North Vietnam: Hanoi

We flew to Hanoi the morning of February 12th and after dropping our bags at the hotel (we rented a room for the sole purpose of storing because we were leaving again that evening), we went walking around the old quarter. Our self-guided walking tour took us through the surrounding streets and the lake that sits in the middle of the city. There is a lot of French colonial influence, especially in the architecture around this district. The presence of the Communist flag was almost overwhelming; they are displayed outside nearly every shop and restaurant like an overhanging sea of red littered with gold stars. Before leaving we happened upon a street food stand highly recommended on Trip Advisor (our second travel guide, next to my brother). The six of us were seated on PlaySkool-style chairs at a PlaySkool-style table in the middle of the sidewalk and served Pho Ba (beef stew) from the "kitchen" across the street. I can't remember eating in a more entertaining spot. Anywhere else it would have appeared as if we were in the way, sitting at a "restaurant" in the middle of the sidewalk, but in Asia this is normal and these types of eateries are all over the place.

We went through Hanoi twice. On a similar schedule the second time, we only had a few hours to sightsee. Since before leaving on the trip, I had been interested in seeing the Temple of Literature, also known as a temple dedicated to Confucius. The compound includes Vietnam's first national university, the Imperial Academy, which focused on educating writers, poets, and other artists. Unfortunately, during Tet, the temple turned into a huge tourist trap. Hundreds of people struggled to move around in a giant mob, all the while stopping to pose for endless photos. I did not have a chance to really absorb its meaning because I was too busy trying to navigate my way through the throngs of people.

Hanoi was the first real immersion into daily life in Vietnam. The traffic was fun to watch all across the country. I would guess it is a similar scene in other parts of Asia. There seem to be no rules when it comes to driving or parking. It's as if every intersection is a 4-way yield sign. Motorbikes seem to outnumber cars by the hundreds and there are anywhere from one to six people on them. In addition to the passengers, whether it be one or six, the bikes could be laden with goods from the markets, appliances, construction materials, furniture, or almost anything else that comes to mind. Yet somehow, everyone seems to merge together seamlessly.