Happy Hanoi

Landing in Vietnam was an experience in and of itself. There were mass amounts of locals – men, women and children alike – pushing their way off the plane, eager to get back home to their families. Most stood up immediately after landing, before we had even taxied to our gate, grabbing their bags and making way to the exits. As far as first impressions go, we were a bit nervous.

Thankfully our hotel had arranged taxi transportation from the airport to the city, which took about 45 minutes with traffic. Never in our lives had we ever seen so many motorbikes, carrying so many bodies. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to traffic either; no lights or yield signs, no stop signs or crosswalks. Just chaos – or so we thought at first.

We arrived at Hanoi Palace and were greeted by a charming young Vietnamese girl who spoke very good English. She handed over two glasses filled with freshly squeezed watermelon juice and purple straws in the shape of hearts (awe). The juice was delicious and her welcoming smile put us at ease. She shared a map with us highlighting top historical and tourist sights, and also recommended restaurants in town. We unloaded our bags and headed out to see Hanoi.

Holy cow! Being a pedestrian in Hanoi is the biggest culture shock any American will ever experience. You are literally afraid for your life while walking down the street. There are motorcycles EVERYWHERE, and they are constantly honking at you, at one another and at nothing at all. It was insane and scary, until we realized that somehow, none of them were crashing or knocking into pedestrians.

We later learned that there is one very important traffic law in Hanoi: there is no law. However, drivers will not hit you as long as you move forward and wave your hand in the direction that you’re heading. Once we caught on, we spent less time worrying about our safety, and more time enjoying Old Town.

Our first stop was Hoàn kiém lake, located in the heart of Hanoi. Upon arrival, the skies opened up and a light misty rain began to fall. We stopped to take pictures of the local fisherman and workers that were going about their daily routines along the water. Crossing the red bridge that links the famous Ngòc son temple to Old Town, we entered to pay our respects.

Showered and fresh for our first night in Hanoi, we headed over to the Thang Long Water Puppet theater to catch a 6:30 pm show. Water puppets have long been a tradition for the Vietnamese. The history dates back to the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of Northern Vietnam. Today’s puppetry is a combination of old and new traditions, and is a very cool experience for all who are unfamiliar with Vietnamese customs and rituals.

Day two began with loads of humidity and sunshine as we made our way towards the Temple of Literature. The street vendors were out in full force — bananas, doughnuts, hats. They stopped abruptly at the temple gates as a sign of respect, while we continued inside and were greeted by the manicured gardens and honorable statues where so many Vietnamese studied years before. The grounds were filled with interesting dragon and Buddha statues, and other memorabilia highlighting Vietnam’s most celebrated scholars.

With nearly 30,000 steps under our belts for the day, we decided on some street market shopping and dinner nearby our hotel before turning in for the night.

Throughout our time in Vietnam, we interacted with and encountered the kindest, most genuine people on this planet. The Vietnamese have hearts of gold, to put things simply.

The locals constantly expressed their gratitude to us for having chosen Vietnam as one of our destination points. They told us that they were honored to host us in their country and said that while they are still developing, they take their work seriously and try their very best to make sure every visitor has an enjoyable stay.

Two for Takeoff is confident that these kind hearted, happy people are among the hardest working individuals in existence, and we were honored to have the privilege of staying in this small, but remarkable place. Hanoi has left a permanent mark on our hearts.