Hanoi Night.

Nothing can be better than a travel getaway.  As empty nesters we look forward to any long weekend or break to a country to satisfy our travel bug . Our destination for this year Eid holidays was Vietnam. We managed to convince our friends Ananthi and Swami to holiday with us, yet again. 

We landed at Hanoi airport around midday. The immigration was slow and excruciatingly painful, appearing chaotic in fact, as other passports kept getting head of ours,  but once out, the cloudy drizzle with humid air welcomed us. Typical of a place with much rainfall, the greenery was abundant and verdant. The drive from the airport to our hotel in the city rooms was past sleepy villages but we could discern lots of human activity which is always so pleasurable. We passed narrow houses with windows and balconies only on the front face mirroring the map of the nation. Flanked by the South China Sea to its East, land space is a premium. Vast paddy and rice fields could be discerned and the last 20 years seemed to have created some economic progress.

The houses had slanting roofs with red tiles to ward off incessant rains. We saw ripe plump mangoes growing from trees and passed banana plantations as well. The crossing of the Red river in narrow lanes was a pleasing experience. Two wheelers driven by women was a common sight.

The hotel itself was quite new, clean and comfortable. Refreshing ourselves we took a cab to the old Quarter - a drive of 15 minutes. The traffic was heavy but orderly and the numerous branded shops spoke of the desire to acquire brands! No sounds of impatient honking or fuel fumes hit us.

Getting off in the old Quarter section,  we walked a few steps and encountered the famous train street. The narrow gauge track was built by the French to transport passengers and goods to the North of Vietnam. The never ending track passes through solid dwellings, massage parlours, salons and beer cafes. We were pleasantly surprised by the lively atmosphere in that area. Along the wall of the house, people were sitting, having coffee, and chatting. Right on the railway track, many people were trying several postures to get the best photo, including us. 

Walking along the track we saw many pots, pans, hens on the track, women cleaning utensils , clothes line hanging and young girls driving along the side of the train path. The window and door facades were decorated with hanging pots and climbing creepers.

People live and work on the tracks, they remove their goods minutes before the train thunders past them. It was interesting to see how the railway tracks and houses blended into one.

The train timings are prominently displayed in most of the shops .The train was to arrive in half an hour. We decided to wait and watch the train . We sat down and enjoyed a beer and coconut water. There was a guitar perched in the corner. My partner took up the guitar and played a few songs while we clicked several pics of the unique place.

As we approached the time for the train to pass by, the shopkeeper without knowing a word of English, made us cling to the wall face of his shop. We were within breathing distance of the compartments! We could not imagine the train is so huge and enormous. Yes it was a thrilling and nerve tingling experience. The way rail tracks turns into a bustling street and bar and the orderly discipline to give way to the train was incredible.

From these we walked through the old town, passing several shops selling North Fake - a brand of M&S! Although tempted to splurge, our guide told us to exercise restraint and only window shop. The fruit stalls were so inviting. Stopping by the shops, after some hard bargaining we got some fruits for our journey from the next day.

By this time, it was past sunset and we approached the centre of the town. The old quarter was lit with colored lights and lanterns. It had an air of festivity around with hundreds of people milling on the roads and side walks.

Surrounding the lake around which is a walking path, the town is littered with pubs, restaurants, bars and souvenir shops.  It is quite clean for the amount of population that enjoy the surroundings. The area around the lake is a place for public socialising. There are artists, musicians, dancers- kids see jumping rope, playing shuttle with their feet. There are very pretty youngsters moving out curiously, fearlessly in tasteful clothes. It’s a very inclusive setting for interaction and seems policed very well for safety.

Walking along the lake we viewed the city of Hanoi as happy tourists and decided to retire for the day.