Marshalls Abroad

Asia Life Vietnam

Hanoi, Vietnam {Part 1}

I’m still a little speechless about Vietnam. It was a wild ride! It’s a fascinating country and though we’ve studied it, seen photos, etc., I don’t think you can really get a good grasp on how another people lives and a culture thrives until you
actually go and experience it firsthand and see it with your own
eyes. We loved everything we got to do and all the wonderful people we met. 

Fresh off the plane, most likely uttering, “woah!”

The moment we stepped off the plane, we could tell we were in a third world, communist country. While we were putting our bags in the back of the hotel car, I took out my camera to take a photo of the street scene. Through my lens, innocently pointed at him, I noticed a police officer stare directly at me, pointing his whole arm at me to the man standing next to him. They both looked furious and began marching toward us. Cam saw too, threw our last bag in the back of the trunk, and we quickly jumped in the back seat, breathing a sigh of relief as the car started and the airport became smaller and smaller in the rear window. 
The hotel driver weaved through the crazy dirt road dodging
hundreds of oncoming motorbikes carrying entire families, newborn
babies, baskets, flowers, chickens, you name it. No one uses a signal or
the driving lanes, you just lay on your horn to get by.  The road was
lined with miles of rice paddies and water buffaloes, also wandering
into the traffic. There were people sitting on the side of the road on
tiny colorful plastic chairs, or just in the dirt, cutting up meat,
working and eating.
After living in Japan, where it is custom to remove your shoes before entering a home or restaurant, and bathrooms are kept spotless, our mouths
were totally open as we sat in the back of the car, holding hands and laughing, shaking
our heads at each other repeatedly saying, “woah.”
We
spent the first day and a half walking just about all of the Old
Quarter and French Quarter, loving the colors {me..} of muted oranges
and tans contrasted with sea foam green and turquoise, all while trying
not to get hit by a motorbike, car, or bicycle. And ohh, the food! And
the COFFEE! So delicious. The French influence is definitely still
prevalent in the narrow, cafe-lined streets. And oddly enough,
the chaos became normal to us after the first few hours and somehow added to the charm of the city. You learn to
walk very, very slowly and confidently across the street, without making any fast
movements to give drivers time to dodge you.

We came back to Hanoi, but first, we went three hours south to Halong Bay….  


Comments

  1. Ashley says

    Love it all! Can not wait to see and read about Part 2. Side note: I'd really love a bicycle flowing with flowers to call my own. Much love.

  14. Norah says

    Oh the coffee in Hanoi! SO delish. I really enjoyed our trip there and loved Halong Bay too. I can't wait to see your pics!

  16. CMae says

    You always take such great pictures that go so well with what you write..I feel like I am really getting a good account as to what it would be like to visit there!!!

  18. Candice says

    What a great place to dive into a totally different culture. The way you described it makes the photos really come alive! I would love to visit..

  19. Jen says

    Just stumbled across your blog and am so glad I did! I'm actually Vietnamese but was born in the US, so I've only been there once when I was very little. I'm curious to hear about your experience. Thanks for sharing it with the blogosphere so we can live vicariously through you!:)

  21. Anonymous says

    *sigh*
    That's what this lanneybear has to contribute. Your pictures and travels believe it or not make me feel better when I'm stuck INSIDE all day for nine hours in a windowless office WITHOUT your smiling face to cheer me up. Especially when I'd much rather be — I don't know ANYWHERE BUT HERE. MISS YOU!

  23. K says

    Lovely photos as always! I'd love to hear more about the French influence in Vietnam – did you happen to notice if the language was still used? I remember learning about French colonialism in school but always wondered about Vietnam. Thanks for sharing your adventures with the rest of us!

  24. Kristina says

    Isnt Hanoi Old Town crazy, unbelievable, amazing, pretty and nerve-wrecking all at once? Loved it! And it is a wonderful place for taking pictures!! xx

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