Butterfly world, taxis and lanterns.

When I finally began to feel my rear end again after the JHB to Singapore flight, we walked into the most impressive looking terminals. Its just duty free, gucci, balenciaga, alcohol and of course 4 different types of ramen stalls. Coke and water were my best friends as the humidity (within the air-conditioned terminals) was not.

On the way to terminal 1, where we had to take our last connecting flight (literally called Pina Colada and the neighbouring plane called Happy pills) , we ran into a fully functional butterfly world with the most beautiful plants and butterflies. Gratis en verniet. As soon as I entered this gorgeous place I was hit with a wall of hot humidity, that gave me new perspective on the air conditioning on the other side of the doors.

On arriving at Hanoi we had to very humbly submit our visa application documentation with minimum eye contact or verbal communication from the official. With a dismissive flap of the hand he motioned for us to stand in the next queue. There we remained for what seemed an eternity, waiting for the two large South Korean tourist groups to be processed for visas, all the while noticing a rather suspicious exchange between the official and a hasty tourist...

With our luggage in hand and new blisters on our feet we knew that our delay with visa processing made us miss our transfer to our starting point hotel. After enquiring with natives and foreigners alike, we finally found a willing taxi driver and spent our first 30USD on Vietnamese soil.

The drive.... no, the slithering flow of cars was an experience. The way the Vietnamese have learned the art of total disinhibition when it comes to breaking the rules of the road is... well, admirable. Without a single incident the taxi driver managed to snake the car in between, across, and on top of the lanes. Hooting is used more as a way of communicating intent rather than an aggressive reaction to dangerous manoeuvres. We arrived in one piece.

Later in the day we decided to explore the hustle and bustle of Hanoi's old quarters by ourselves. Our lives were again threatened by the massive volume of vehicles on the road, crossing the street is an art form, one we still need to master. The streets are full of life, vendor after vendor greeting you and waving you in, desperately trying to make an income. Street food being prepared before your very eyes and well seasoned guests sitting on children's plastic tables and seats (completely intentional and normal, maybe a way to save some space?).
The stark contrast of old Asian inspired buildings clashing with the fluorescent shop lights and illuminated by colourful lanterns is really a picture to be seen. Different eras displayed in a chaotic mix, culture that needs to be grasped and unfolded to understand its beauty; and beautiful coffee shop gems interspersed between it all.
Last but not least: the vietnamese coffee... A hair-raisingly strong and sweet espresso type beverage blended with condensed milk. One sip kept me up for the rest of the night.
This is just the first day... Czytaj więcej