Hanoi

I’ve so been looking forward to today: Moving on.

I’m always a little wary when online check-in isn’t possible or causes issues - but at least Laos Airlines was upfront and said there’s no available online check-in for international flights.

But all went well.

Let’s disregard the very sad meal I had at the airport, served on a cheap tray with extra microplastic for that special flavour, served by a guy definitely not interested in kindness. Or eye contact. Or words…

One hour of flying later, and I landed in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Definitely better than Laos. It has more to offer, more to explore. There is more of a balance of cute little shops/cafés and run-down buildings, and there‘s more green in every street.

But! Traffic is intense. Both regarding your chances of making it across the street alive and the sheer amount of exhaust fumes in the air. It’s so much, my airways are constantly irritated. I can see why you’d wanna wear a mask just as soon as you leave a building here. Very few people do, from what I’ve seen.

With the intense traffic, there’s also an auditory component. The motors are earsplitting. Not only that, every road user must be a proud owner of a certificate declaring them officially impatient beyond measure. People drive without regard for anyone and honk immediately, relentlessly, as soon as there might be an obstacle. Emphasis on ‘might’.
That also rarely extends to pedestrians. I think they’re accepted as collateral damage, too soft and squishy to have a lasting impact on the cars/bikes.

Traffic in Southeast Asia is not really interested in efficient road usage and/or rules, but I feel it’s a little extra here. Traffic lights only seem to be a vague suggestion. There’s not a single situation where pedestrians are protected or favoured in traffic.

Luckily, I didn’t have to walk too far to get to my only proper thing to do today - considering I arrived in the late afternoon.

I went to the famous railway in Hanoi - my hostel being one road away from it.

It was crowded!

Not that I expected anything else.

The Railway is famous because the train passes so incredibly close to all the little cafes and restaurants there on a narrow train track surrounded by buildings on either side.
I took a seat in one of the tiny alcoves with chairs comfortable for toddlers, and was immediately shooed out in favour of a larger party wanting to sit there. I was told to sit on the opposite side of the road instead, but I was not happy with the way that went down and sat down next door. With their competition. Ha! 1:0 for pettiness. 😄

I mean, the trade-off didn’t get me much else. I still had an overly expensive dinner (still cheaper than outside of SEA) in the middle of tourist-central…

Then the train came. A bell announced its arrival. Shop owners gestured at the tourists still on the track - which is where you just have to walk because there’s no other option - apart from the little alcoves where you have to buy a drink or food.

Of course, there’s always tourists who are not at all in a hurry and trod on insouciantly, dumbly, leisurely and then suddenly notice, oops, the train is coming, crap, quickly, where do I go if I don’t wanna be crushed? …

Then, of course, everyone wants to film the incoming train. Everyone wants to get the best footage. Everyone is absolutely, ruthlessly in the way of all the others.

There would absolutely be a solution if people didn’t consider themselves the single most important protagonists within a 500m radius.

While it was fun to watch the train pass by and wave at the people on the inside, the people on the outside ruined it for me. The constant being in the way and, of course, my all-time favourite - smokers - infuriated me too much.

Instead, I just tried to catch up on editing pics and writing blog in my blissfully round-the-clock air-conditioned hostel. 😌”Read more