fraction of the town and that’s ok. Plenty of places go unseen. So very glad we came, I wouldn’t go back if you paid me. Ok, maybe for bun cha.

So not Hanoi! So happy to be in Tam Coc

Cheers,

Maer

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Published by The Let's Get Lost Game

2 Comments

  1. Nice to know that Hanoi hasn’t changed much since Larry and I were there, as independent travelers, in 1999. So much of the world has changed – become more “westernized,” but not Hanoi. Or so it seems. I’m surprised that you didn’t mention the difficulty crossing streets. Or, maybe they’ve put in traffic lights. We sometimes didn’t cross streets because it was too scary. We didn’t have the same problem in other cities of Vietnam: just Hanoi. Enjoy the rest of your time in Southeast Asian.

    Rosemary Gemperle

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