Train Street in Hanoi by Arushi

We stopped at Train street on our walk this morning, only to be met with stony faced guards who refused our entry whilst simultaneously letting in others (maybe they lived on the street or owned shops there?). So, we carried on with our day, peeping glances of the infamous street here and there, a narrow alleyway crammed with bars and cafes with the main attraction of the rail tracks running down the middle of the street.

Walking back after dinner . the whole zone was lined with touts, pamphlets and signs shoved in our faces offering drinks and food with promises of access to Train street.

Wow, it was just full of life, lights illuminating all the nooks and crannies of this narrow street, with the tracks tucked in the middle, looking rather out of place. We snapped a few pictures, and found out the next train would be coming in 30-40 minutes, around 10 o’clock so we chose somewhere for drinks. Once we were settled in and orders were placed (2 beers and a lemonade), we sat and waited.

After around 5 minutes there was a rush of excitement, as all the locals were yelling at people to get off the tracks, bar owners were moving things behind a yellow line (that we could barely squish behind) and everyone quietened down a bit, even the drunk Irish men who had been yelling opposite us.

Soon, we could hear a faint chugging and could see hazy lights glowing around the corner, and then, the train arrived! It was literally inches away from us, flying by. It was a very long train, and the whole ordeal lasted for about 3 minutes as we sat dumbfounded by this strange occasion (mum kept saying how weird it is that we paid money to sit near a moving train). After what seemed a lot longer than 3 minutes, the train finally came to an end and the whole street resumed its usual hustle and bustle, the Vietnamese weren’t even phased! We stayed for a few more minutes before leaving, satisfied the 4th time lucky.Read more